Standardization in the field of electric vehicles is becoming an important issue. The need for clean energy and the support provided by smart grids have led to new European policies that encourage the deployment of infrastructures to recharge (or replace) the batteries of electrical vehicles.
International work on the development of charger and connector standards is currently ongoing. It will be necessary to ensure that international standards meet European needs, including (for example) compatibility with national rules for wiring.
CEN-CENELEC eMobility Co-ordination Group (eM-CG)
As a first step, CEN and CENELEC established a Focus Group on European Electro-Mobility which produced in October 2011, as a reply to Mandate M/468 (charging of electric vehicles), a report on 'Standardization for road vehicles and associated infrastructure' that represents the specific standardization requirements for European Electro-mobility.
One of the main recommendations of the Focus Group was to establish a CEN-CENELEC Co-ordination Group on eMobility with the aim to support coordination of standardization activities during the critical phase of writing new standards or updating existing standards.
The CEN-CENELEC eMobility Co-ordination Group (eM-CG) held its first meeting in March 2012. This group includes representatives of CEN and CENELEC members, organisations representing relevant sectors (automotive industry, utilities, consumers, etc.) and the European Commission, who agreed to work together on reaching the objectives of Mandate M/468.
The eM-CG is responsible for making sure that standards necessary for eMobility are being dealt with in a coherent manner by the relevant technical bodies. With their reply to mandate M/468, CEN and CENELEC committed to have the standards dedicated to the charging of electric vehicles ready in due time. A list of available standards for the charging of electric vehicles has been prepared in June 2012 and a work programme in December 2012.
The group also follows the progress of the relevant standardization work within IEC and ISO and ensure liaison between European activities and those at the international (global) level.