The EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR, Regulation (EU) 2023/1804) set Europe’s headline charging deployment targets. The technical detail came later, in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/656, which specifies the communication protocols that Mode 3 AC charge points must support.
For anyone writing a tender, sizing an installation or buying charge points, it comes down to two dates.
Date 1: 8 January 2026 (already in force)
All new or renovated publicly accessible AC charge points must support EN ISO 15118-2:2016.
ISO 15118-2 is the protocol that lets the vehicle and the charge point communicate securely. Its most visible use is Plug & Charge: the vehicle identifies itself with a digital certificate when plugged in, no RFID card or app needed.
Date 2: 1 January 2027
EN ISO 15118-20:2022 becomes mandatory for all new or renovated Mode 3 charge points, both publicly accessible and private: workplace car parks, residential buildings, hotels, fleets.
ISO 15118-20 is the version that enables bidirectional charging (V2G): the vehicle can send energy back to the building or the grid. It also improves dynamic load management and cybersecurity.
Who it applies to
AFIR places the obligation on the charge point operator, not the manufacturer. But the practical effect reaches the whole chain: a non-compliant point cannot be installed in new or renovated projects after the relevant date. For a manufacturer that means being shut out of the market. For a developer, an investment that is non-compliant from day one.
Points installed before each date are generally not required to be retrofitted (grandfathering). The obligation applies to what is new or renovated.
What to check in a tender or purchase
- ISO 15118-2 available today, with Plug & Charge working, not just “compatible”.
- ISO 15118-20 supported before January 2027. If the supplier promises it via an update, check the hardware can handle it and the update is over the air, without replacing the unit.
- OCPP 2.0.1 towards the management system. It integrates ISO 15118 natively and avoids lock-in to a single software vendor.
- Cybersecurity: signed firmware, TLS, certificate management.
- Certified metering (MID) if energy is to be billed.
A word of caution: each Member State sets its own penalties under AFIR. Before relying on enforcement arguments in a tender, check them with a regulatory adviser.
How Wallare handles it
Wallare Park supports ISO 15118-2 with Plug & Charge today and is ready for ISO 15118-20 and bidirectional V2G charging, which we present on 3 November at Smart City Expo. Every point is an OCPP 2.x station, updated over the air with signed firmware.
For V2G to work, the vehicle must support it too; the charge point is the half of the system that needs to be ready first.
Get Wallare’s tender-ready specifications: request them here.
Sources: Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 (AFIR) and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/656.