Standards · Europe and UK
EV Charger Requirements in Europe and the UK: Type 2, CCS2, Protection, Metering and Public Charging Rules
EV charger rules for Europe and the UK: supply and earthing, Type 2 and CCS2, IEC 61851, 6 mA DC and PEN protection, MID, AFIR and UK regulations.
- Prepared by
- VULTAE Engineering Team
- Published
- Reading time
- 5 min
- Sources
- 8 references
At a glance
- Supply
- 230 V 1-phase / 400 V 3-phase, 50 Hz
- AC connector
- Type 2 (IEC 62196-2)
- DC connector
- CCS2 (IEC 62196-3)
- Product standards
- IEC 61851-1 · -21-2 · -23
- AC protection
- RCD Type A + 6 mA DC, or Type B
- Billing meters
- MID; Eichrecht in Germany
- EU public charging
- AFIR (Reg. 2023/1804)
- UK
- Smart Charge Points Regs 2021 · Public Charge Point Regs 2023
Key takeaways
- 1European chargers run on 230 V single-phase or 400 V three-phase at 50 Hz and use Type 2 for AC and CCS2 for DC. Check the earthing system: TN is most common, TT occurs in rural areas, and many Norwegian homes use IT networks that need compatible chargers.
- 2Each AC connection point needs residual-current protection that also detects DC fault currents — a Type A RCD with a 6 mA DC detecting device (IEC 62955) or a Type B RCD — under IEC 60364-7-722 and national wiring rules.
- 3In the UK, charge points on PME supplies need protection against an open PEN fault (BS 7671), private charge points must meet the Smart Charge Points Regulations 2021, and public ones the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023.
- 4Public chargers in the EU must meet AFIR — ad-hoc card payment and price display at 50 kW and above — and billing meters may need MID approval or, in Germany, Eichrecht-compliant metering.
Contents
Short answer: a charger for Europe or the UK must suit 230 V single-phase or 400 V three-phase 50 Hz supplies and the local earthing system; use Type 2 for AC and CCS2 for DC; be tested to IEC 61851-1 (and -23 for DC) with EMC to IEC 61851-21-2; protect each AC connection point against AC and 6 mA DC fault currents; in the UK, handle PEN faults and meet the Smart Charge Points or Public Charge Point regulations; and, for public charging in the EU, meet AFIR and local metering law such as MID or Germany’s Eichrecht.
Supply and earthing
| Supply | Typical chargers | Earthing to check |
|---|---|---|
| 230 V single-phase, 32 A | 7.4 kW wallboxes | TN-C-S (PME in the UK) — PEN fault protection needed in the UK |
| 400 V three-phase, 16 A | 11 kW wallboxes | TN-S / TN-C-S; TT in many rural areas |
| 400 V three-phase, 32 A | 22 kW wallboxes and AC pedestals | As above |
| 400 V three-phase, 63 A and above | DC chargers | Usually a dedicated supply or substation |
| 230 V three-phase IT networks | Common in Norwegian homes | Charger must be approved for IT networks |
Three-phase supplies are widespread in continental Europe; many UK homes have single-phase supplies only, which limits home charging to about 7 kW.
Connectors and charging modes
| Use | Connector | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Home and workplace AC | Type 2 socket or tethered Type 2 cable | Mode 3 |
| Public AC posts | Type 2 sockets (driver’s own cable) | Mode 3 |
| DC fast charging | CCS2 (Combo 2) | Mode 4 |
| Legacy DC | CHAdeMO on some older sites | Mode 4 |
| Portable charging cable | Type 2 vehicle connector, domestic or industrial plug | Mode 2 |
Protection: RCD, 6 mA DC detection and PEN faults
IEC 60364-7-722 — implemented in national wiring rules such as BS 7671 in the UK and VDE 0100-722 in Germany — requires each AC connection point to have its own overcurrent protection and residual-current protection that responds to DC fault currents above 6 mA. Most modern wallboxes build in the 6 mA DC detection (RDC-DD to IEC 62955), so the installer can fit a standard Type A RCD upstream. In the UK, charge points on PME supplies also need protection against an open PEN conductor, which many UK-market wallboxes build in.
