Applications / Megawatt Charging System testing
Megawatt Charging System Testing for EV and EVSE
Megawatt Charging System (MCS) testing combines communication, high current and cooling. Test the vehicle or charging station under defined conditions, then evaluate the complete real-world charging pair.
Charging windows in heavy-duty transport
Fit charging into the long-haul operating schedule.
Depot charging covers one part of the duty cycle. On long-haul routes, the vehicle also needs to receive the required energy during a scheduled stop so it can return to operation on time.
Illustrative energy comparison. At 1 MW, 45 minutes corresponds to approximately 750 kWh before charging-curve and system losses are considered. Transferring the same theoretical energy through a 230 V, 13 A single-phase household outlet would take roughly ten days. The comparison explains scale. It is not a vehicle charging-time specification.
Coordinate the complete MCS interface
Check power, communication, cybersecurity, safety and cooling together.
Follow the charging sequence across the MCS coupler, physical link, high-level communication and certificates, low-level states, locking, temperature measurement, cooling and high-voltage path. Check that transitions occur in the correct order and that these layers respond consistently to limits and faults.
Voltage, current, pre-charge, ramps, requested limits, contactors, reduction and safe shutdown.
10BASE-T1S, ISO 15118-20 message sequences, timing and controller state transitions.
TLS, certificates, keys and secure session behaviour within the released implementation.
Charge Enable, Insertion Detection, locking, auxiliary supply, isolation and controlled recovery.
Connector and inlet temperature, coolant behaviour, derating and long-duration operation.
Repeatable development tests for MCS
Repeat development conditions with a controlled charging partner.
Vehicle and charging-station prototypes develop in parallel, and a truck is not always available. Use a controlled test setup to compare changes and reproduce selected fault conditions. Real vehicles and chargers remain essential for testing the complete charging pair.
Repeat defined boundary and fault conditions with a simulated vehicle counterpart.
Keep the simulated charging-station conditions constant while comparing hardware or software changes.
Reproduce the selected fault under controlled laboratory conditions before release.
Control the charging counterpart, repeat the test conditions and keep the measurements needed to compare the results.
Six coordinated MCS test domains
Check each layer, then compare their response in the charging sequence.
Power transfer
Pre-charge, voltage and current ramps, contactors, isolation, reduction, stop and recovery.
High-level communication
ISO 15118-20 services, messages, timing, certificates and EVCC (vehicle-side charging communication controller) or SECC (station-side charging communication controller) transitions.
10BASE-T1S
Link establishment, frame transport, disturbances and recovery below the application protocol.
CE and ID signals
Charge Enable and Insertion Detection states, timing, interruption and forbidden combinations.
Connector and thermal
Mating, locking, temperature sensing, cooling, derating and prevention of disconnection under load.
Safety and interoperability
Protective states, secure sessions, cross-vendor behaviour, fault reactions and safe recovery.
MCS test tasks by team
Choose the test from the vehicle, charging station or component you are developing.
EVCC, inlet, battery and complete vehicle
Use a controlled MCS EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment, or charging station) counterpart to test CE and ID, high-voltage sequencing, requested limits, battery permission, thermal coordination and safe stop. Prepare the vehicle for subsequent public charging trials.
SECC, dispenser, power cabinets and cooling
Set heavy-duty vehicle and battery requests, introduce unusual states and measure the charging-station output, protection, derating and recovery.
EVCC, SECC and communication stack
Develop ISO 15118-20 services, certificates, 10BASE-T1S and state machines with deterministic partners while the complete hardware is still being built.
Coupler, inlet, cable and cooling
Compare insertion, locking, temperatures, coolant behaviour and electrical contact with the controller response.
Independent testing and integration
Switch between EV, EVSE and real-pair tests. Keep synchronised measurements, configurations and reports for each run.
Charging in heavy-duty operation
Megawatt charging extends beyond the motorway.
Long-haul trucks are the primary reference case. Marine, mining, off-highway and other heavy-duty applications have their own duty cycles, environments and acceptable fault responses. Include these conditions in the test plan.
Four test directions
Identify the DUT, then choose the test direction.
Use a simulated partner to repeat normal states, boundary conditions and faults. Then evaluate interoperability with real vehicle and charging-station pairings.
EV testing with EVSE simulation
Set charging-station communication, CE and ID, timing, power conditions and failures, then measure the vehicle response.
EVSE testing with EV simulation
Set vehicle requests, battery limits and abnormal states, then measure charging-station output, safety and recovery.
Interoperability with real partners
Record the real EV and EVSE together, align all available layers on one timeline and save the case for root-cause analysis and regression tests.
From controller testing to full power
Start with EVCC or SECC software. Add the physical link, low-level signals, power, cooling, EMC and environmental test hardware as the test scope grows.
