EV charging: IEC 61851, ISO 15118 and OCPP conformity
Until 2025, ISO 15118 was something charger makers implemented because operators and car makers asked for it. Since 8 January 2026 it is law in the EU: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/656 requires every newly installed or renovated publicly accessible recharging point to comply with ISO 15118 parts 1 to 5, and from 1 January 2027 with ISO 15118-20 as well. The same date reaches into homes: a private Mode 3 wall box installed from 2027 must comply with ISO 15118-20. At the same time the DC charging standard moved to IEC 61851-23:2023, OCPP 2.0.1 became the IEC standard IEC 63584, and the Cyber Resilience Act started its reporting obligations in September 2026. This guide maps the stack (IEC 61851 for the electrical interface, ISO 15118 for vehicle communication, OCPP for the back office) with the dates and editions that apply now.
TL;DR:
- AFIR (Delegated Regulation 2025/656): public points installed or renovated from 8 January 2026 need EN ISO 15118 parts 1 to 5; from 1 January 2027, public points also need ISO 15118-20, and private Mode 3 and Mode 4 points need ISO 15118-20.
- Plug and Charge points must support both ISO 15118-2 and ISO 15118-20 from 2027.
- DC chargers: IEC 61851-23:2023 (second edition) replaced the 2014 edition.
- OCPP 2.0.1 is IEC 63584:2024; OCPP 2.1 (January 2025) adds bidirectional charging and ISO 15118-20 support. AFIR does not mandate OCPP.
- Cybersecurity: RED delegated act with EN 18031 since 1 August 2025 for radio-connected chargers; CRA reporting from 11 September 2026, full obligations from 11 December 2027.
AFIR: what the law now requires
Section titled “AFIR: what the law now requires”Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/656 of 2 April 2025, published on 18 June 2025, rewrote Annex II of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (EU) 2023/1804. It applies from 8 January 2026.
| Point type | From 8 January 2026 | From 1 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Public AC and DC, communication | EN ISO 15118-1:2019, -2:2016, -3:2016, -4:2019, -5:2019 | Also EN ISO 15118-20:2022 |
| Public, with Plug and Charge | As above | Both EN ISO 15118-2:2016 and EN ISO 15118-20:2022 |
| Private, Mode 2 | No new requirement | EN IEC 61851-1:2019 |
| Private, Mode 3 or Mode 4 | No new requirement | EN ISO 15118-20:2022 |
| AC normal and high power, connectors | Type 2 per EN IEC 62196-2:2022 (or IEC 60884-1:2022 sockets up to 3.7 kW for Mode 2 use) | |
| DC, connectors | CCS "Combo 2" per EN IEC 62196-3:2022 |
The obligations apply to points installed or renovated after each date. The regulation defines "renovated" as a major or complete replacement of the relevant equipment, and recital 21 explains why existing points with PWM-only communication are not forced to retrofit. Points installed earlier continue to comply with the 2017 and 2014 connector editions until they are renovated. The regulation does not set an OCPP requirement.
For a manufacturer this means the 2027 product generation of both public chargers and home wall boxes needs an ISO 15118-20 stack, conformance tested, and, for Plug and Charge, a dual 15118-2 and 15118-20 implementation.
The standards map
Section titled “The standards map”| Body | Scope | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| IEC TC 69 | Conductive charging, safety, EMC | IEC 61851 series, IEC 62196 connectors, IEC 62752 (in-cable control box), IEC 61980 (wireless) |
| ISO TC 22 SC 31 | Vehicle to charger communication | ISO 15118 series |
| CENELEC / CEN | European adoption | EN IEC 61851, EN IEC 62196, EN ISO 15118 |
| Open Charge Alliance | Charger to back office | OCPP 1.6, 2.0.1 (IEC 63584), 2.1 (IEC 63584-210) |
| UL / NRTLs | North American safety | UL 2202, UL 2231-1 and -2, UL 2594, UL 2750 |
| NIST, states | US weights and measures for billed charging | NIST Handbook 44 |
| CharIN | CCS and MCS architecture, interoperability events | Testivals, implementation guidance |
| V2G PKI operators | Plug and Charge trust | V2G root certificates, contract certificates |
IEC 61851: the electrical interface
Section titled “IEC 61851: the electrical interface”IEC 61851-1 edition 3 (2017, adopted as EN IEC 61851-1:2019) defines the four charging modes, the control pilot and the general safety requirements.
