Purchasing
What are the costs for Eve Control?
Eve Control itself is free. When chargers are purchased with Eve Control connectivity, an Alfen SIM card is always included. The SIM card is free to use during the first year. After the first year, the cost is €10 per charger per year.
If during installation the charger is connected via LAN, no SIM subscription is necessary.
How do I pay for SIM connectivity?
A payment flow will be available directly inside Eve Control. Any admin user from any organisation that has access to the charger can complete this payment flow and pay for charger connectivity. This can be the wholesaler, installer, CPO, or the (business) owner of the charger.
Can I also purchase Alfen SIM cards separately?
This is currently not possible, but we are working on it and it will become available in the future.
Can I order chargers with Eve Control connectivity without a SIM card?
Alfen’s standard policy is to always include a SIM card when ordering a charger with Eve Control (i.e. selecting “Yes” for Eve Control in the webshop or order system). This is intentional for two reasons:
The end customer — or any other party with access to the charger in Eve Control — may want to activate the SIM later. Alfen bills them directly; the wholesaler or installer does not need to be involved.
When a service request arises, a SIM card in the charger significantly increases the chance of a successful remote connection, reducing resolution time and cost.
No cost if connected via LAN: If the charger is installed with a wired LAN connection, Alfen will never charge for the SIM. The SIM is included in the box but costs nothing unless it is actively used. If the SIM is used, the first year is free; after that it is €10 per charger per year.
Ordering without a SIM: There is a workaround to order a charger with Eve Control pre-configured but without a SIM card (by selecting “No” for Eve Control and then specifying Eve Control as the backoffice separately). However, this is not recommended: when “Yes” is selected for Eve Control, a flyer with installer instructions is included in the box — this flyer is not added when using the workaround.
Can I still order a charging station with ICU Connect?
No. ICU Connect is no longer available for new charging station orders. Please select Eve Control when ordering a new Alfen charger.
If you already use ICU Connect, there is no immediate impact on your connected chargers; they will continue to operate as normal.
ICU Connect will reach end of life on 1 December 2026, and you will be able to migrate your chargers to Eve Control before then. We will communicate the migration process, timing and support separately.
Getting Access to Eve Control
How does access control work in Eve Control?
Eve Control uses
organisation-based access control. Every entity (charger, location, token, etc.) belongs to an organisation. Users can only see and manage entities within organisations they have access to. Cross-organisation visibility is prevented by design — see
section 26: Cross-Organisation Access.
How do I grant another organisation access to my charger?
Open the charger’s detail page, go to the Access management tab, and click Grant Access. Search for the organisation and confirm. The other organisation’s users can then see and manage the charger according to their roles. You can revoke access at any time from the same tab.
How do I grant another organisation access to my location?
Open the location’s detail page, go to the Access management tab, and click Grant Access. Search for the organisation and confirm. Granting access to a location also gives the other organisation visibility of chargers placed in that location.
What is the difference between owning and having access to a charger?
The owner is the organisation that originally claimed or created the charger. Owners have full control, including the ability to grant/revoke access to other organisations. Organisations with granted access can view and operate the charger but cannot transfer ownership or grant access to third parties.
Charging Stations & Connectivity
How do I add a brand-new charger that does not exist in the platform yet?
Use the
Add Device button on the Charging Stations page, enter the charger’s
OCPP Identifier (the identifier with which the charger communicates to the backoffice — not necessarily its serial number), and click
Check. If the charger is not yet known to Eve Control, a
Create form appears: pick the charger model and submit. This creates the device so it can connect for the first time. See
section 2 for the full walkthrough.
Can I add my own backoffice if it’s not in the list?
Yes. In the
Set primary backoffice dialog, pick
Define new backoffice... from the dropdown, then enter a name and the OCPP WebSocket URL of your CPMS. The new backoffice is created as a
private backoffice belonging to your organisation, can be reused for other chargers you own, and is connected to the current charger as the primary in one step. See
section 9, Option B.
Can I connect a charger to more than one third-party backoffice?
No. Eve Control supports at most one primary backoffice per charger. If you need to switch to a different one, remove the current entry from the Backoffice tab (trash icon, type delete to confirm) and then set the new one.
How do I remove a charging station from a location?
Open the charger’s detail page, go to the Locations tab, and click the trash icon next to the location. Confirm by typing the required text. Alternatively, open the location, go to the Charging stations tab, and remove the charger from there.
I installed a charger but the management is handled by another party (e.g. a wholesaler or CPO). Can I still add it to my own Eve Control environment?
Yes. Even if day-to-day management of the charger is done by another organisation, you can always add the charger to your own environment so you can service it. Click Add Device on the Charging Stations page, enter the charger’s serial number or OCPP Identifier, and enter the charger password (printed on the charger label or included in the delivery paperwork). After a successful claim the charger appears in your Charging Stations list.
This gives you access to the charger for service and configuration purposes alongside any other organisation that already has access to it.
