EV Charging Terminology

Bidirectional charging allows energy to flow both into and out of an EV battery through compatible charging equipment. It is normally assessed alongside vehicle compatibility, export permissions, grid connection requirements and the supported communication standards.

ENA Connect Direct V2G relates to ENA connection data for vehicle-to-grid capable equipment.

ENA Connect Direct V2G Stack refers to the broader approved or declared combination of V2G charger, inverter or control system and associated equipment used for connection assessment.

ENA EREC G98 is the UK Engineering Recommendation for connecting fully type-tested small-scale generation equipment up to 16 A per phase in parallel with public distribution networks. In EV charging, it can become relevant where equipment includes export-capable generation or storage-related functions.

ENA EREC G99 is the UK Engineering Recommendation for connecting generation equipment and larger power generating facilities in parallel with public distribution networks. It is relevant to export-capable EV charging, V2G, storage and larger schemes that do not fall under G98.

ISO 15118 is the international vehicle-to-grid communication standard series covering EV-to-charger digital communication, Plug & Charge, smart charging and bidirectional charging functions. In the UK it is increasingly relevant to future-ready public, fleet and V2G-capable charging systems.

ISO 15118-1 defines general information and use cases for the vehicle-to-grid communication interface. On EVCP Info, it links related terminology to the relevant regulatory, standards or compliance framework used by UK-focused audiences.

ISO 15118-20 is the second-generation vehicle-to-grid network and application protocol standard, extending support for advanced smart charging and bidirectional power transfer. On EVCP Info, it links related terminology to the relevant regulatory, standards or compliance framework used by UK-focused audiences.

OCPP 2.1 is a recent Open Charge Point Protocol version developed to support advanced charging features, smart charging and improved interoperability. It is normally assessed alongside interoperability, supported protocol versions, firmware support and backend compatibility.

Vehicle-to-Building allows an EV to supply energy to a building or site load through compatible bidirectional charging equipment. It is normally assessed alongside vehicle compatibility, export permissions, grid connection requirements and the supported communication standards.

Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) is an umbrella term for bidirectional EV charging use cases where energy can flow from the vehicle to another load, building, home, grid or wider energy system. It includes V2G, V2H, V2B and V2L depending on the destination of the exported energy.

Vehicle-to-Grid allows an EV to export energy back to the electricity grid or support grid services through compatible charging equipment. It is normally assessed alongside DNO requirements, import/export limits, generation, storage and wider site energy management.

Vehicle-to-Home allows an EV to supply energy to a home through compatible bidirectional charging equipment and electrical controls. It is normally assessed alongside vehicle compatibility, export permissions, grid connection requirements and the supported communication standards.

Vehicle-to-Load allows an EV to supply power directly to external loads such as tools, equipment or appliances. It is normally assessed alongside vehicle compatibility, export permissions, grid connection requirements and the supported communication standards.