EU AFIR regulation extended by EN-ISO-15118
Operators and manufacturers of charging stations now have a duty
On 18 June 2025, the „Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation“ (AFIR) was expanded to include EN-ISO-15118 for AC charging stations. This means that in future, publicly accessible and privately used charging stations will also have to support this standard.
Find out in our article whether you as an operator or manufacturer of charging stations are affected by the extended regulation and how you can react if necessary.
What is EN-ISO-15118 all about?
Basically, the EN-ISO-15118 standards describe interfaces, protocols and functions that are supported by the charging station and vehicle. EN-ISO-15118 is already used for DC charging and is supported by charging stations and vehicles throughout Europe. This standard expands the communication options between the charging station and the vehicle and is therefore essential for the implementation of new functions. This includes all ‘Plug&Charge’ services and, in future, bidirectional charging.
How do I know if the new regulation affects me?
You are affected if you operate a new or fundamentally remodelled AC charging station or are planning to build one. The new regulations will apply to publicly accessible charging stations from 8 January 2026 and to private charging stations from 1 January 2027.
What do I have to do now?
Check whether the charge controller of your charging station supports PLC (Power Line Communication). All Bender charge controllers already fulfil EN-ISO-15118.
Make sure that the software of your charging station is up to date. You can also contact the manufacturer.
If necessary, carry out a software update to integrate the new functions.
Optional: As a manufacturer, register your model (charging station/wallbox) with Hubject, for example, in order to be able to offer your customers or operators (CPOs) plug & charge functionality as a add-on.
What do I need to look out for in future?
What do I need to look out for in future?
Make sure that your charging station receives regular software updates to fulfil new and extended requirements.
Ensure that communication between the vehicle and the charging station works smoothly in order to support new functions such as Plug&Charge functionality.
As an operator, you should also ensure that your backend solution supports Plug&Charge.
Would you like to know more about this topic?
Read all about our charging technologies for electric and hybrid vehicles here.
