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.

 

The rules do not stop at the motorway network. Article 5 generally applies to public charging points across the EU. A charger in a supermarket or restaurant car park can be public even on private land. Employee-only and residents-only parking normally falls outside the definition.

What does AFIR require from charging operators?

The main duties concern 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 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 support smart recharging.

AFIR also sets national power and distance targets. Those fall mainly to Member States; Article 5 is what most directly shapes daily CPO operations.

Bidirectional charging: what V2G actually requires

Woman charging an electric vehicle in a residential garage using an amina wall-mounted EV charger, illustrating simple, reliable home charging in everyday use.

2026 – 14.01

– Bidirectional Charging, Technology

Bidirectional EV Charging Explained: V2G, V2H and ISO 15118-20

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Does AFIR require smart charging?

Yes, for publicly accessible points built after 13 April 2024 or renovated after 14 October 2024. The regulation does not define renovation precisely, so the European Commission says it must be assessed case by case.

 

The Commission’s guidance says the minimum is the ability to adjust electricity delivered to the battery in real time. AFIR does not prescribe a tariff, load-management product or charger-to-backend protocol. OCPP is common, but not mandatory. Nor does AFIR give grid operators a general right to start and stop sessions.

Does AFIR require bidirectional charging?

No. AFIR defines bidirectional recharging as smart charging with reversible electricity flow. That does not make V2G compulsory at every charger. It asks Member States and network operators to assess bidirectional charging’s potential contribution to the electricity system. That is planning, not a site-level export duty.

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 AC and DC charging points must comply at least with EN ISO 15118-20:2022. New or renovated private Mode 3 and Mode 4 points must do the same.

 

ISO 15118-20 supports communication for advanced smart charging, Plug & Charge and bidirectional power transfer. Compliance does not activate every optional service. Two-way energy flow still needs a compatible vehicle, power electronics, firmware, software, metering, protection and permission to export.

What should CPOs check?

Start with the site’s access model and build or renovation date. Map the charger, firmware, CPMS, payment method, price display and operating process against the applicable provisions. “AFIR-ready” is 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. Their hardware is prepared for ISO 15118-20, Plug & Charge and bidirectional charging. That supports the technical route, but it is not site compliance or a live V2G service. Payment, pricing, software, data and approvals remain with the operator and its partners.