What the new EU Rules Mean for EV Charging

1. What is AFIR and why does it matter?

AFIR in a nutshell

The AFIR Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 is the EU’s new framework for rolling out alternative fuels infrastructure, including public EV charging. It came into force in April 2024 and now applies directly across all Member States.

In short, AFIR sets minimum requirements for availability, accessibility, and transparency in public charging. Ensuring drivers can charge anywhere in Europe, easily and confidently.

Its goals are simple but transformative:

• Transparent pricing and reliable service information.

• Accessible, interoperable public charging across the EU.

• Consistent, transparent payment methods (card, contactless, or QR).

Key objectives of AFIR for EV charging

AFIR aims to make EV charging easy to find, easy to use, and easy to trust.
To achieve that, it focuses on three main pillars:

Infrastructure expansion:

Along the TEN-T (Trans European Transport Network) core network, Europe’s major transport corridors, Member States must deploy high-power charging sites at least every 60 km.

Technical minimums:

For these TEN-T fast-charging sites, AFIR requires a minimum of 400 kW total site capacity by 2025 with minimum one 150 kW connector and rising to 600 kW, including a minimum of two 150 kW connectors by 2027.

These rules apply only to TEN-T fast-charging sites, not to AC chargers or everyday public charging locations.

User accessibility:

All publicly accessible chargers must support ad-hoc payment and show clear pricing before the session begins.

• DC ≥ 50 kW: contactless card or NFC required

• AC and DC < 50 kW: QR based ad-hoc payment and pricing visibility is the minimum requirement.

2. What Is ISO 15118-20 and how does it fit in?

From ISO 15118 to ISO 15118-20 – the evolution

To understand the importance of ISO 15118, it helps to look at the bigger picture. With 75 million EVs already on the road worldwide, unmanaged charging would place enormous stress on the grid. If all of those 1.65 billion cars were EVs and charged at just 7 kW, the total amount would exceed 11.6 TW, over 3 times the world’s power capacity today.

Uncontrolled EV charging simply isn’t sustainable. All EVs will need to charge in a way that is coordinated with the grid, intelligently timed, and increasingly bidirectional. This is where ISO 15118 comes into play.

AFIR defines what Europe’s charging network must achieve. ISO 15118 defines how vehicles and chargers communicate.

ISO 15118-20 is the newest version of the standard. It enables:

• Plug & Charge enables the frictionless user journey AFIR aims for.

• Bidirectional capabilities prepare Europe for future energy markets.

• Secure digital communication ensures transactions are safe and traceable.

• Smart energy data exchange allows real-time pricing, load balancing, and dynamic tariff updates.

So, in short, AFIR sets the rules. ISO 15118-20 provides the technical foundation to follow them.

3. The Key AFIR requirements for EV charging

Payment and access requirements

All publicly accessible chargers must:

• Support ad-hoc use without a subscription.

• Accept contactless card or NFC for DC chargers ≥ 50 kW

• Offer QR-code-based payment for AC and DC charging stations < 50 kW.

• Display clear pricing per kWh (and any fees) before the charging starts.

These changes aim to dismantle closed charging networks and guarantee a consistent experience for all drivers, regardless of their mobility service provider.

Technical and interoperability requirements

AFIR sets a minimum for technical expectations for public charging:

• Chargers must deliver their declared power output

• Use open communication standards (e.g. OCPP, ISO 15118)

• Offer digital connectivity for remote management and real-time data exchange (pricing, availability, session info)

Information and user transparency

CPOs and operators must share real-time information about:

• Charger location and availability

• Power output and connector type

• Current tariffs and pricing

This builds trust and ensures drivers always have accurate charging information.

4. AFIR Timeline: what changes when

Milestones for Member States and operators

The AFIR rollout follows a multi-year timeline:

September 2023 - AFIR formally adopted by the EU

April 2024 - Regulation enters into force across all Member States

End of 2025 - First TEN-T targets: charging squares every 60 km with minimum 400 kW total capacity

January 2026 - All newly installed or renovated publicly accessible AC charging points must support ISO 15118-2

January 2027 - All newly installed and refurbished, public or private chargers must support ISO 15118-20

January 2027 - Retrofit deadline: existing ≥ 50 kW chargers must support ad-hoc payments and transparent pricing

End of 2027-2030 - Expanded deployment for heavy-duty vehicles and hydrogen refuelling coverage

End of 2035 - Full TEN-T network coverage

What this means for installers and partners today

The message is clear: compliance starts now.
Installers, distributors, and CPOs should focus on solutions that are:

• AFIR-ready (payment systems, interoperability, and power capacity).

