ISO 15118-1:2013

Overview

ISO 15118-1:2013 defines the high-level framework for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) communication between an Electric Vehicle (EV) and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). It establishes terms, definitions, general requirements and use-case definitions that form the foundation for the protocol, security and physical layers specified in later parts of the ISO 15118 series. The part focuses on communication between the Electric Vehicle Communication Controller (EVCC) and the Supply Equipment Communication Controller (SECC) and supports charging, payment and grid-aware load levelling while remaining media‑agnostic (independent of the data transport medium).

Key topics and requirements

• Terminology and actors: standardizes roles such as EVCC, SECC, user, Distribution System Operator (DSO) and Demand Clearing House (DCH).
• Use case elements: structured use cases for the charging lifecycle including:
  • Start of charging process
  • Communication set-up
  • Certificate handling and security primitives
  • Identification and authorization (credentials, contract ID)
  • Target setting and charging schedule negotiation
  • Charging control and re-scheduling for load levelling
  • Value‑added services
  • End of charging process
• General requirements: guidance on communication concepts, user/OEM/utility-specific needs and charging session semantics (departure time, amount of energy).
• Grid-aware functions: definitions for demand/prognosis, interaction with DCH and support for power limits and tariffs to enable load balancing.
• Scope limits: does NOT specify internal vehicle battery-to-charger communication or full SECC-to-backend integration (beyond specific message elements).

Practical applications

Who uses ISO 15118-1 and why:

• EV manufacturers (OEMs): to align in-vehicle communication controllers (EVCC) with common use cases and credential handling.
• EVSE and charger vendors: to implement SECC functions, negotiate charging schedules, and support secure authorization/payment.
• Utilities and DSOs: for demand-side management, integration with Demand Clearing Houses and grid-stability use cases (load levelling).
• Software providers & system integrators: designing backend systems for contract management, billing and certificate services.
• Standards and testing bodies: as the conceptual base for protocol (ISO 15118-2) and physical/data-link (ISO 15118-3) specifications and conformance testing.

Practical benefits include secure automated authorization (plug-and-charge), optimized charging costs and CO2-aware scheduling, and coordinated grid-friendly charging to avoid local transformer overloads.

Related standards

• ISO 15118-2 - Network and application protocol requirements (message set derived from Part 1 use cases).
• ISO 15118-3 - Physical and data link layer requirements.
• IEC 61851-1 - Conductive charging system general requirements (pilot function referenced by ISO 15118).

Keywords: ISO 15118-1, vehicle-to-grid, V2G communication, EV charging communication, EVCC, SECC, charging schedule, load levelling, certificate handling, plug-and-charge.