Reviewed against official sources: August 2026

The 2023 edition revises DC EVSE requirements and brings conformity testing, electrical safety, thermal management and bidirectional power transfer into sharper focus.

What does this edition cover?

IEC 61851-23:2023 addresses EV supply equipment for conductive DC charging. Its scope covers input up to 1,000 V AC or 1,500 V DC and output up to 1,500 V DC. It replaces the 2014 edition.

The focus is not merely rated power: electrical safety, conformity-test methods, thermal management, multi-output equipment, and the communication-and-energy-transfer process are all part of an assessable station architecture.

Design implications for DC chargers

Bidirectional power transfer is specified in this document for system A. V2X capability should therefore not be assumed for every connector or market from a product claim alone; vehicle, communications, grid and test readiness each require separate verification.

  • Include safety and conformity tests in the validation plan from the prototype stage.
  • Validate the cable, connector, power-module and ventilation thermal loads in the worst operating scenario.
  • Tie bidirectional functions to a vehicle, protocol and grid compatibility matrix.

Official sources

This article is general guidance, not a substitute for the full standard, conformity testing, project-specific engineering or target-market legal requirements. It makes no IFA product certification or compliance claim.