What is ISO 15118-20?

The second generation of ISO 15118, published in 2022. It adds bidirectional power transfer, wireless communication and automatic connection; a 2026 amendment adds megawatt charging and grid services.

Explained in

Plug & Charge · Stop 07What does ISO 15118-20 add?The second generation of ISO 15118: bidirectional power transfer, wireless and automated connection, and the 2026 amendment for megawatt charging and grid services.
  • Bidirectional power transfer: ISO 15118-20 defines the messages and sequences for energy in both directions.
  • Wireless: it covers wireless communication for conductive and for wireless charging.
  • Automated connection: it adds requirements for automatic connection devices.
  • Megawatt charging and grid services: the amendment of 2026 adds an AC service for distributed energy resources (AC DER), an MCS service and an improved security concept.
From “Four additions”, stop 07

Terms

  1. ISO 15118International standard for the digital communication between car and charger, the basis of Plug & Charge.
  2. Megawatt Charging SystemA system of standards for DC charging of heavy vehicles at megawatt power: the connector (IEC TS 63379), the charging equipment (IEC 61851-23-3) and the communication (ISO 15118-10 and -20).
  1. How does Plug & Charge work?The car carries a contract certificate and presents it to the charger over the cable. The backend checks it, and charging starts without a card or app.
  2. Who issues Plug & Charge certificates?Certificate authorities that operate V2G roots, with trust lists that let several roots work together. CharIN coordinates governance but does not operate a PKI.
  3. Why does Plug & Charge not work at every charger?Car, charger, backend, contract and trust all have to support it. If one is missing, the session starts with a card or app instead.
  4. What is in a Plug & Charge certificate?A subject with the eMAID, an issuer, a validity period, a public key and the issuer's signature, chained through the provider's sub-CAs to a V2G root the charger trusts. The deep dive prints one chain and the four checks the backend runs on it.
  1. ISO: ISO 15118-20:2022, Part 20: 2nd generation network layer and application layer requirements, and Amendment 1:2026. https://www.iso.org/standard/77845.html. Checked 09 Oct 2026.
  2. ISO: ISO 15118-20:2022, Part 20: 2nd generation network layer and application layer requirements, and Amendment 1:2026. https://www.iso.org/standard/77845.html. Checked 09 Oct 2026.
  3. ISO: ISO 15118-20:2022, Part 20: 2nd generation network layer and application layer requirements, and Amendment 1:2026. https://www.iso.org/standard/77845.html. Checked 09 Oct 2026.
  4. ISO: ISO 15118-20:2022, Part 20: 2nd generation network layer and application layer requirements, and Amendment 1:2026. https://www.iso.org/standard/77845.html. Checked 09 Oct 2026.