Standards & Knowledge / Charging, Field Safety & EMC
Understand the standards behind EV charging tests
Plan your EV charging test around electrical behaviour, communication, installation and electromagnetic compatibility. Find the standards relevant to each part of the test.
Start with the device and test objective
Define the test with the applicable standard,
DUT role and objective.
Start with the DUT (device under test) role and the question your test should answer. Use the applicable document family to select the hardware, software or executable Test Library for that task.
EV and EVCC
Validate vehicle-side charging behaviour, onboard communication, low-level states, timing, power coordination and release readiness.
Open EV testingEVSE and SECC
Validate charging-station behaviour, safety reactions, communication, DC power control, production evidence and field operation.
Open EVSE testingReal EV plus real EVSE
Investigate interoperability by comparing both implementations on one synchronised time base. This lets you examine their interaction in the same charging session.
Open interoperability analysisLaboratory, production or field
Apply the relevant standard requirements to development analysis, conformance, end-of-line testing, commissioning, inspection and service.
Find your test solutionGlobal charging standards landscape
Six standards routes for charging technologies and technical layers
The routes below provide engineering orientation.
IEC 61851
General conductive charging requirements, basic signalling, DC EV supply equipment and digital control of DC charging.
EVSE test routeDIN 70121 and ISO 15118
High-level communication between EVCC (vehicle-side charging communication controller) and SECC (station-side charging communication controller), including discovery, sessions, services, security and charging control by generation and profile.
EVCA platformSAE and NACS
SAE J1772 addresses the North American conductive vehicle charge-coupler context. SAE J3400 addresses NACS. The documents are not interchangeable: specify the coupler, AC/DC task, revision and communication profile separately. Then check which released test sequences your actual configuration covers.
Find your test solutionCHAdeMO
Technology-specific DC charging communication, state handling and interoperability. Public comemso portfolio information lists versions from 0.9.1 through 2.0.
See EVCA system pathsGB/T
Chinese DC charging control and communication context. Public comemso portfolio information includes GB/T 18487.1 and GB/T 27930 routes.
See EVCA system pathsMCS
Megawatt charging combines dedicated EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment, or charging station) requirements, high-level communication, 10BASE-T1S, low-level states, cooling and high-power coordination.
Open EVCA MCSEVSE commissioning, periodic inspection and service
Combine charging-function checks
with electrical-safety inspection.
A production vehicle can show that one EV and one EVSE complete one charging session. It does not create defined electrical-safety measurements, reproducible fault conditions or a complete inspection record for the installed charging station.
Check compatibility with the customer’s vehicle
Include the real vehicle when the customer’s charging combination matters. Use the result to assess that vehicle, configuration and session.
- One vehicle implementation and state
- One charging configuration and session
- No defined protective-measure inspection by itself
- No reproducible safety-fault simulation by itself
Function, protective measures and evidence
Use a defined EV simulator and the appropriate measuring functions to inspect the installed EVSE before commissioning, at planned intervals and after modification, repair or a reported fault.
- Visual inspection and functional test
- Electrical-safety measurements in the defined setup
- Controlled charging and configured fault scenarios
- Structured, reviewable test results
Installation and operational safety context
- VDE 0100: installation of low-voltage electrical systems
- VDE 0105: operation of electrical installations
- DGUV Vorschrift 3: testing of electrical installations and equipment
- IEC 61851: conductive charging-system requirements
- VDE 0620 context: plugs, socket-outlets and related interfaces
Installation, interface and protection context
- IEC 60364: low-voltage electrical installations
- IEC 62196: EV plugs, socket-outlets, connectors and inlets
- NEC and CEC: United States and Canadian installation context
- UL 2202: EV charging-system equipment safety context
- UL 2231: personnel-protection systems for EV supply circuits
Charging EMC is a separate test axis
Define the EMC setup for the device under test
Use charging standards for behaviour at the charging interface and EMC standards for immunity, emissions, setup and operating conditions. Define which device is inside the chamber, which charging counterpart remains active and which evidence you will record.
Vehicle test: EV + EVCC
IEC 61851-21-1: vehicle-side onboard charging units, assessed in the complete vehicle or as an electronic subassembly within the applicable scope.
The vehicle-side DUT is in the EMC chamber. The charging-station counterpart and external measurement equipment remain outside.
Enlarge in a new tabCharging-station test: EVSE + SECC
IEC 61851-21-2: off-board EV charging systems and the operating conditions defined by the applicable test method.
The charging-station-side DUT is in the EMC chamber. The vehicle counterpart and external measurement equipment remain outside.
Enlarge in a new tabSchematic examples. The charging counterpart may be real or simulated, depending on the setup. The approved test plan defines the actual arrangement, stimulus, measurements and assessment.
One standards family across several technical layers
Choose the technical layer for the result you need
Use communication traces, control-pilot measurements, power measurements and conformance verdicts to answer the question for each technical layer. Each result has its own scope.
Physical boundary
Coupler, inlet, connector, cable and contact state.
Power and safety
Voltage, current, insulation, protection, thermal behaviour and metrology.
