ISO 15118-8:2020

Overview

ISO 15118-8:2020 - Road vehicles - Vehicle to grid communication interface - Part 8 - specifies the physical layer and data link layer requirements for wireless High Level Communication (HLC) between Electric Vehicles (EV) and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). Intended as the wireless alternative to the wired HLC defined in ISO 15118-3, this standard governs WLAN-based communication (IEEE 802.11 feature set commonly referred to as 802.11n / HT STA/AP) operating in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for both conductive charging and Wireless Power Transfer (WPT).

Key technical topics and requirements

• Layer 1 & Layer 2 definitions: Requirements for the physical layer (PHY) and MAC sublayer to support robust HLC between EV and EVSE.
• WLAN technology: Use of IEEE 802.11 (HT AP/HT STA feature set) as the underlying wireless technology.
• Frequency, channels and regulatory considerations: Operation in ISM and U‑NII bands (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) with attention to Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) and Transmit Power Control (TPC) where applicable.
• SECC and EVCC roles: Specific requirements for the Supply Equipment Communication Controller (SECC) and Electric Vehicle Communication Controller (EVCC), including channel scanning, selection, and association behavior.
• Layer 2 link establishment: Association/reassociation procedures and requirements to ensure stable link setup.
• Quality of Service (QoS): Mechanisms to ensure timely, reliable exchange of HLC messages during charging sessions.
• Security and pairing: Data link level security considerations and pairing support to enable trusted communication.
• Operational guidance: Annexes addressing antenna/mounting location, interference scans and auto-channel selection, service available area, and national U‑NII band regulations.

Practical applications and who uses this standard

ISO 15118-8 is used where wireless data exchange between EV and charger is required or preferred:

• EV manufacturers integrating wireless HLC modules (EVCC)
• EVSE and charging-station vendors implementing SECC functionality
• WPT system designers (referencing ISO 19363 and IEC 61980)
• Charging network operators and site integrators deploying WLAN-enabled charging sites
• Wireless module and antenna suppliers, test labs, and certification bodies for interoperability and compliance testing

Related standards

• ISO 15118-1 (general info and use-cases)
• ISO 15118-2 (network & application protocol requirements)
• ISO 15118-3 (wired PHY & data link requirements)
• IEEE 802.11-2012 (WLAN MAC & PHY)
• IEC 61851-1 (conductive charging modes 3 & 4)
• IEC 61980 (WPT charging site requirements)
• ISO 19363 (WPT vehicle requirements)

Keywords: ISO 15118-8, vehicle to grid, V2G, EV charging, wireless communication, EVSE, EVCC, SECC, IEEE 802.11n, WLAN, physical layer, data link layer.