| Mode | Definition | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Mode 1 | Household socket, no control pilot | Light vehicles; restricted in many countries |
| Mode 2 | Household socket with an in-cable control and protection device (IEC 62752) | Portable cable supplied with the vehicle |
| Mode 3 | Dedicated AC equipment with control pilot | Public and home AC charging |
| Mode 4 | Off-board DC charger | DC fast charging |
The control pilot is a PWM signal on a dedicated wire: its voltage level encodes the vehicle state (A not connected, B connected, C charging, D charging with ventilation, E and F error states) and its duty cycle the maximum current the station allows. ISO 15118 communication runs as power line communication over the same wire.
| Connector | Standard | Main region |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | SAE J1772, IEC 62196-2 | North America AC |
| Type 2 | IEC 62196-2 | Europe AC (mandatory under AFIR) |
| CCS Combo 1 / Combo 2 | IEC 62196-3 | North America / Europe DC (Combo 2 mandatory under AFIR) |
| CHAdeMO | IEEE 2030.1.1 | Japan |
| GB/T | GB/T 20234, GB/T 27930 | China |
| NACS | SAE J3400 | North America |
| MCS | Megawatt Charging System, IEC and SAE work in progress | Heavy-duty vehicles |
IEC 61851-23:2023 for DC chargers
Section titled “IEC 61851-23:2023 for DC chargers”IEC 61851-23 second edition (2023) cancelled and replaced the 2014 edition. The main changes:
- structure aligned on IEC 61851-1:2017;
- electrical safety clauses rebuilt on IEC 62477-1, inspired by the hazard-based approach of IEC 62368-1;
- test methods added for most requirements, with general provisions for compliance tests;
- new content on energy transfer with thermal management, bidirectional power transfer control (Annex DD), separated multi-output equipment and the communication and energy transfer process;
- scope up to 1 000 V AC or 1 500 V DC on the supply side and 1 500 V DC on the vehicle side.
The first CB test certificate against the 2023 edition was announced in October 2025, so national and CB scheme transitions were still under way in 2026. Check which edition your target markets and certification bodies accept.
IEC 61851-21-2 for EMC
Section titled “IEC 61851-21-2 for EMC”IEC 61851-21-2 covers EMC of off-board charging equipment: emissions and immunity with test conditions adapted to high-power switching. The vehicle side follows automotive EMC standards.
ISO 15118: vehicle communication
Section titled “ISO 15118: vehicle communication”| Part | Content | AFIR |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 15118-1 | General information and use cases | From 8 January 2026 (public) |
| ISO 15118-2 | First-generation network and application protocol, TLS 1.2 for Plug and Charge | From 8 January 2026 (public); with -20 for Plug and Charge from 2027 |
| ISO 15118-3 | Physical and data link layer (power line communication on the pilot) | From 8 January 2026 (public) |
| ISO 15118-4, -5 | Conformance tests for parts 2 and 3 | From 8 January 2026 (public) |
| ISO 15118-20 | Second-generation protocol: bidirectional power transfer, TLS 1.3, new services | From 1 January 2027 (public and private Mode 3/4) |
Plug and Charge
Section titled “Plug and Charge”Plug and Charge lets the vehicle authenticate with a contract certificate, so charging starts without a card or app. It needs:
- a V2G root of trust and sub-CAs, run by PKI operators whose roots are trusted by the parties;
- a contract certificate in the vehicle, issued for a mobility service provider contract;
- a station certificate and TLS on the charger;
- back-office services to install, update and revoke certificates, including OCSP status checks.
A missing intermediate certificate, an expired root or an unreachable status responder breaks the session, usually with no useful message to the driver. From 2027, AFIR requires Plug and Charge points to support both ISO 15118-2 and ISO 15118-20, so the PKI handling has to work in both protocol generations.