What happens to a charger in Eve Control when an Asset Transfer is completed in the Alfen service portal (Dynamics)?
When an asset management transfer is completed in the Alfen service portal (Microsoft Dynamics), the charger is automatically moved to the new owner’s organisation in Eve Control. No manual action is required in Eve Control itself — the charger will appear in the new owner’s Charging Stations list as soon as the transfer is processed.
This is the recommended path when ownership of a charger changes hands (e.g. from wholesaler to installer, or from installer to end customer).
Why do remotely migrated chargers initially connect via WS instead of WSS?
When migrating a charger remotely via OCPP from another backoffice (Option B in
section 1), the charger may not yet have the TLS root certificate needed to establish a secure
wss:// connection to Eve Control. Using
ws:// allows the charger to connect initially so that a
security firmware update can be performed through Eve Control to install the certificate and switch to
wss://.
How do I switch a charger from WS to WSS?
Perform a
security firmware update via the charger’s
Firmware tab in Eve Control. This update installs the required TLS root certificate and automatically reconfigures the charger’s OCPP connection URL from
ws://ocpp.alfen.com/ to
wss://ocpp.alfen.com/. The charger will reboot and reconnect securely. See
section 10 for step-by-step instructions.
Do chargers connected via local installation tooling also need a security firmware update?
No. When you connect a charger using the
Service Installer,
MyEve, or
Eve Install app with the Eve Control preset (Option A in
section 1), the charger is configured to use
wss:// from the start. The security firmware update is only needed for chargers that were migrated remotely via OCPP using an initial
ws:// connection.
Users, Roles & Organisation
What are the available user roles?
Eve Control ships with three built-in organisation roles. Role names use British spelling (Organisation):
Organisation Admin — full access inside the organisation: manages users, approves access requests, claims chargers, manages locations, tokens, token groups, and primary backoffices.
Organisation Technician — operational access: onboards chargers, edits configuration, requests diagnostics, runs firmware updates.
Organisation User — read access for everyday users: sees chargers, locations, and charging sessions.
Role assignment is managed on each user’s detail panel in the Users page. See section 22: Users & Roles.
What happens to a user without an organisation or roles?
A user who has an organisation but no role lands on a controlled page after login — they cannot reach the rest of the app until they have a role:
User in an organisation but with no role → redirected to the Request Access page. From there the user can ask the organisation admin for a role. The admin can approve (by assigning a role) or deny the request. See section 20.
Brand-new self-registered user → if their organisation does not exist yet, they create it during sign-up and start using Eve Control as its first admin. If it already exists, they see a Request Access button (or, when the organisation has no admin yet, a message to contact Alfen support). See section 23.
Where do I see who changed what?
Open the
Audit Logs page from the sidebar. Every administrative change (creating / editing / deleting an entity, assigning a role, granting access, etc.) is recorded with a timestamp, actor, and event payload. You can filter by free text and by object type. Charging session events are
not in audit logs — see the Charging Sessions page for those. See
section 19.
Concepts & Terminology
What is a Location?
A Location represents a physical site where one or more charging stations are installed — for example, a parking garage, office building, or housing complex. Locations are used to:
Group charging stations by physical site
Manage charging access via token groups (a token group linked to a location grants access to all chargers at that location)
Organize your fleet geographically
Each location has a name, address, and other details. Charging stations must be assigned to a location for token-group-based access control to work.
What is a Local Token?
A Local Token represents a charge card (RFID tag) registered in Eve Control. Each token has:
Hidden ID (UID) – the internal identifier stored on the card’s chip, used for authentication
Visual ID – the number printed on the card
Description – a human-readable label (e.g. the cardholder’s name)
Tokens can be valid/invalid and blocked/unblocked. A token must be valid and not blocked to authorize charging. Tokens can be given charging access either directly (per charger) or through token groups (per location).
What is a Local Token Group?
A Local Token Group is a collection of tokens that share the same charging access. Instead of configuring access for each token individually, you:
Create a token group
Add tokens to the group
Link the group to one or more locations
All tokens in the group can then charge at all stations in those locations. Groups can be enabled or disabled — disabling a group instantly revokes access for all tokens in it.
What is a Backoffice connection?
A
Backoffice connection is the link between a charging station and a Charge Point Management System (CPMS) over the OCPP protocol. Eve Control is always connected to every charger you claim and provides visibility and management. You can additionally connect
one third-party backoffice (e.g. ICU Connect, has-to-be, or your own CPMS) which then becomes the
primary backoffice and takes over authorisation, transaction handling, and other CPMS responsibilities. See
section 9.
What does “primary backoffice” mean?
The primary backoffice is the third-party CPMS that a charger forwards its OCPP traffic to. The primary is responsible for authorisation (deciding whether a charge card can charge), transaction handling (start/stop, billing data), and similar CPMS operations. Eve Control keeps a parallel connection for management and observability, but the primary’s decisions are authoritative on the charger. A charger can be linked to at most one primary backoffice.
