MCS testing for trucks and megawatt chargers
Test megawatt charging for trucks before the depot depends on it.
EVCA MCS simulates the charging station or the truck and combines MCS communication, signals, high current and cooling in one test setup – before a depot depends on it, instead of testing truck and charger only against each other.1
Operating points up to 1,500 A and 2.25 MW.
- What for
- Truck makers, charger developers and depot operators before megawatt charging goes into service.
- What it does
- EVCA MCS simulates station or truck with MCS communication, signals, high current and cooling – operating points up to 1,500 A and 2.25 MW.
- Not for
- Passenger-car charging with CCS – that is EVSE testing or EV testing.
An MCS session that fails in the depot stops a truck – and its delivery schedule.
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.
The complete MCS interface, coordinated
Check power, communication, cybersecurity, safety and cooling together.
The charging sequence is followed across MCS coupler, physical link, high-level communication and certificates, low-level states, locking, temperature measurement, cooling and high-voltage path. Shows whether transitions occur in the correct order and whether 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. A controlled test setup compares changes and reproduces selected fault conditions. Real vehicles and chargers remain essential for testing the complete charging pair.
Defined boundary and fault conditions repeat with a simulated vehicle counterpart.
The simulated charging-station conditions stay constant while you compare hardware or software changes.
You 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.
Pre-charge, voltage and current ramps, contactors, isolation, reduction, stop and recovery.
ISO 15118-20 services, messages, timing, certificates and EVCC (vehicle-side charging communication controller) or SECC (station-side charging communication controller) transitions.
Link establishment, frame transport, disturbances and recovery below the application protocol.
Charge Enable and Insertion Detection states, timing, interruption and forbidden combinations.
Mating, locking, temperature sensing, cooling, derating and prevention of disconnection under load.
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
A controlled MCS EVSE (charging station) counterpart tests CE and ID, high-voltage sequencing, requested limits, battery permission, thermal coordination and safe stop. This prepares the vehicle for subsequent public charging trials.
SECC, dispenser, power cabinets and cooling
Heavy-duty vehicle and battery requests are set, unusual states introduced, and the charging-station output, protection, derating and recovery measured.
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
The test compares insertion, locking, temperatures, coolant behaviour and electrical contact with the controller response.
Independent testing and integration
EV, EVSE and real-pair tests in one system. comframe keeps 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 device under test, then choose the test direction.
A simulated partner repeats normal states, boundary conditions and faults. Then evaluate interoperability with real vehicle and charging-station pairings.
You set charging-station communication, CE and ID, timing, power conditions and failures, and measure the vehicle response.
You set vehicle requests, battery limits and abnormal states, and measure charging-station output, safety and recovery.
The real EV and EVSE are recorded together, all available layers aligned on one timeline, and the case saved for root-cause analysis and regression tests.
It starts with EVCC or SECC software. Physical link, low-level signals, power, cooling, EMC and environmental test hardware come in as the test scope grows.
From controller to full power
Choose the method that answers the current test question.
Requirements and scenarios stay consistent as you add hardware and approach full-power operation.
Develop EVCC and SECC software, certificates, services and state machines before adding full power.
You set CE and ID states and timing precisely, including interruption, forbidden zones and inconsistent combinations.
Normal, boundary and supported non-conformant communication scenarios repeat across releases.
For full-power tests, add external source or load hardware, high-voltage measurement, liquid cooling and long-duration duty profiles.
Communication, signals, temperature, power and safety conditions vary one layer at a time. The test checks response and recovery.
Real pairings 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.
Application communication, single-pair Ethernet, secure sessions, certificates and keys stay with the low-level states, temperature and high-power measurements from the same test. You review all of it together when analysing the charging sequence.
- 1Configure the test
DUT, partner, standards edition, signal states, certificates, power and thermal conditions.
- 2Execute the controlled condition
The scenario repeats, with the hardware and software versions recorded.
- 3Correlate the layers
Communication, CE and ID, temperature, voltage, current and safety states share 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.
MCS customer projects, European charging-station tests and comemso at 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. This scope stays 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.
The test setup, specified
Turn the MCS test task into a system specification.
We define DUT and simulated partner, standards edition, coupler or inlet and signal access per project. Power profile, cooling, safety, test records and lifecycle requirements follow. This specification determines 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.
Customer projects, success stories and technical articles related to this page.
- Product newsEV and EVSE testing with MCS expansionHistorical MCS-ready test architecture for EV and EVSE testing: charging interfaces, cooling, communication and high-power integration.
- Product newsCharIN MCS Testival Europe: Megawatt ChargingCharIN MCS Controller Testival Europe, Barcelona, 1–2 April 2025: comemso supported early EV/EVSE communication tests as an official sponsor.
MCS test planning
Vehicle, charging-station or controller test – defined per project. You specify charging states, thermal conditions, communication and fault scenarios. Agree the power, cooling, measurements and reports required for each operating point.
15-minute demo. An engineer shows your MCS test case – vehicle, charging station or controller.Written quotation. Everything we specify together, in one quotation – then you order.Delivery and start. Commissioning and training are agreed in the quotation.