IP54, IP55 and IP65 look like three steps on one ladder, but they are not. From IP54 to IP55, only the second digit changes — the water test — while the dust rating stays the same. From IP55 to IP65, only the first digit changes — the dust test — while the water rating stays the same. The three ratings are two different upgrades wearing similar numbers, and knowing which digit changed tells you what a charger actually gained. Our published IP ratings comparison gives the full scale; this article isolates the step people misread.
Key Takeaways
- IP54 to IP55 upgrades only the water digit, from splashing to jets; the dust rating is unchanged.
- IP55 to IP65 upgrades only the dust digit, from dust-protected to dust-tight; the water rating is unchanged.
- Each digit is a separate test with its own definition — the pair is not a single weatherproofness score.
- None of the three ratings covers immersion, impact or temperature; those are separate questions.
The Three Ratings, Digit by Digit
| Rating | First digit — solids | Second digit — water | What changed from the row above |
|---|---|---|---|
| IP54 | 5 — dust-protected | 4 — splashing water | — |
| IP55 | 5 — dust-protected | 5 — water jets | Water only: splash becomes jets |
| IP65 | 6 — dust-tight | 5 — water jets | Dust only: protected becomes tight |
Each digit is earned in its own test, against its own definition. There is no combined “weatherproofness score” behind the pair, which is why treating 65 as simply “more” than 55 misleads.
Dust-Protected vs Dust-Tight: The First Digit
The step from 5 to 6 is a change of standard, not of degree. Dust-protected (5) means dust may enter, but not in a quantity that interferes with the equipment’s operation or safety — some ingress is accepted by design. Dust-tight (6) means no dust enters at all, proven in a dust chamber test. On a charger, the difference matters where fine dust is a working condition — unpaved sites, agricultural surroundings, desert air — because a design that tolerates a little dust and a design that excludes it age differently across years of exposure.
Splashing vs Water Jets: The Second Digit
The step from 4 to 5 is about how the water arrives. Splashing (4) is water arriving from any direction without force behind it — rain and road spray are the everyday picture. Water jets (5) are directed streams, the hose-down case: cleaning water aimed at the enclosure rather than falling on it. A charger that will be washed as part of site cleaning is asking a jets question; a charger that will only ever be rained on is not. Note what neither digit claims: immersion is a separate test at digit 7, and none of IP54, IP55 or IP65 carries it. Standing water against a base is outside all three.
What None of the Three Tells You
- Impact. IP is sealing only. Resistance to knocks is a separate rating system, and a public-site charger needs that question asked separately.
- Temperature and sun. Operating temperature range and UV ageing are different specification lines; a rating says nothing about either.
- Age. The digits describe a unit as tested, when new. Gaskets age and installations vary, which is why the rating is the start of a siting decision, not the end of one.
These Ratings in the EVDANCE Range
No EVDANCE model states IP55 — in this range, the middle step of the trio is one you will meet on other products’ pages, and now you know it buys directed-water protection over IP54 without changing the dust position. The stated EVDANCE figures run from IP54 on the floor-standing stations such as the EV-AC03201T, through the IP65/IP66 pair stated for the EV-ACT3204E wallbox — dust-tight, with the water figure confirmed for the exact variant — to IP66 across the portable range. When a quote places two chargers side by side, compare them digit by digit against your site’s exposure, starting from the product range, rather than by which number looks larger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is IP65 “two steps better” than IP54?
No. Between them, two different digits changed — water at the IP55 step, dust at the IP65 step. Whether either upgrade matters depends on which exposure your site actually delivers.
Is IP55 a common rating for EV chargers?
It is a standard step in the IP code and appears on products in the market, but no EVDANCE model states it. Whatever the brand, read the exact model’s stated figure rather than assuming a range-wide rating.
Does IP65 protect against flooding?
No. IP65 covers dust-tightness and water jets. Immersion is digit 7 territory, which none of IP54, IP55 or IP65 claims — a flood-prone position is a siting problem, not a digit problem.
Related Reading
- IP Ratings for EV Chargers: IP54, IP65 and IP66 Compared
- Are Portable EV Chargers Waterproof? IP Ratings Explained for Drivers
- EV Charger Certifications Explained: CE, UKCA, UL, ETL and CB
- How Much Do EV Charging Stations Charge? Pricing Models Explained
Sources & Standards
- IEC 60529 — Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code)
- U.S. DOE AFDC — Charging Electric Vehicles in Public