OCPP: the back office
Section titled “OCPP: the back office”| Version | Status | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| OCPP 1.6 | 2015; OCA certification since 2019 | JSON over WebSocket, smart charging profiles; security added through the OCA security white paper |
| OCPP 2.0.1 | OCA certification since 2023; edition 3 published as IEC 63584:2024 | ISO 15118 integration and certificate management, device management, display messages, three security profiles |
| OCPP 2.1 | January 2025; accepted as IEC 63584-210 | Bidirectional charging, ISO 15118-20 support, distributed energy resource control, battery swapping; backward compatible with 2.0.1 |
The OCPP 2.0.1 security profiles:
- Profile 1: HTTP Basic authentication without TLS. Only for trusted, closed networks.
- Profile 2: TLS with server certificate validation by the station, plus HTTP Basic authentication of the station.
- Profile 3: mutual TLS, the station authenticating with its own client certificate.
OCPI is the separate protocol between operators and mobility service providers for roaming; it does not touch the charger directly.
Certification routes
Section titled “Certification routes”European Union
Section titled “European Union”| Requirement | Instrument | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical safety | Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU | EN IEC 61851-1, EN IEC 61851-23 (check the edition cited in the OJ) |
| EMC | EMC Directive 2014/30/EU | EN IEC 61851-21-2 |
| Radio | RED 2014/53/EU | For Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular backhaul; the RED then replaces LVD and EMCD for the whole product |
| Cybersecurity (radio, internet-connected) | RED Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30, EN 18031 | Since 1 August 2025 |
| Cybersecurity (all products with digital elements) | Cyber Resilience Act (EU) 2024/2847 | Reporting from 11 September 2026; full from 11 December 2027 |
| Interoperability | AFIR, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/656 | Connectors and ISO 15118, see above |
| Billing metrology | MID 2014/32/EU (MI-003) or national rules; Eichrecht in Germany | Only when billing per kWh |
| Substances | RoHS 2011/65/EU |
United States and Canada
Section titled “United States and Canada”- UL 2202 for EV charging system equipment, UL 2594 for EV supply equipment, UL 2231-1 and UL 2231-2 for personnel protection systems, UL 2750 for wireless charging;
- NEC Article 625 for installation;
- a listing mark from an NRTL (UL, Intertek ETL, CSA and others);
- for billed public charging, state weights and measures rules, most based on NIST Handbook 44.
Cybersecurity layer
Section titled “Cybersecurity layer”Two links need protecting: vehicle to charger (ISO 15118 over power line communication) and charger to back office (OCPP over the WAN). A design that combines ISO 15118 TLS with a valid PKI, OCPP Security Profile 2 or 3 with per-station credentials, and a product cybersecurity process aligned with the CRA covers both. IEC 62443-4-2 is often used as the component security reference. A station that accepts a certificate when it cannot check its status is a design choice that auditors will question. See the CRA guide.
Safety functions in DC chargers
Section titled “Safety functions in DC chargers”| Function | Reference | Typical realisation |
|---|---|---|
| Residual current protection on the supply side | IEC 61851-1, IEC 61851-23 | Type B RCD or equivalent DC-sensitive detection |
| Insulation monitoring of the DC output | IEC 61851-23, IEC 61557-8 | Insulation monitoring device checked before and during charging |
| Contactor welding detection | IEC 61851-23 | Voltage check across open contactors |
| Cable and connector temperature monitoring | IEC 61851-23 | Sensors in the connector, current reduction |
| Bidirectional power transfer control | IEC 61851-23:2023 Annex DD | Required when the charger can export energy |
Some operators also ask for an IEC 61508 analysis of the station safety chain; on the vehicle side, ISO 26262 applies. See ISO 26262.
Interoperability events
Section titled “Interoperability events”CharIN testivals and PKI operator interop sessions are where most field problems are found before launch: pilot signal tolerance, ISO 15118 message handling, certificate chains, and repeated start and stop cycles. They are not certifications, but operators often ask for evidence of participation. CharIN published an April 2026 position paper on how ISO 15118 should be implemented under AFIR.
Step-by-step plan
Section titled “Step-by-step plan”- Define the architecture: AC or DC, power, connectors, ISO 15118-2 and -20, bidirectional or not, OCPP version and security profile.
