What does a charger need before it may be used?
A truck delivers a third DC charger for the hub. It is installed by the end of the week.
Before the first car may charge, the technician has a list to work through.
The questionWhat has to be in place before a new charger may charge its first car?
The manufacturer declares that the charger meets EU product law, including electrical safety and electromagnetic compatibility.
Select each step to see what it covers.
Safe by product law
A charger is electrical equipment. The Low Voltage Directive applies to equipment between 50 and 1,000 volts AC and between 75 and 1,500 volts DC, which covers both sides of a charger: the grid and the car. With the CE marking, the manufacturer declares that the product meets the applicable EU rules.
base maximum permissible error
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10 October 2028, without retrofitting existing chargers
Directive (EU) 2026/706 adds measuring systems for charging equipment to the Measuring Instruments Directive. Accuracy is determined at the transfer point to the car, as AC or DC energy, in either direction.
Measured for the invoice
Drivers pay per kWh, so the kWh must be right. Until now, the rules for metering at chargers have been national. The 2026 amendment of the Measuring Instruments Directive makes them European: the manufacturer states the class, the accuracy is measured where the energy passes to the car, and the result may be shown on the charger, remotely or on the driver's own device. Member States apply the new rules from 10 October 2028; chargers that meet national rules and were placed on the market before 10 April 2030 may still be put into use.
Visible from day one
Since 14 April 2025, operators must make data on their public charge points available at no cost, through an interface reported to the : location and power as static data, and as dynamic data whether the point is operational, whether it is in use, and its price. A new charger appears in apps and maps through exactly this route.
Check your understanding
3 questions. Answer all of them to complete this stop. Each answer explains itself.
Which voltage range does the EU Low Voltage Directive cover for direct current?
50 to 1,000 volts is the AC range. For DC, the directive covers 75 to 1,500 volts.
Where is a charger's metering accuracy determined under the 2026 rules?
The energy that counts is the energy that passes to the car, so that is where accuracy is measured.
Which data must operators publish about public charge points under AFIR?
Static and dynamic data about the infrastructure, never personal data of drivers.
- Ad hoc Charging without a contract, paid directly at the charger, for example by card or QR code. EV charging fundamentals, stop 05 Glossary
- National access point A digital interface set up by a Member State as a single point of access to data, including charging infrastructure data under AFIR. Regulations and compliance, stop 05 Glossary
- EUR-Lex: Directive 2014/35/EU (Low Voltage Directive), Article 1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/35/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2026/706 amending Directive 2014/32/EU as regards measuring systems for electric vehicle supply equipment, Annex Va (MI-011). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2026/706/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2026/706 amending Directive 2014/32/EU as regards measuring systems for electric vehicle supply equipment, Annex Va (MI-011). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2026/706/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2026/706 amending Directive 2014/32/EU as regards measuring systems for electric vehicle supply equipment, Annex Va (MI-011). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2026/706/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 (AFIR), Articles 2, 5 and 20 and Annex II. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1804/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.