• Compatible with ISO 15118-20 (for future-proof connectivity).

• Upgradeable via firmware or backend to stay aligned with evolving standards.

By choosing AFIR-compliant hardware today, installers can avoid expensive retrofits later, while offering customers confidence their infrastructure is ready for the long term.

5. AFIR, ISO 15118-20 and smart charging: how it all comes together

From basic compliance to smart energy management

AFIR compliance is the starting point, but smart charging delivers the long-term value.

With ISO 15118-20 as the communication backbone, chargers can:

• Enable load balancing across multiple charging points.

• Optimise charging around time-of-use tariffs.

• Integrate with solar generation and local battery storage.

• Support remote control and predictive maintenance.

This transforms a standard charging site into a smart energy hub.

The role of Plug & Charge and V2G

Plug & Charge simplifies user authentication and billing, no RFID cards, no apps, no manual payment steps. Drivers connect their vehicle, and the charger and car communicate securely using ISO 15118’s certificate-based system.

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), enabled by ISO 15118-20, unlocks even more possibilities:

• Vehicles can discharge power back into the grid or home energy system during peak demand.

• Fleets can monetise stored energy through flexibility services.

• Businesses can improve their energy resilience by using parked EVs as temporary storage.

As AFIR drives infrastructure expansion, ISO 15118-20 ensures that this growth supports Europe’s broader energy transition goals.

6. How Smappee supports AFIR and ISO 15118 in practice

Compliance by design, not by afterthought

Smappee’s charging ecosystem is built on open standards, modular hardware, and smart energy management, making compliance simple and future-proof.

Our design philosophy is simple:

• Connected & updatable: remote monitoring and over-the-air firmware upgrades keep installations aligned with regulatory change.

• Interoperable by default: supporting OCPP, ISO 15118, and seamless integration with leading platforms.

• Smart energy-first: enabling dynamic load balancing, solar optimisation, and real-time tariff management.

Smappee EV chargers in the AFIR context

Smappee’s product range is developed with AFIR and ISO 15118-20 in mind.

EV Ultra

A high-power solution supporting ISO 15118-2 for Plug & Charge-ready communication, advanced smart charging, and public deployment scenarios. Built for fast-charging environments affected by AFIR deployment target.

EV Dual

Designed for public and semi-public locations, offering smart charging, tariff visibility, and compatibility with ISO 15118 technologies such as Plug & Charge. Ideal for workplaces, commercial sites, and shared parking environments.

EV Wall and EV One ^{launching mid-2026}

Compact, user-friendly chargers for residential users, upgraded with the same AFIR-ready intelligence as the EV Dual.
They will provide:

• Smart charging

• Connectivity

• QR-based transparent pricing

• Compatible with future ISO 15118-20 updates

With Smappee chargers, installers can be confident that their installations are future-proof, compliant, and ready for Europe’s evolving charging landscape.

Smappee Pay Station: central to AFIR-compliant payment

AFIR places strong emphasis on ad-hoc payment and transparent pricing, a critical requirement for all public charging starting today, and mandatory retrofits for ≥50 kW chargers by 2027.

The Smappee Pay Station solves these requirements seamlessly:

• Supports all major payment methods

• Fully AFIR-compliant for ad-hoc access

• Supports multiple chargers per site

• Provides transparent pricing on-site

• Simplifies reporting and reconciliation for operators

Together, the Smappee charging stations and Pay Station create a complete AFIR-ready ecosystem that installers can trust, from compact AC chargers to high-power DC units and full payment infrastructure.

Preparing for an AFIR and ISO-proof future

AFIR and ISO 15118-20 are more than regulatory checkboxes: they’re catalysts for a smarter, more connected EV charging ecosystem in Europe. Together, they ensure that every charge is transparent, secure, and interoperable, no matter the vehicle, charger brand, or location.

For installers and partners, this new era offers immense opportunity. By choosing AFIR-ready, ISO 15118-compatible solutions, you’re not just keeping up with regulation, you’re helping shape the next generation of sustainable mobility.

At Smappee, we’re here to make that transition simple.