Signals and states
Control Pilot (CP), Proximity Pilot (PP), PWM, state transitions, timing and technology-specific low-level signals.
Network and data link
PLC (power line communication), SLAC, CAN, 10BASE-T1S and association behaviour.
Messages and services
Charging sequences, parameters, security, certificates and services.
Verdict and evidence
Defined cases, expectations, automated evaluation, reports and release status.
Check three status questions separately
Record standard status, product support and Test Library release
Standard status
Is the document published, amended, replaced, withdrawn or still under development?
Product support
Which hardware, connector, role, software release and licence support the required function?
Test Library status
Which cases, directions, preconditions, verdict logic and reports are released?
Check three status questions separately.
- STANDARD STATUS
Is the document published, amended, superseded or draft?
Standards organisation
- PRODUCT SUPPORT
Which hardware, interface, licence and release support it?
Approved product matrix
- LIBRARY STATUS
Which cases, direction, scope and implementation are released?
Test Library matrix
Review document changes for your project
Review new publications alongside the product release scope
Document status below was checked against the responsible standards organisations on 4 September 2026. The official source remains authoritative.
IEC 61851-23 and IEC 61851-24
The 2023 editions update the DC EV supply-equipment requirements and the associated digital communication context for control of DC charging.
ISO 15118-20 Amendment 1
The published amendment adds AC DER service, MCS service and an improved security concept to the second-generation communication context.
IEC 61851-23-3 for MCS
The first edition defines MCS EV supply-equipment requirements and references ISO 15118-10 and ISO 15118-20 for digital communication.
From standards context to engineering evidence
Define the route from test objective to evidence
- Define the DUT and decision
Define the DUT: EV, EVSE, controller, charging module or real pair. State the decision for development, robustness, conformance, production or field use.
- Qualify the documents
Record the family, part, edition, amendment, profile and applicable market context.
- Select the test boundary
Choose the connector, protocol, signal, power, safety and EMC interfaces that must be controlled or observed.
- Execute released logic
Use simulation, measurement, automated analysis or a released Test Library according to the approved system scope.
- Preserve the evidence
Keep the trace, synchronised timeline, limits, verdicts, configuration and report together for the engineering decision.
Choose the next reference for your test
Explore test methods, released libraries, regulation and terminology
EV Charging EMC Testing
DUT direction, chamber boundary, RF sequence, power quality and evidence methodology.
Open applicationConformance Test Libraries
Implemented cases, direction, preconditions, verdict logic, release status and compatible system path.
Prepare your Test Library selectionAFIR for EV Charging
EU infrastructure requirements, referenced technical specifications, testing and operational evidence.
Open AFIRGlossary
Stable definitions for charging, communication, testing, conformance, interoperability and battery systems.
Open glossaryConfigure the test around the applicable requirements
Define the DUT, applicable document and test objective
Record the applicable standards, physical test boundary, product configuration, released Test Library and required evidence in the test specification.
North American testing scope
Frequently asked questions
Charging, field-safety and EMC standards FAQ
Use these answers as orientation. The normative document and the released product documentation remain authoritative.
If an EV charges successfully, is the EVSE proven electrically safe?
No. A successful session proves one compatibility path under one set of conditions. Electrical-safety inspection requires the applicable visual checks, measurements, test conditions, qualified responsibility and documented evidence for the specific installation.
Does a listed standard mean that every comemso product supports it?
No. This page maps the standards landscape. Exact support depends on the selected hardware, connector, DUT role, software release, licence and approved quotation.
Why must the edition and amendment be stated?
State the exact edition, amendment and corrigenda because requirements and test methods can change between them. This identifies the applicable scope within a family such as IEC 61851 or ISO 15118.
What is the difference between this hub and a Conformance Test Library?
The hub explains the document context, roles and technical layers. A Conformance Test Library provides released executable test logic, preconditions, verdicts and reports for a defined scope.
Where is the detailed EMC test methodology?
Use the EV Charging EMC Testing application page. It maps the DUT, chamber boundary, operating mode, RF sequence, power-quality method and required evidence.
Does publication of IEC 61851-23-3 or an ISO 15118 amendment mean immediate product support?
No. Publication status, product support and Test Library release are separate facts. Each must be confirmed independently.
CHAdeMO testing: identify the interface, sequence and result
CHAdeMO testing requires the appropriate DC interface and released communication profile. Record the protocol version, DUT role and electrical operating range. Start with a defined charging case before investigating a fault or interruption. A successful CCS test does not automatically confirm the CHAdeMO sequence on the same charging station.
Connect the message sequence with the measured electrical response. Preserve state changes, requested and actual values, and the interruption event with their timing. Repeat a suspected cause under controlled conditions. Field CHAdeMO testing and laboratory analysis use different arrangements, but each needs the interface-specific test and a result associated with the actual connector.
EVCA · CHAdeMO testing in the field
The CCS charging glossary explains the distinction. For the scope of a CharIN CCTS result, read the CharIN CCTS guide.
Defined conformance scope
Verify the applicable requirements with the released Test Library
Specify standard, edition, DUT role, released Test Library and required report.