Most coverage of California's fast-charging grants focuses on the money and the dates. For anyone actually preparing an application, the harder constraint is the hardware. CALeVIP pays only for chargers listed on its eligible equipment dashboard, and a charger is listed only after the program verifies a specific set of certifications.
This matters more in Window 2 than it used to, because the per-port numbers are large enough that picking the wrong equipment is an expensive mistake. Window 2 of the Fast Charge California Project runs from October 7, 2026 to January 14, 2027 and pays up to 100% of eligible costs, capped at $55,000 per port for chargers guaranteeing 150 to 274.99 kW and $100,000 per port at 275 kW and above.
For the funding amounts, site eligibility and how the Window 2 and Window 3 dates compare, see our guide to the CALeVIP fast charging windows. This article is about the equipment.
The gate: if it is not on the dashboard, it does not qualify
CALeVIP maintains an Eligible Equipment Dashboard, and eligibility is a listing decision made by the program, not a judgment you make yourself. The program's Equipment Eligibility Resource Guide says:
"Can I choose equipment that is not listed on the dashboard? No. For equipment to be eligible for an incentive, it must be verified to meet minimum requirements by CALeVIP. If a charger is not listed, it means it has not been verified yet."
The Window 2 Implementation Manual says the same thing in its own terms: equipment must be "Registered on the CALeVIP 2.0 Equipment Eligibility Dashboard as eligible for FCCP-2," and only equipment submitted by its manufacturer is listed.
This has two practical consequences. First, "not listed" is not the same as "rejected." Listing is something a manufacturer initiates, and the dashboard is updated as new equipment is verified, so a model can be absent simply because nobody has submitted it. Second, the dashboard is the only authority that matters on the day you apply. Everything below explains what sits behind a listing, but before you commit to hardware you should open the CALeVIP Eligible Equipment Dashboard and confirm your exact model and configuration is on it.
What the spec actually requires
These come from the Window 2 Implementation Manual, dated September 18, 2026, which is the governing document for Window 2 applications.
OCPP 2.0.1, and two specific profiles. Eligible equipment "must be certified by the Open Charge Alliance to adhere with the Open Charge Point Protocol version 2.0.1 or later," and the manual names "the minimum required certificates to demonstrate compliance": the OCPP 2.0.1 Core Profile and the OCPP 2.0.1 Advanced Security Profile. OCPP certification is issued by the Open Charge Alliance and tested by independent labs, and it is granted per profile rather than as a single pass or fail.
CCS and J3400 connectors, with a CCS floor. Each charger must use CCS connectors, J3400 connectors, and/or CCS/J3400 adapters "fully integrated into the charger such that they cannot be removed from the Installation Site." J3400 is the SAE standard for the NACS connector. Both earn money: "Both CCS and J3400 Charging Port connectors may be installed and considered for an incentive allocation."
The CCS floor is that at least 50% of the site's charging ports must be CCS. The manual words this floor as connectors in one place and as charging ports in another, and CALeVIP's Equipment Eligibility Resource Guide says charging ports, so confirm how CALeVIP will count your layout before you finalize it.
CHAdeMO is where the program's documents disagree. The manual says any connector type other than CCS or J3400 "is not eligible and is not authorized to be installed on the DCFC equipment." CALeVIP's Equipment Eligibility Resource Guide for Windows 2 and 3, posted in September 2026, still says CHAdeMO connectors "may also be installed but will not be considered when determining the incentive cap." Ask CALeVIP before you specify CHAdeMO on equipment you expect to fund.
CTEP certification for the meter. The charger must be certified by the California Type Evaluation Program (CTEP), and CTEP is required where it is available. National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) certification is accepted only where CTEP is not yet available for the model and configuration, and then only if the device has a 0.0001 kWh display resolution and meets California's accuracy and sealing requirements for EV fueling systems. Applicants must also keep records of California weights-and-measures compliance, including county registration and calibration and sealing documentation, and produce them on request.
An NRTL safety listing. Approval by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory to UL 2202, and to UL 9741 where it applies. UL 2202 covers EV charging system equipment; UL 9741 covers bidirectional charging equipment.
ENERGY STAR, or an approved exemption. The charger must be ENERGY STAR certified or hold an approved exemption. Chargers with output above 350 kW are outside ENERGY STAR's scope and may qualify for an exemption, documented by an Out-of-Scope Evaluation Letter from an EPA-recognized certification body.