Build the test from controller to full power
Choose the method that answers the current test question.
Keep the requirements and scenarios consistent as you add hardware and move towards full-power operation.
Communication-only development
Develop EVCC and SECC software, certificates, services and state machines before adding full power.
Signal-state testing
Set CE and ID states and timing precisely, including interruption, forbidden zones and inconsistent combinations.
Automated protocol scenarios
Repeat normal, boundary and supported non-conformant communication scenarios across releases.
Full-power and thermal validation
For full-power tests, add external source or load hardware, high-voltage measurement, liquid cooling and long-duration duty profiles.
Fault and recovery testing
Vary communication, signals, temperature, power and safety conditions one layer at a time. Check the response and recovery.
Cross-vendor interoperability
Use real pairings to check the complete interface. Save difficult cases with the recorded conditions and results for repeat testing.
MCS test workflow
Plan the test, record the run and review the result.
Keep application communication, single-pair Ethernet, secure sessions, certificates and keys with the low-level states, temperature and high-power measurements from the same test. Review them together when analysing the charging sequence.
- 1Configure the test
DUT, partner, standards edition, signal states, certificates, power and thermal conditions.
- 2Execute the controlled condition
Repeat the scenario and record the hardware and software versions used.
- 3Correlate the layers
Compare communication, CE and ID, temperature, voltage, current and safety states on the same timeline.
- 4Preserve the decision
Save measurements, expected behaviour, observed deviations and the report for regression tests.
From development concept to practical testing
MCS testing in customer projects and cross-vendor trials.
Explore MCS customer projects, European charging-station tests and comemso participation in CharIN Testival Europe 2026 in Arnhem.
Standards overview
Record the applicable standard and edition for each interface layer.
For your selected EVCA MCS configuration, confirm the applicable standard editions, profiles, released functions and implementation limits. Keep this scope with the test specification as MCS standards and implementations evolve.
IEC TS 63379
Connection system, vehicle inlet, plug, cable and associated mechanical interface.
IEC 61851-23-3
MCS-specific low-level interface, including Charge Enable and Insertion Detection.
ISO 15118-10
Two-wire single-pair Ethernet physical and data-link layer based on 10BASE-T1S.
ISO 15118-20
Charging and protocol-level BPT services stay within the released communication scope. Physical reverse energy flow requires separately configured external source/load equipment.
ISO 5474-3
Vehicle-side requirements relevant to the high-voltage charging interface and safety concept.
Scope rule. A reference to a standard does not mean that every optional service, certificate workflow or future Test Library is released in every system configuration.
Specify the test setup
Turn the MCS test task into a system specification.
Define the DUT and simulated partner, standards edition, coupler or inlet and signal access. Add the power profile, cooling, safety, test records and lifecycle requirements. Use this specification to select the physical EVCA MCS configuration.
EV, EVSE, EVCC, SECC, connector system or subsystem.
10BASE-T1S, ISO 15118-20 services, TLS and certificate scope.
Coupler, inlet, CE, ID, auxiliary voltage and temperature access.
Voltage, current, maximum power, duration and repetition.
Cable, connector, flow, temperatures, interlocks and safe states.
Controller bench, full-power validation, interoperability, production and field.
Frequently asked questions
MCS testing FAQ
What is Megawatt Charging System testing?
Megawatt Charging System testing checks how the MCS vehicle, charging station and shared interface work together. It covers high-level communication, 10BASE-T1S, CE and ID signals, connector and inlet states, temperature, cooling, power transfer, safety and interoperability.
Why is MCS testing different from CCS testing?
MCS has a dedicated connection system, single-pair Ethernet communication, MCS-specific low-level states, high-current thermal management and different power and safety requirements. The test architecture therefore needs to coordinate the complete interface, including these layers.
Can MCS vehicles be tested before a public MCS charger is available?
Yes. A controlled MCS EVSE simulation can provide the communication, CE and ID environment and can coordinate the required external source and cooled interface for the selected vehicle test depth.
Can an MCS charging station be tested without a real truck?
Yes. A controlled MCS EV simulation can represent vehicle communication, battery requests, low-level states and supported fault conditions while separately configured external DC source/load equipment represents the battery-side energy path.
When is communication-only testing useful?
It is useful for EVCC and SECC software, certificates, 10BASE-T1S, ISO 15118-20 and low-level state development before voltage, current and full thermal hardware are required.
How should interoperability be added?
Start with deterministic EV and EVSE tests. Then record real cross-vendor pairings with synchronised measurements, compare implementation differences and save difficult cases as repeatable, reusable test records.
MCS test planning
Plan a repeatable MCS test programme.
Define the vehicle, charging-station or controller test. Specify charging states, thermal conditions, communication and fault scenarios. Agree the power, cooling, measurements and reports required for each operating point.