AFIR explained: what EV charging operators need to know

What is AFIR?

AFIR is Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 on alternative fuels infrastructure. It has applied since 13 April 2024 and combines EU deployment targets with operating rules for publicly accessible EV charging.

For operators, the first question is whether a charging point is publicly accessible. Article 5 generally applies to public points across the EU, not only those on the TEN-T road network. A charger in a supermarket or restaurant car park can be public even when it sits on private land. Employee-only and residents-only parking normally falls outside that definition.

What does AFIR require from charging operators?

The main duties are about access, information and control:

• Drivers must be able to charge ad hoc without registering or entering an ongoing contract.
• Electronic payment must be available. The permitted method depends on the point’s power and deployment date.
• Prices must be transparent, reasonable and non-discriminatory. At public points of at least 50 kW deployed from 13 April 2024, the ad hoc price must be based on electricity delivered per kWh and shown before charging.
• All publicly accessible points had to be digitally connected by 14 October 2024.
• Relevant new or renovated public points must be capable of smart recharging.

AFIR also sets national power and distance targets. Those are obligations for Member States; Article 5 contains the requirements that most directly affect day-to-day CPO operations.

Does AFIR require smart charging?

Yes, for publicly accessible points deployed after 13 April 2024 or renovated after 14 October 2024. In AFIR, “deployed” means operational, connected to the grid and available to drivers.

The European Commission says the minimum capability is adjusting the intensity of electricity delivered to the battery in real time. AFIR does not require a particular tariff, load-management feature or charger-to-backend protocol. OCPP is commonly used, but AFIR does not prescribe it. Nor does the regulation give grid operators a general right to start and stop charging sessions.

Does AFIR require bidirectional charging?

No. AFIR defines bidirectional recharging as a smart-charging operation in which electricity flow can be reversed. That does not make V2G mandatory at every charger. The regulation asks Member States and network operators to assess bidirectional charging’s potential contribution to the electricity system, which is a planning requirement rather than a site-level export obligation.

What changes from 1 January 2027?

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/656 adds technical specifications under AFIR. From 1 January 2027, newly installed or renovated public and private Mode 3 and Mode 4 charging points must comply at least with EN ISO 15118-20:2022 for the vehicle-to-grid communication interface.

ISO 15118-20 provides communication for advanced smart charging, Plug & Charge and bidirectional power transfer. Compliance with the standard does not automatically activate every optional service. Actual two-way energy flow still needs a compatible vehicle, power electronics, firmware, backend or energy-management system, metering, protection and permission to export.

What should CPOs check?

Start with the site’s access model and deployment or renovation date. Then map the charger, firmware, CPMS, payment method, pricing display and operating processes against the applicable provisions. Treat “AFIR-ready” as a claim to unpack, not proof that a complete site complies.

amina C2 and amina M2 use local OCPP with the operator’s chosen CPMS, and their hardware is prepared for ISO 15118-20, Plug & Charge and bidirectional charging. That supports the technical route, but it is not by itself AFIR compliance or a live V2G service. Payment, pricing, software, data and site approval still belong to the relevant operator and partners.