Skip to main content

European standards will harmonise electric vehicle charging

New harmonised standards are being discussed that will allow recharging of electric vehicles across Europe. The move is required as part of a drive to achieve sustainable transport, as standardisation of the connection between the electricity grid and electric vehicles will help e-mobility gain a viable market share. A single harmonised plug system is needed for the recharging of electric vehicles on both the vehicle and the infrastructure sides. Various motoring and industry associations are involved in th
June 8, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

New harmonised standards are being discussed that will allow recharging of electric vehicles across Europe.

The move is required as part of a drive to achieve sustainable transport, as standardisation of the connection between the electricity grid and electric vehicles will help e-mobility gain a viable market share. A single harmonised plug system is needed for the recharging of electric vehicles on both the vehicle and the infrastructure sides. Various motoring and industry associations are involved in the issue and all agree that this needs to be solved as soon as possible. Recharging infrastructure is already installed in different Member States but before this is phased in on a wider scale, standard technologies will need to be used. The 2465 European Commission has to ensure the implementation of a single solution for the charging of electrically-chargeable vehicles in Europe as a result. This move will provide predictability to investors, enable economies of scale, reduce costs for stakeholders and is essential in increasing user acceptance. At present different countries in Europe use different types of plugs for electrical apparatus. The two pin socket used widely in many countries is not considered safe in others for example and any new charging system will have to be acceptable to all European Member States.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Are road tolls the economic answer?
    November 12, 2012
    Tolling has been widely promoted as the answer to future road needs by many economists. The fundamental principle of a toll road is comparatively easy to understand: a driver wants to get from here to there and pays a small sum for the privilege. Drivers generally prefer to access roads without having to pay but the sums involved in toll roads tend to be comparatively low. For all but the most parsimonious, parting with a few coins to use a stretch of highway in good order is comparatively painless, made ev
  • CECE urges harmonisation of Europe’s machine control technologies
    September 25, 2015
    At their joint summit, held in Brussels, Belgium, the presidents of CECE (Committee of European Construction Equipment) and CEMA (European Agricultural Machinery Association) presented to EU institutions a manifesto consisting of five priority actions for a successful digital transformation of the construction and the agricultural machinery industries.
  • IRF publishes ITS manifesto
    February 22, 2013
    Ministerial launch marks IRF’s long-term commitment to ITS deployment and the creation of conducive policy environments for the adoption of smart technology While sustainable mobility is recognised as one of the keys to social and economic development, our roads are becoming increasingly congested, road transport has negative environmental impacts and more and more cars need to be accommodated. For IRF, a pivotal response to this dilemma lies in the increased deployment of intelligent transport systems (IT
  • Road trains project saves space as well as fuel
    February 23, 2012
    A high-tech European project involving cars could reduce fuel consumption by up to one-fifth as Patrick Smith reports. A new EU project, Sartre, is aimed at developing and testing technology for vehicles that can drive themselves in long road trains on motorways.