What is ISO 15118?

ISO 15118 is a family of international standards for high-level communication between an electric vehicle and charging equipment. Vehicle and charger can exchange identification, charging requirements, energy limits and scheduling information.

 

This supports Plug & Charge, more informed smart charging and, with ISO 15118-20, bidirectional power transfer. It does not provide those services alone. The vehicle, charger, firmware, backend, certificates and energy system must support the required function too.

ISO 15118 versus OCPP

ISO 15118 covers communication between vehicle and charger. OCPP covers the separate link between charger and charge point management system (CPMS or CSMS).

 

OCPP 2.0.1 supports ISO 15118-2 functions, including Plug & Charge. OCPP 2.1 adds ISO 15118-20 and bidirectional functions. A feature in a specification still has to be implemented and tested in the vehicle, charger and backend.

How OCPP connects chargers with a CPMS

Touchscreen interface at Godalen Videregående Skole showing RFID start instructions for an amina EV charger, highlighting practical training in real-world charging technology.

2024 – 18.12

– OCPP, Technology

What is OCPP? How EV chargers connect to management software

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How does Plug & Charge work?

Plug & Charge lets a compatible EV identify and authorise itself when connected. The vehicle presents a contract certificate, which the charger and backend check through a public-key infrastructure. If the certificate and contract are valid, charging can start without an RFID card or payment app.

 

The driver sees one cable. Behind it, several systems have to agree. An ISO 15118 communication module does not create a working Plug & Charge service by itself.

How ISO 15118 supports smart charging

Smart charging can work without ISO 15118, for example by delaying a session or limiting current around site capacity or tariffs. ISO 15118 can add vehicle data such as requested energy and departure needs, helping the control system plan more accurately.

 

The CPMS or energy-management system still makes the operational decision. ISO 15118 supplies data and a communication path; it does not choose the tariff or run the building.

What does ISO 15118-20 add?

ISO 15118-20:2022 defines messages and sequences for bidirectional power transfer. Vehicle and charger can agree when energy may leave the battery, how much power is available and when export must stop.

 

Amendment 1, published in July 2026, adds AC distributed-energy-resource services, Megawatt Charging System services and an improved security concept. Procurement documents should name the edition and functions required, rather than settle for “ISO 15118 ready”.

Bidirectional charging, V2G and V2H explained

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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What should CPOs check?

  • Which ISO 15118 edition is fitted in hardware and active in firmware?
  • Which vehicles and charging modes were tested?
  • Who manages Plug & Charge contracts and certificates?
  • Can the CPMS use the data, and which OCPP version does it support?
  • What metering, protection and grid approval would V2G require?

How amina C2 and M2 fit

amina C2 and amina M2 contain hardware prepared for ISO 15118-20, Plug & Charge and bidirectional charging. Both use local OCPP and work with specialist CPMS and energy partners instead of requiring an extra proprietary cloud layer.

 

amina M2 also provides MID-certified metering, Ethernet, Modbus RTU and local load balancing for multi-residential, workplace and commercial sites. Hardware readiness leaves an upgrade path. The final service still needs compatible vehicle hardware, firmware, CPMS support and local energy arrangements.