ISO 17409:2015

Overview

ISO 17409:2015 - Electrically propelled road vehicles - Connection to an external electric power supply - Safety requirements - defines electrical safety requirements for conductive connections between electrically propelled road vehicles and an external electric power supply using a plug or vehicle inlet. The standard applies to vehicle power supply circuits in voltage class B and to dedicated power-supply control functions used during connection. It excludes connections to non‑isolated d.c. charging stations and does not provide comprehensive safety guidance for manufacturing, maintenance, or repair personnel. Requirements for vehicles when not connected are covered by ISO 6469-3.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 17409 organizes safety content around protection, thermal behavior, connectors, and testing. Major topics include:

• Protection against electric shock
  • Basic protection and protection under single‑failure conditions
  • Isolation resistance requirements for A.C. (Modes 1–3) and D.C. (Mode 4)
  • Protection from unintended voltage on contacts and unmated inlets
• Insulation coordination and touch current considerations for safe EV charging
• Thermal and overcurrent protection
  • Overload and short‑circuit protection for A.C. and D.C. connections
  • Arc fault protection and residual energy after disconnection (critical for DC charging)
• Connector and cable requirements
  • Specific requirements for the plug, vehicle inlet and cable assemblies
  • Locking mechanisms for vehicle connectors (AC and DC)
• Additional AC and DC requirements
  • Control pilot functions for DC, disconnection devices, DC isolation resistance monitoring, contact temperature, inrush and fault current behavior
• Operational and documentation requirements
  • Owner’s manual and marking obligations
• Test procedures
  • Isolation resistance, withstand voltage, inrush, touch current and protective conductor resistance tests

Practical applications and users

ISO 17409 is intended for:

• Vehicle manufacturers designing EV high-voltage power circuits and inlets
• Component and connector designers specifying plugs, inlets and cables for conductive charging
• Test laboratories performing safety verification and type testing of vehicle charging interfaces
• Regulators and certification bodies assessing compliance of vehicle-side charging hardware
• EV system architects coordinating vehicle-side safety functions with charging infrastructure

This standard helps ensure safe conductive EV charging interfaces and informs design choices for insulation, fault protection, connector locking, and control functions.

Related standards

• ISO 6469-1 / ISO 6469-3 - vehicle RESS and shock protection when not connected
• IEC 61851 - EV supply equipment (charging stations) requirements
• IEC 62196 - plugs, socket‑outlets, vehicle connectors and vehicle inlets for EVs
• IEC 60309 / IEC 60884 - industrial and household connector standards
• ISO 26262, ISO 20653 - functional safety and environmental protection

Keywords: ISO 17409, electrically propelled road vehicles, external electric power supply, vehicle inlet, plug, EV charging safety, conductive connection, voltage class B, IEC 61851.