ISO 15118 is the international standard that defines how an electric car and a charger talk to each other. It covers the digital exchange behind every smart charging session: identifying the car, authorising the session, agreeing how much power flows, and recording the energy delivered. The plug’s shape is the physical half of charging — ISO 15118 is the conversation half.
Key Takeaways
- ISO 15118 is the communication standard between car and charger — identity, authorisation, power limits and metering.
- Plug and Charge, planned charging and bidirectional flow are the features it makes possible.
- It is not a plug standard (that is IEC 62196 / SAE J1772) and not the operator protocol (that is OCPP).
- Both car and charger must support it; basic charging works without it.
What Passes Between Car and Charger
| Moment | What is exchanged |
|---|---|
| You plug in | The car and charger establish a data link over the charging cable and identify each other, including digital certificates that prove the car is who it claims to be |
| Authorisation | The car can present a contract credential stored in the vehicle, so the session can be approved and billed without a card or app |
| During charging | The two sides agree and adjust limits — the most the car can accept, the most the charger can offer, and any schedule they settle on |
| Session end | Metering data for the energy delivered is exchanged and recorded, so the bill matches the session |
Older, simpler charging does none of this: the charger signals availability and the car draws power. ISO 15118 replaces that one-way arrangement with a two-way data conversation, on AC and DC charging alike.
The Features Drivers Actually Notice
- Plug and Charge. The best-known result of the standard: plug in, and the car identifies itself and settles payment in the background. No app, no card, no membership step at the post.
- Planned charging. Car and charger can exchange a schedule — how much energy is needed and by when — so the session can be shaped around departure times and cheaper hours, the territory of our guide to smart charging and time-of-use tariffs.
- Two-way energy flow. The newest part of the standard covers bidirectional charging, the data side of vehicle-to-grid: a car that can send power back needs the charger to agree terms for that too.
What ISO 15118 Is Not
It is not a plug. Connector shapes come from other standards — IEC 62196 in most of the world, SAE J1772 in North America — compared in our guide to Type 2 vs J1772 vs NACS and in whether J1772 works with CCS. A connector that fits says nothing about whether the smart conversation can happen.
It is also not the charger’s link to its operator. That network-side protocol is OCPP, covered in our explainer on what charge point operators need from charger hardware. ISO 15118 runs between car and charger; OCPP runs between charger and backend. And it is not universal yet: both the car and the charger must support it, support varies by model and network, and plain charging works fine without it.
Hardware That Speaks to Cars and Networks
Smart features need capable equipment on the wall. The EVDANCE EV-ACT3204PE 22 kW wallbox offers RFID and app control for managed home and workplace charging, and the EVDANCE EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station runs OCPP 1.6J for networked sites. The full range is on our products page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my car support ISO 15118?
Check the manual or the maker’s app for “ISO 15118” or “Plug and Charge”. Support is model-specific and still rolling out, and the networks you use must have enabled it as well.
Do I need ISO 15118 to charge my car?
No. Basic charging — plug in and draw power — works without it. The standard is what enables the smart layer on top: automatic identification and payment, planned sessions, and bidirectional energy flow.
Is ISO 15118 only for DC fast charging?
No. It covers communication for both AC and DC charging. It is most visible at DC posts, where power limits change quickly during a session, but the same conversation can run over an AC connection.
Related Reading
- 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
- OCPP Explained: What Charge Point Operators Need From EV Charger Hardware