- Map the editions: IEC 61851-23:2023 or 2014 per target market, EN IEC 62196-2/-3:2022 for AFIR, EN ISO 15118 parts.
- Pre-compliance EMC, especially conducted emissions at the DC output.
- Safety testing to IEC 61851-1 and -23.
- EMC testing to IEC 61851-21-2.
- ISO 15118 conformance (parts 4 and 5 test suites) and interop events.
- OCPP certification through the Open Charge Alliance programme.
- Plug and Charge: PKI contracts, station certificates, revocation handling.
- Cybersecurity: EN 18031 for RED, CRA process and reporting from September 2026.
- Metrology if billing by kWh.
- UL or other NRTL listing for North America.
For timing, see certification timeline and certification costs.
Claims the texts contradict
Section titled “Claims the texts contradict”| Common claim | What the text says |
|---|---|
| "ISO 15118 is an industry choice, not a legal requirement" | Mandatory under AFIR for public points installed or renovated from 8 January 2026 |
| "Home wall boxes are outside the AFIR standards rules" | Private Mode 3 and 4 points installed or renovated from 1 January 2027 need EN ISO 15118-20 |
| "IEC 61851-23:2014 is the DC reference, edition 2 in progress" | IEC 61851-23:2023 replaced it |
| "OCPP Security Profile 1 is Basic authentication over TLS" | Profile 1 is Basic authentication without TLS; Profile 2 adds TLS |
| "OCPP 1.6 dates from 2017" | Published in 2015 |
| "AFIR mandates OCPP 2.0.1" | Delegated Regulation 2025/656 sets no OCPP requirement |
Common pitfalls
Section titled “Common pitfalls”| Pitfall | Consequence |
|---|---|
| A 2027 product generation without ISO 15118-20 | Cannot be installed in public or private Mode 3/4 points in the EU from 1 January 2027 |
| Plug and Charge on 15118-20 only | AFIR requires both 15118-2 and 15118-20 for Plug and Charge points |
| Testing DC chargers to the 2014 edition only | Some certification bodies and markets already expect IEC 61851-23:2023 |
| Control pilot amplitude or timing out of tolerance | Vehicle and station disagree on available current |
| Weak conducted-emission margin at the DC output | Formal EMC failure late in the schedule |
| OCPP Profile 1 on a public network | Credentials in clear text |
| Shared credentials across a fleet | No way to revoke a single station |
| Bidirectional mode enabled by firmware without re-testing | Untested 15118-20 sessions and Annex DD safety functions |
| Ignoring CRA reporting from September 2026 | Missed vulnerability reporting obligations |
Going further
Section titled “Going further”- MID, Measuring Instruments Directive
- ISO 26262, automotive functional safety
- Cyber Resilience Act
- EN 303 645, IoT cybersecurity baseline
- Certification timeline and certification costs
- Glossary
See also
Section titled “See also”- What certifications does an EV charger need?
- Solar PV modules: IEC 61730 safety and IEC 61215 performance
- EN 50128 and EN 50657: railway software assurance
- DO-178C and DO-254: avionics software and hardware
- DO-326A and ED-202A: avionics cybersecurity airworthiness
- MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-464, defense EMC standards
- IEC 61010, laboratory and measurement safety
Sources and references
Section titled “Sources and references”Sources & references
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/656 amending AFIR Annex II (standards for vehicle-to-grid communication, connectors), EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32025R0656
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR), EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1804/oj
- IEC 61851-23:2023, DC electric vehicle supply equipment, IEC webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/32973
- IEC 61851-1, Electric vehicle conductive charging system, Part 1: General requirements, IEC webstore.iec.ch/publication/33644
- World's first IEC 61851-23:2023 CB certificate issued for EV DC charging stations, SGS www.sgs.com/en-us/news/2025/10/worlds-first-iec-61851-23-2023-cb-certificate-issued-for-electric-vehicle-dc-charging-stations
- ISO 15118 series, Vehicle to grid communication interface, ISO www.iso.org/standard/77845.html
- OCPP 2.1 accepted by IEC as IEC 63584-210, Open Charge Alliance openchargealliance.org/ocpp-2-1-accepted-by-iec-as-iec-63584-210/
- Open Charge Point Protocol (history, versions, certification), Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Charge_Point_Protocol
- CharIN position paper clarifying ISO 15118 implementation under AFIR (April 2026), CharIN e.V. www.charin.global/media/pages/technology/knowledge-base/06a76f7571-1777821309/20260428_position-paper-clarifying-iso-15118-implementation-under-afir.pdf
- UL 2202, Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging System Equipment, UL Standards www.shopulstandards.com/ProductDetail.aspx?productId=UL2202
- NIST Handbooks index, including Handbook 44 on weighing and measuring devices, NIST www.nist.gov/pml/owm/owm-products-and-services/publications-and-documentary-standards/handbooks
Frequently asked questions
- What does AFIR now require for vehicle-to-charger communication?