ISO 15118 hardware ready. Shown by manufacturer-issued documentation such as a product specification sheet, user manual or technical specification, covering powerline carrier high-level communication per ISO 15118-3, secure key and certificate storage, TLS 1.2 (with TLS 1.3 or later recommended), remote software or firmware updates, and back-end network connection. This one rests on the manufacturer's own documentation rather than a third-party certificate, so it is a lower bar than the others.
At least 150 kW guaranteed per charging port. Guaranteed output is the power rating for each port "when all Charging Ports are in use." A charging port is an "energy access point" that may be shared by more than one connector, and the number of ports is how many connectors can put power into vehicles at the same time. A two-connector charger that can only serve one vehicle at a time is one port, not two. A port that cannot guarantee 150 kW is not a charging port under the program and earns nothing.
Networked, with a six-year commitment. Connectable by Wi-Fi, ethernet or cellular at 4G or above, connected to a back-end network management system capable of remote diagnostics, remote start, utilization data collection and over-the-air updates, and covered by a networking agreement for a minimum of six years.
Open payment. If payment is required, the charger must comply with California's EV charging open access law (SB 454), and it "shall not require a subscription or membership to dispense energy."
New equipment, and no replacements. Equipment must be installed for the first time. Resold, rebuilt, rented, warranty-claim, gifted and prize units are all ineligible, and so are units "with new parts installed." The installation must go on an eligible site, either with new infrastructure or where charging infrastructure exists but no DC fast charger was installed before (a stub-out or make-ready). Replacement installations, where the new DC fast chargers replace existing EV charging equipment, are not eligible.
Where Tesla's Supercharger sits against this
Tesla is the largest fast-charging network in the country, and it now sells Supercharger hardware to third-party site hosts. So the question of whether a California site host can put Supercharger hardware behind a CALeVIP grant is a live one.
Output. Tesla's V4 posts are rated for peak power well above 150 kW. CALeVIP does not count peak power. It counts guaranteed output per port with every port on the site in use, and on a Supercharger that depends on how the cabinet's power is shared across the posts it serves. Whether a given Supercharger configuration clears 150 kW per port, or 275 kW for the higher tier, is a figure its dashboard listing would state.
OCPP. Tesla holds Open Charge Alliance certificates for OCPP 2.0.1 on the V4 Supercharger, and the two most recent pass both profiles CALeVIP requires. The July 2025 certificate:
- Certificate number: OCA.0201.0103.CS
- Product designation: V4 Supercharger NA+EU (w/ V3 Cabinet)
- Firmware version: 25.18.0-ocpp
- Certification date: July 1, 2025
- Tested by: DNV Energy USA, Inc.
OCPP certification is granted profile by profile, and the Test Result Summary inside this certificate reads:
| Certification profile | Test result |
|---|
| Core | Pass |
| Advanced Security | Pass |
| Local Authorization List Management | Not Tested |
| Smart Charging | Not Tested |
| Advanced Device Management | Not Tested |
| Reservation | Not Tested |
| Advanced User Interface | Not Tested |
| ISO 15118 Support | Not Tested |
Tesla's June 24, 2026 certificate, OCA.0201.0166.CS, covers the "V4 Supercharger NA + EU (w/ V4 Cabinet) (2 NACS + 2 CCS2)" on firmware 26.10-V4-Cabinet-OCPP-STEM-Safety-2.3, also tested by DNV, and it too records Core and Advanced Security as passing. Tesla's earliest V4 certificate, OCA.0201.0018.CS from February 2024, is Core only.
Each certificate covers only the product and firmware it names. The manual defines CCS as "An internationally developed standard (also known as SAE J1772 Combo) for electric vehicle DC fast charging." SAE J1772 Combo is CCS1, the form used in North America. The June 2026 certificate was tested on a unit with two NACS and two CCS2 connectors, CCS2 being the European form, and the July 2025 designation does not list connectors. Whether either certificate carries over to a North American configuration with CCS1 connectors is a question for Tesla and for CALeVIP's equipment review, and neither certificate answers it.
The dashboard. None of this puts Tesla hardware on the dashboard, and the dashboard is what decides eligibility. In the eligible equipment list dated September 28, 2026, which we checked on September 30, Tesla does not appear among the listed manufacturers. Listing is something a manufacturer applies for, so the absence may only mean Tesla has not submitted, but until a Tesla configuration is listed, it cannot be funded.
