OTHER EU REGULATIONS

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REGULATION

Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation-AFIR (ISO 15118)

Europe is standardising how EV (Electrical Vehicle) charging must work. With the new Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) and ISO 15118, chargers must talk to the car, authenticate users automatically, enable smart charging, and be ready for Plug & Charge and V2G.

The old approach is over. A new generation of connected, intelligent chargers is becoming the default and the vast majority of manufacturers is not ready.

What’s New in AFIR

The Five Main Points of the New EV Chargers Regulation

Public (and even private!) chargers must work for any user, without proprietary barriers or closed ecosystems.

Users must be able to charge without contracts, using card payment or secure online payment, with clear pricing information.

Chargers must support secure digital communication over PLC, enabling:

smart charging negotiation,
contract-based authentication,
reliable data exchange with the vehicle.

Automatic identification via digital certificates — no apps, no RFID cards.
New chargers must support both ISO 15118-2 and ISO 15118-20 to stay compatible with current and future vehicles.

New chargers must be technically prepared for load management and future V2G scenarios — even when not activated yet.

Implementation News and Tips

Last Update: January 2026

The transition to AFIR and ISO 15118 is forcing many EV charging manufacturers to rethink both hardware and software approaches. These are the main insights emerging from the first implementation projects:

Integrating ISO 15118 after the hardware has already been designed is extremely complex. Adding PLC, secure storage and certificate handling often means reopening PCB layouts and repeating conformity tests. Many teams are discovering that it is far more efficient to start from ISO 15118-ready modules — and in the section below we suggest concrete solutions to address exactly this challenge.
The shift from purely MCU-based designs to hybrid architectures is accelerating. Encryption, TLS, networking and update management require resources that basic controllers cannot reliably handle. A clear trend is emerging: real-time MCU for safety and signalling, and a Linux-based SOM for communication and cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity is becoming a design driver rather than an afterthought. Plug & Charge depends on robust PKI integration, secure key storage and controlled certificate lifecycle management. Companies that embed secure boot and protected storage early avoid later redesigns and field vulnerabilities.
A significant part of the installed base is approaching its technical ceiling. Many legacy AC chargers simply cannot support PLC and modern communication stacks. Instead of stretching upgrades indefinitely, more operators are opting for smart-ready replacements that can evolve with upcoming requirements.

How We Can Help:
Compliance and Engineering

At GetReady Compliance, we help companies navigate AFIR and ISO 15118 from both a regulatory and engineering perspective.

We support you with:

applicability assessment and regulatory mapping,
technical gap analysis for existing charging solutions,
architecture guidance for ISO 15118 and smart charging,
documentation and conformity preparation,
coordination with test labs and technical partners.

And thanks to our partnership with a specialised technology provider, we can also recommend pre-tested, field-validated modules that are:

PLC GreenPHY enabled,
ISO 15118 capable (Plug & Charge ready),
prepared for ISO 15118-20 evolution,
easy to integrate into new designs or retrofit projects.

These solutions significantly reduce risk, engineering effort and time-to-market — while staying aligned with the AFIR requirements.

Just fill out the form and start the conversation with our team!