What is OCPP?
OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) is the industry-standard communication protocol between charging stations and backoffice systems. Alfen chargers use OCPP to communicate with Eve Control (and other CPMS platforms). OCPP handles authentication, session management, configuration, firmware updates, and diagnostics. Eve Control supports OCPP 1.6.
What is the difference between WS and WSS?
WS (ws://) – an unencrypted WebSocket connection. Data between the charger and Eve Control is sent in plain text, which means it can potentially be intercepted or tampered with.
WSS (wss://) – a secure WebSocket connection encrypted with TLS (the same technology used for HTTPS). All communication is protected against eavesdropping and tampering.
WSS is the recommended protocol for production use. WS is only used as an initial connection method when migrating chargers remotely via OCPP, because the charger may not yet have the required TLS root certificate.
What is the difference between direct access and location-based access?
Direct access — you link a token directly to a charging station. Simple but requires managing each token-charger pair individually.
Location-based access — you place tokens in a group, link the group to a location, and assign chargers to that location. More scalable: adding a new charger to the location automatically gives all tokens in linked groups access to it.
You can use both methods simultaneously. A token can have direct access to some chargers and group-based access to others.
Tokens & Access Management
How do I make sure a charge card can charge?
For a charge card to successfully start a session, all of the following must be true:
The card is registered as a Local Token in Eve Control
The token is valid (not invalidated)
The token is not blocked
The token has access to the charger, either:
Directly: the token is added to the charger’s local token list, or
Via group: the token is in a token group that is linked to a location containing the charger
If using a token group: the group is enabled
How do I block or unblock a token?
Navigate to Local tokens, click on the token to open its detail panel. You will see the Blocked status. Click the Block or Unblock button and confirm. A blocked token cannot start charging sessions, even if it has access to a charger.
How do I validate or invalidate a token?
Navigate to Local tokens, click on the token to open its detail panel. You will see the Valid status. Click the Validate or Invalidate button and confirm. An invalidated token cannot authorize charging. Newly created tokens are valid by default.
How do I enable or disable a token group?
Navigate to Local token groups, click on the group to open its detail panel. You will see the Enabled status. Click Enable token group or Disable token group and confirm. When a group is disabled, none of the tokens in it can charge via that group’s location links.
What happens if I delete a token group?
Deleting a token group removes it permanently. All tokens that were in the group lose the location-based access that the group provided. The tokens themselves are not deleted — they remain in your token list but will no longer have access through that group. If those tokens also have direct charger access, that access is not affected.
Can one token be in multiple token groups?
Yes. A token can belong to multiple token groups. Its effective access is the union of all locations linked to all groups it belongs to. For example, if a token is in Group A (linked to Location 1) and Group B (linked to Location 2), it can charge at both locations.
Can one token group be linked to multiple locations?
Yes. A token group can be linked to multiple locations. All tokens in the group will have access to all chargers at every linked location.
How do I check if a token has charging access?
Navigate to Local tokens, click on the token, then go to the Charging stations tab. This shows all chargers the token has direct access to. To check group-based access, look at the Local token groups tab to see which groups the token belongs to, then check which locations each group is linked to.
How do I find the Hidden ID of an RFID charge card?
The
Hidden ID (also called UID or token ID) is the internal identifier stored on the card’s RFID chip. It is required when creating a Local Token in Eve Control. Unlike the Visual ID printed on the card, the Hidden ID is not directly visible. There are several ways to find it. See
section 18: Finding the Hidden ID of a Charge Card for detailed step-by-step instructions with screenshots.
Charger Operations
How do I view charger logs?
Navigate to Charging Stations, click on a charger, then select the Logging tab. This shows all OCPP messages between the charger and Eve Control in real time, including authorization requests, session events, configuration changes, and status notifications.
How do I unlock a charger’s connector remotely?
Navigate to Charging Stations, click on the charger, and click the unlock icon on the Overview tab. Confirm the action. You can verify it worked by going to the Logging tab and checking for an UnlockConnector message with the result “Unlocked”.
How do I change an OCPP configuration parameter on a charger?
Open the charger’s detail page and go to the Configuration tab. Use the filter field to find the parameter, then click the edit icon to change its value. After saving, check the Logging tab to verify the change was accepted by the charger. You can also add entirely new parameters using the “Add variable” button.
How do I download diagnostics from a charger?
Open the charger’s detail page and go to the Diagnostics tab. Select a date range using the calendar picker, then click Send request. The charger will process the request and upload the diagnostics. This may take 20 seconds or more. Check the Logging tab for a DiagnosticsStatusNotification with status “Uploaded” to confirm completion.
What does the Security tab on a charger do?
The Security tab controls which token authorisation profiles are active on the charger. For example, the local-token-group profile enables location-based access via token groups. You can drag profiles between “Active” and “Available” lists. Removing local-token-group from the active list means tokens with group-based access can no longer charge at that charger, even if all other conditions are met.