Connectors. The connector rules no longer count against the NACS side. Under the Window 2 manual, J3400 ports earn incentive alongside CCS ports. What remains is the site floor: at least 50% of the site's charging ports must be CCS. A site where every port is NACS cannot qualify, so a site host who wants Supercharger hardware and CALeVIP money needs CCS on at least half of the site's charging ports, counted the way CALeVIP counts them, with the grant able to attach to both CCS and NACS ports. The manual also accepts CCS/J3400 adapters fully integrated into the charger; if your layout depends on one, ask CALeVIP how it counts toward the CCS floor before you rely on it.
What this does not tell you
An OCPP certificate is a snapshot of a product and a firmware version. Each Tesla certificate above covers one named configuration on one firmware build. The product designation and firmware a vendor quotes you should match a certificate, not just the product family. The Open Charge Alliance's public register also summarizes each certificate in a short column; read the Test Result Summary inside the certificate itself before you rely on which profiles it covers.
The dashboard changes. It is updated as manufacturers submit equipment and CALeVIP verifies it, so a model absent today can be listed next month. Check it on the day you choose equipment, not the day you read this.
Requirements move, even within a window. The specification above comes from the Window 2 Implementation Manual dated September 18, 2026. The manual reserves to CSE, the program administrator, together with the CEC, the right to change equipment eligibility at any time, including for applications that already have funds reserved. The rules also differ between windows: CALeVIP's resource guide says Window 3 requires only one charging port with a CCS connector per site.
What to do before you buy
- Open the eligible equipment dashboard and find your exact model and configuration. A listing for one configuration from a manufacturer does not cover another.
- If it is not there, contact CALeVIP at evcharging@energycenter.org rather than assuming it is disqualified. Listing is application-driven and the program explicitly invites the question.
- Ask your vendor for the OCPP certificate itself, not a marketing claim of OCPP support, and check which profiles it covers and that its product designation and firmware match what you are buying. "OCPP 2.0.1 certified" and "certified to Core and Advanced Security" are different statements.
- Confirm CTEP certification separately, and NTEP only where CTEP is not available for the model. It is a distinct lookup from safety listing, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture publishes a searchable register. Confirm ENERGY STAR certification or an approved exemption as well.
- Check guaranteed output per port with every port in use, not the charger's peak rating.
- Count your CCS charging ports against the 50% site minimum before you finalize a mixed-standard layout, and confirm the count with CALeVIP. J3400 ports count toward the incentive. Ask CALeVIP before specifying CHAdeMO, because the manual and the resource guide disagree on whether it may be installed.
- If the site already has chargers you plan to swap out, stop there: replacement installations are not eligible.
- Re-read the Window 2 Implementation Manual on calevip.org the day you apply, because eligibility can change during the window, and treat any secondary summary, including this one, as a starting point rather than the rule.
Output ratings and connector counts are on a spec sheet. OCPP profiles, CTEP certification, ENERGY STAR status and UL listing each need a separate check, and a charger missing any one of them is ineligible for an incentive of up to $100,000 per port.
Last factually verified: September 30, 2026, against the Fast Charge California Project 2 Implementation Manual (dated September 18, 2026) and the Window 2 program page on calevip.org; CALeVIP's Eligible Equipment Dashboard (list dated September 28, 2026); CALeVIP's Equipment Eligibility Resource Guide for Windows 2 and 3 (posted September 2026); and the Open Charge Alliance's certified-companies register and Tesla's OCPP 2.0.1 certificates OCA.0201.0166.CS, OCA.0201.0103.CS, and OCA.0201.0018.CS. evcharginghelp.com is editorially independent and receives no compensation from any company mentioned.
Corrections (September 30, 2026): This article misread Tesla's July 1, 2025 OCPP 2.0.1 certificate (OCA.0201.0103.CS). It said the certificate recorded the Advanced Security profile as not tested; the certificate records Core and Advanced Security as passing, and it did so when this article was published. Tesla's June 24, 2026 certificate passes both profiles as well, and only its February 2024 certificate is Core only. The article also said that NACS ports earn no CALeVIP incentive; the Window 2 Implementation Manual dated September 18, 2026 counts both CCS and J3400 (NACS) ports toward the incentive, with at least 50% of the site's charging ports required to be CCS. It said CHAdeMO could be installed without counting toward the cap; the manual bars connector types other than CCS and J3400 from funded equipment, while CALeVIP's current resource guide still permits CHAdeMO, and the article now says both. It said existing DC fast chargers below 40 kW could be replaced; the manual makes replacement installations ineligible. The article now adds that no Tesla equipment is on CALeVIP's dashboard, that ENERGY STAR certification or an approved exemption is required, and that NTEP certification can stand in for CTEP only where CTEP is not available.