Helping to access electric vehicles

IEC Standards play a key role in making electric vehicle (EV) charging seamless across different countries, thereby reducing range anxiety and favouring the adoption of EVs.

Most governments around the world are betting on the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) as one of the main ways to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. Figures show that EV adoption has increased rapidly over the last couple of years, even if we are still far from a wide consumer switch from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric ones. According to EVvolumes, which supplies a data bank of EV sales, a total of 10,5 million new EVs were delivered during 2022, a rise of 55% compared to 2021.

One of the challenges that needs to be overcome to further increase the adoption rate of EVs is the availability of the charging infrastructure. One of the reasons many drivers are hesitant to switch to EVs is because of range anxiety: they worry about whether they'll be able to charge their cars when they're out on the road and thus be able to reach their destination. This is not only a matter of perception: according to many experts the deployment of the charging infrastructure is not ambitious enough to meet the various targets set in developed countries, let alone in emerging economies.

Enabling seamless travel across Europe

The European Green Deal announced in December 2019 aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 90% by 2050 compared with 1990. The deployment of a global EV charging infrastructure in line with consumer and business adoption of EVs is viewed a key enabler of the switch to a largely zero-emission vehicle fleet by 2050. The initial target is to reach 1 million charging points by 2025. The Green Deal also refers to an estimated 13 million zero- and low-emission vehicles on European roads by 2025. The ultimate policy objective is to make EV charging as easy as filling a conventional vehicle tank, so that EVs can travel without difficulty right across the EU. One of the ways of making that happen is to encourage the same or at least an interoperable charging infrastructure across the continent – which is where IEC Standards are already playing a key role.

The EU common charging standards, or Combined Charging System (CCS), which have been promoted by the European Commission, are EN 62196‑2 for alternative current (AC) and EN 62196-3 for direct current (DC), based on the IEC 62196 series of standards, which cover the mechanical, electrical and performance requirements for plugs, socket-outlets, vehicle connectors and vehicle inlets for the connection between the EV supply equipment and the electric vehicle. Thanks to these standards, users are gradually gaining more harmonized access to different charging networks across the continent. The IEC 61851 Standards specify the DC and AC charging infrastructures and go hand in hand with IEC 62196 series.

However, while international standards are a key factor to facilitate the adoption of EVs, more charging stations need to be deployed in the different European countries, especially in the eastern part of the continent. EU funding is available through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), but one of the problems remains the high cost of charging installations.

DC chargers are faster than AC ones, but their cost is also much higher. While it can take several hours to recharge a battery with AC, DC chargers take only 20 to 30 minutes. This makes them much more convenient. For drivers, the experience comes close to using a petrol station. But according to specialists, DC chargers can cost anywhere from USD 28 000 to over USD 140 000 to install – which is around six to 10 times more expensive than an AC charger.

Pole mounted electric chargers for easier access

An interesting solution, pole-mounted charging (PMC), can help to reduce these installation costs and is gaining traction in the US, Australia and the UK. It can work either with DC or AC chargers.

PMC offers a cost-effective and creative approach for siting and installing public charging stations. Chargers are fixed on electric poles or even lampposts, which reduces installation costs by 70% in some areas, as the chargers do not require digging up the ground to be installed. The clever idea is to make use of a pre-existing source of power.

For example, the initiative was implemented with success in the US state of Massachusetts, in California (Los Angeles), and in other US cities, such as Kansas City and Portland. One of the drawbacks is that due to siting and electrical capacity limitations, not all poles can support PMCs.

US striving to meet EV charging goals

Research group the International Council on Clean Transportation says the US would need 2,4 million electric vehicle charging stations by 2030 if about 36% of new car sales were electric. The federal government brought in legislation to fund the charging infrastructure. It provides USD 7,5 billion in federal grants to build a national network of charging stations. Analysts say the money is a good start but isn't enough to spur widespread electric vehicle adoption.

In the US, SAE J1772, also known as a J plug or Type 1 connector, based on the IEC International Standard, IEC 62196, is the main North American standard for electrical connectors for EVs maintained by SAE International under the formal title SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric Vehicle Conductive Charge Coupler.

While one of the main manufacturers of EVs in the US, by far the leading maker of electric cars, had developed its own proprietary equipment, its EVs can connect to the J plug. The company provides a charger adapter cable with all the cars it sells enabling them to use charging stations that have the SAE J1772 connector.

Asia: a market led by China

According to global consultancy Statista, China topped the global sales charts in 2021 with more electric vehicles sold than the rest of the world combined and almost five times more than Germany, which was in second place. In 2022, nearly 4 million EVs were sold in China – quadruple the US figure. China also installed 37 000 new charging stations all across the country, each carrying multiple chargers. According to the numbers presented by StockApps.com, 65% of public EV charging stations worldwide are to be found in China, the country boasting 1,1 million charging stations. Of China's total figure, 677 000 stations are slow-charging ones, using AC, while 470 000 are fast-charging stations, using DC electricity.

While these figures are encouraging, one should be aware that the country has a population of 1,4 billion, meaning that while 1,1 million charging stations may seem a lot, the infrastructure is still very far from being widespread across the country. Other countries across Asia are setting up national EV policies to accelerate EV adoption with the involvement of most of the main players, such as charging operators, energy companies, EV equipment companies, start-ups and automotive companies.

One of the most advanced is South Korea which has 106 701 public charging stations, including 15 067 with a fast-charging capability (DC). Most of Asia has adopted the SAE J1772 standard. There are two notable exceptions: Japan where manufacturers have developed equipment based on the CHAdeMO standard for DC charging. It was produced in 2010 by the CHAdeMO Association, formed by the Tokyo Electric Power Company and five major Japanese automakers. The original design was first published in the Japanese standard JEVS G105-1993. It is compatible with IEC 62196.

"62196-3 covers three different types of accessories and one of those is based on the CHAdeMO standard. The safety of the charging system is specified in IEC 61851-23," explains Giacomo Scainelli who convenes the working group which produces the IEC 62196 Standards. The other exception is China which uses the GB/T charging standard for electric vehicle AC and DC fast charging." In 62196-3 Chinese accessories for DC are covered," adds Giacomo Scainelli.

Efforts are being made across the world to shift from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric modes of transport. IEC International Standards for EV charging are helping manufacturers to plan a more seamless experience for the EV driver. Only time will tell whether the targets fixed by the various countries will be met and whether the targets themselves will be sufficient to significantly reduce carbon emissions.