Metering and billing
| Rule | Where | What it means for the charger |
|---|---|---|
| MID (2014/32/EU), active energy meters | EU member states that regulate billing meters | MID-approved meter for kWh billing |
| Eichrecht | Germany | Approved metering with verifiable, signed readings; transparency software for drivers |
| National rules | Other countries | Check local metrology requirements for public billing |
Public charging in the EU: AFIR
The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1804) applies across the EU from April 2024 and sets requirements for publicly accessible charging:
| Requirement | Summary |
|---|---|
| Ad-hoc payment | Charging without a subscription; points of 50 kW and above deployed from April 2024 need a card reader or contactless card-reading device; DC points on the core TEN-T network must be retrofitted by 2027 |
| Price display | Price per kWh shown at points of 50 kW and above; clearly available for lower-power points |
| Connectivity | New public points digitally connected and capable of smart charging |
| Network targets | On the core TEN-T, a fast-charging pool every 60 km per direction: at least 400 kW per pool with one 150 kW point by end-2025, rising to 600 kW with two 150 kW points by end-2027 |
United Kingdom
| Rule | Applies to | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 | Private charge points sold in Great Britain | Smart functionality, default off-peak charging, randomised delay of up to 10 minutes, measuring system, security consistent with ETSI EN 303 645 |
| Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 | Public charge points | Contactless payment on new points of 8 kW and above and on rapid points; 99 % reliability for rapid networks; staffed 24/7 helpline; open data via OCPI |
| BS 7671, section 722 | Installation | Dedicated circuits, RCD and DC fault protection, PEN fault protection on PME |
| UKCA or CE | Product marking | CE recognised indefinitely in Great Britain for these product types |
VULTAE IEC versions
| VT-HW wallbox | VT-CW / VT-CP dual-port | VT-DW / VT-DFC / VT-DF DC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supply | 230 V 1-phase or 400 V 3-phase, 50/60 Hz | 230 / 400 V | 230 / 400 V 3-phase |
| Output | 3.7, 7.4, 11, 22 kW | 2 × 3.7–22 kW | 20–300 kW |
| Connector | Type 2 socket (shutter option) or tethered | Type 2 | CCS2; CHAdeMO option |
| Protection | Type A 30 mA + 6 mA DC; PEN fault option (UK) | IP55 · IK10; MID-certified meter option | IP54 · IK10 |
| Back end | OCPP 1.6J / 2.0.1 | OCPP 1.6J / 2.0.1 | OCPP 1.6J / 2.0.1 |
IEC versions are supplied with CE, UKCA and TÜV certification; we send the certificates and test reports for the exact model you order. See importing chargers into the EU and UK for the documents and registrations.
Questions buyers ask
- What connector do EV chargers use in Europe?
- Type 2 (IEC 62196-2) for AC charging and CCS2 (IEC 62196-3, Combo 2) for DC fast charging. Public AC chargers usually have Type 2 sockets so drivers use their own cable; home wallboxes are often tethered. CHAdeMO is a legacy option on some older DC sites.
- Does an EV charger need a Type B RCD in Europe?
- Not necessarily. IEC 60364-7-722 and national wiring rules require each AC connection point to be protected against DC fault currents as well as AC residual currents. That can be a Type B RCD, or a Type A RCD combined with a residual direct current detecting device (RDC-DD) to IEC 62955 that trips at 6 mA DC — often built into the charger.
- What is PEN fault protection in UK chargers?
- On PME (TN-C-S) supplies, a broken PEN conductor can make the vehicle body dangerous to touch. BS 7671 requires charge points on PME supplies to be protected, typically by a device in the charger that detects abnormal voltage and disconnects all conductors, or by an earth electrode arrangement.
- Do European public chargers need a card reader?
- Under AFIR, publicly accessible charging points of 50 kW and above deployed since April 2024 must accept ad-hoc payment with a payment card reader or a contactless device that reads cards, and DC points on the core TEN-T network must be retrofitted by 2027. Lower-power points may use other secure methods such as a QR code.
- What is Eichrecht?
- German calibration law. Public chargers that bill by energy must use approved metering whose readings customers can verify, usually with signed meter values and transparency software. Many operators in Germany only buy Eichrecht-compliant models.
References
- [1]IEC 61851-1:2017 — general requirements. International Electrotechnical Commission.
- [2]IEC 62955:2018 — residual direct current detecting device (RDC-DD) for mode 3 charging. International Electrotechnical Commission.
- [3]IEC 60364-7-722:2018 — supplies for electric vehicles. International Electrotechnical Commission.
- [4]Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 on alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR). EUR-Lex.
- [5]AFIR — EU policy update. ICCT.
- [6]Measuring Instruments Directive 2014/32/EU. EUR-Lex.
- [7]Regulations: electric vehicle smart charge points. GOV.UK.
- [8]Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 guidance. GOV.UK.
