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IEC 61851-23-3:2026 completes the core standards framework for Megawatt Charging Systems

The publication of IEC 61851-23-3:2026 marks a milestone for Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS). The new international standard defines requirements for MCS charging equipment, providing a common foundation for safe, interoperable megawatt charging and supporting the transition towards deployment.

A complete standards framework for MCS

The publication of IEC 61851-23-3 completes the core set of standards needed to establish the MCS ecosystem:

  • IEC TS 63379 – defines the MCS connector, vehicle inlet and cable assembly for conductive DC charging at megawatt power levels.
  • ISO 15118-10 – defines the physical and data link layer for automotive Ethernet communication.
  • ISO 15118-20 AMD1 – defines communication and energy transfer control between the electric vehicle and charging system.
  • ISO 5474-3 – specifies requirements for electric vehicles for DC power transfer, including MCS applications.
  • IEC 61851-23-3 – specifies requirements for MCS DC electric vehicle supply equipment.
  • SAE J3271 - overall MCS system and use cases (currently published as a Technical Information Report).

Together, these standards establish the technical foundation for interoperable MCS charging, connecting the vehicle, charging equipment, connector system and communication layers into a common framework.

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Published on: 09/30/2026

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From development towards deployment

For the industry, the publication of IEC 61851-23-3 represents more than the completion of another technical document. With the core standards framework now in place, manufacturers, charging infrastructure providers, test system developers, and other stakeholders have a defined basis for developing and deploying MCS solutions.

IEC 61851-23-3 specifies EV supply equipment for MCS with supply-side voltages of up to 1,000 V AC or 1,500 V DC and an EV-side maximum voltage of 1,250 V DC. The standard also defines the requirements for energy transfer control through ISO 15118-10 and ISO 15118-20 AMD1.

This common foundation is particularly relevant for heavy-duty applications, where high charging power is needed to support commercial operations and reduce charging downtime. Standardization can help provide the technical consistency needed as MCS-capable vehicles and charging infrastructure move towards wider deployment.

Bringing the ecosystem together

The development of MCS has required collaboration across the entire charging ecosystem. CharIN and its members have contributed to this process by bringing together vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure providers, technology companies, test system developers, and other industry stakeholders around a common approach to interoperability.

CharIN's role extends beyond standardization. Through technical working groups, Testivals and interoperability activities, the association provides opportunities for industry stakeholders to validate how standards perform in real-world implementations and identify remaining challenges.

Recent CharIN testing activities have included MCS testing with heavy-duty vehicles and charging systems, providing a practical environment for industry participants to test interoperability and further develop their implementations.

The next phase: adoption, testing and interoperability

With the core MCS standards framework established, attention can increasingly turn towards industry adoption, conformance testing, certification, and interoperability validation.

These activities will be important to ensure that implementations based on the standards work consistently across different vehicles, charging equipment, and technology providers. Continued testing and collaboration will also help identify implementation gaps and support the development of reliable MCS solutions as the ecosystem scales.

The publication of IEC 61851-23-3 therefore marks both an achievement and a transition point: from defining the technical foundations of MCS towards validating, implementing and deploying them at scale.

"The publication of IEC 61851-23-3 marks a pivotal moment for the Megawatt Charging System. With the core MCS standards now in place, the industry has a common technical foundation to move confidently from development toward large-scale deployment. This milestone reflects years of international collaboration across the CharIN community and the broader standards ecosystem - and, importantly, enables us to accelerate the next phase of work: conformance testing, certification, and interoperability validation. These efforts will be essential to ensuring that MCS delivers on its promise of safe, reliable, and seamless megawatt charging for commercial vehicles around the world."
Semih Tetik, Technical Project Manager at CharIN
"For North America, completing the core MCS standards framework is an important step toward moving megawatt charging from demonstration projects to widespread commercial deployment. The next critical step is turning these standards into real-world interoperability through testing, certification, and collaboration across the entire charging ecosystem. We are excited to host our first CharIN MCS Workshop and ISO 15118-20 Controller Testival from November 17-19 in Sacramento and have engaged with the policy and regulatory community to integrate the MCS suite of standards into new and existing infrastructure funding programs.”
Erika Myers, Executive Director at CharIN North America

News Info

Published on: 09/30/2026

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Semih Tetik

Technical Project Manager

Michael Keller

CTO CharIN and CEO CharIN Academy

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