ISO 15118-20 is the newest part of the ISO 15118 family — the standard series that defines how an electric car and a charger talk to each other. The earlier parts defined that conversation for wired AC and DC charging. Part -20 is the second-generation document: its scope adds bidirectional power transfer and wireless charging to the conversation. So “ISO 15118 supported” on a spec sheet is an incomplete claim until the part is named.
Key Takeaways
- ISO 15118-20 is the newest, second-generation part of the car–charger communication standard.
- Its scope adds bidirectional power transfer and wireless charging to the conversation the earlier parts defined.
- “ISO 15118 supported” is incomplete without the part — the part number is the checkable item.
- No EVDANCE product claims -20 support, bidirectional or wireless capability; the range’s stated claims are OCPP 1.6J and “OCPP-ready”.
One Family, Several Documents
The family is a set of numbered parts, not a single document, and the parts were written at different times for a technology that kept growing. A plain “ISO 15118” claim can therefore point at quite different capability sets:
| Document | What it covers, in outline |
|---|---|
| The earlier generation (including ISO 15118-2) | The first-generation conversation for wired AC and DC charging: identification, authorisation, agreed power limits, metering — the generation behind Plug & Charge as drivers meet it today |
| ISO 15118-20 | The second-generation document: a reworked foundation for the same conversation, with bidirectional power transfer and wireless charging brought into the standard’s scope |
The practical consequence: two products can both honestly claim “ISO 15118” while supporting different generations of it. The part number is where the claim becomes checkable.
What the -20 Scope Adds
- Bidirectional power transfer. A standardised conversation for energy flowing out of the car as well as into it — the data side of vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home, whose shapes are compared in our guide to bidirectional charging: V2L, V2H and V2G. The standard defines how the two sides agree terms; the hardware still has to be built for two-way power.
- Wireless charging. The communication side of charging without a cable is brought into the same family, so a pad and a car can run the same kind of negotiation a plug carries today.
- A common foundation. Rather than separate conversations per use case, -20 is framed as the shared basis under wired, bidirectional and wireless charging — one language the industry can extend instead of several dialects.
The Buyer Check: Ask Which Part
Treat “ISO 15118” the way you would treat “OCPP” without a version. Ask the car or charger maker three things: which part or parts are implemented, which features on top of that part are actually enabled, and whether the other side of your sessions — your cars, or your chargers — implements the same part. A feature name alone does not settle it: Plug & Charge already works under the earlier generation, so its presence on a datasheet does not prove -20 support. Connector shape settles even less — plugs come from other standards entirely, as our comparison of Type 2, J1772 and NACS shows.
What EVDANCE Listings Claim
Plainly: no EVDANCE listing claims ISO 15118-20 support, and EVDANCE sells no bidirectional or wireless charger. The stated network claims in the range are about the charger-to-platform conversation instead — the EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station states OCPP 1.6J, and the EV-ACS3210E portable states “OCPP-ready”, a claim about a different link in a different direction. Managed charging on EVDANCE hardware today is the EV-ACT3204E wallbox pattern: RFID and app control at the post. If a project genuinely needs -20 features, that need is a written-confirmation item before any hardware is specified — see the product range for what is actually on sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ISO 15118-20 required for Plug & Charge?
No. Plug & Charge already operates under the earlier generation of the family. Part -20 extends the standard’s scope to bidirectional and wireless use cases; it is not a new entry ticket for the feature drivers already use.
Will a car with -20 support still charge on an older charger?
Plain charging, yes — the cable, the limits and the session work as before. The advanced conversations need both ends to implement the same part, so feature availability is decided per car-and-charger pairing.
Does claiming ISO 15118-20 make a charger bidirectional?
No. The standard defines the communication, not the power hardware. A bidirectional product needs power electronics built for two-way flow, claimed by its maker as such. No EVDANCE unit makes that claim.
Related Reading
- Bidirectional Charging Explained: V2L, V2H and V2G
- Type 2 vs J1772 vs NACS: Which EV Charger Connector Does Your Market Need?
- Does J1772 Work With CCS? CCS Connectors Explained
- Mode 2 vs Mode 3 Charging: What IEC 61851 Means for Portable EV Chargers