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/656, which amends Annex II of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 and applies from 8 January 2026, sets two dates. Publicly accessible AC and DC recharging points installed or renovated from 8 January 2026 must comply at least with EN ISO 15118 parts 1 to 5 (part 2 in its 2016 EN edition). From 1 January 2027, publicly accessible points must also comply with EN ISO 15118-20:2022, and those offering Plug and Charge must support both 15118-2 and 15118-20. Existing points are not required to retrofit until they are renovated.
- Does AFIR apply to home wall boxes?
- Yes, from 1 January 2027 for the communication standard. Private AC and DC recharging points installed or renovated from that date must comply with EN IEC 61851-1:2019 for Mode 2 charging and with EN ISO 15118-20:2022 for Mode 3 or Mode 4 charging (Annex II point 2.1.3 as amended). A Mode 3 home wall box installed in 2027 therefore needs ISO 15118-20, not only the PWM pilot signal.
- What is the difference between IEC 61851 and ISO 15118?
- IEC 61851 covers the conductive charging system: charging modes 1 to 4, the control pilot signal, electrical safety and, in part 21-2, EMC of off-board chargers. ISO 15118 is the high-level digital communication between vehicle and charger: the application protocol, Plug and Charge identity, and in ISO 15118-20 bidirectional power transfer. ISO 15118 runs over power line communication on the control pilot wire defined by IEC 61851.
- Which edition of IEC 61851-23 applies to DC chargers?
- The second edition, IEC 61851-23:2023, which cancelled and replaced the 2014 edition. It restructures the document along IEC 61851-1:2017, bases the electrical safety clauses on IEC 62477-1 with a hazard-based approach inspired by IEC 62368-1, adds test methods, and adds annexes on bidirectional power transfer control, separated multi-output equipment and the communication and energy transfer process. It covers equipment up to 1 000 V AC or 1 500 V DC on the supply side and up to 1 500 V DC on the vehicle side.
- Which OCPP version should a new charger support?
- OCPP 1.6 (2015) remains widely deployed and has an Open Charge Alliance certification programme since 2019. OCPP 2.0.1 adds ISO 15118 integration, device management and security profiles; it has had OCA certification since 2023 and its edition 3 was published as IEC 63584:2024. OCPP 2.1, released in January 2025 and accepted by IEC as IEC 63584-210, adds bidirectional charging, ISO 15118-20 support and distributed energy resource control, and is backward compatible with 2.0.1. The AFIR standards annex does not mandate an OCPP version.
- Is an EV charger subject to MID?
- When it is used to bill by the kilowatt-hour, the meter used for billing falls under the Measuring Instruments Directive 2014/32/EU, annex MI-003 for active electrical energy meters, or under national legal metrology rules where the MID does not apply. Germany adds Eichrecht requirements on signed, verifiable measurement data. A private charger that does not bill third parties is outside legal metrology.
- Which cybersecurity rules apply to a connected charger in the EU?
- If it has a radio interface and can communicate over the internet, the RED delegated act applies since 1 August 2025, with the EN 18031 series as harmonised standards. The Cyber Resilience Act applies to it as a product with digital elements: vulnerability and incident reporting obligations from 11 September 2026, the full requirements from 11 December 2027. ISO 15118 TLS and OCPP security profiles are the protocol-level measures underneath.