End-to-end testing of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is important to contribute to a flawless charging experience for EV drivers with interoperability as key element. DEKRA is proud to be one of the first two test houses officially ap-pointed by CharIN as a recognized test laboratory. As a result, DEKRA can per-form the Combined Charging System (CCS) Basic conformance tests and issue the CCS Basic certificate for charging stations, helping to improve interoperability in the field and significantly enhance the charging experience for users.
To achieve the recognition, DEKRA showed its expertise in the field of test exe-cution and result analysis according to the CharIN Quality Assurance Process (QAP). A Peer Assessment Committee consisting of experts from CharIN mem-ber companies confirmed that DEKRA had the required technical capabilities, test equipment and quality control process to produce repeatable and consistent test results.
“We are excited to be recognized by CharIN and to be able to offer the CharIN CCS Basic certification to the EV industry. It helps us to further position DEKRA as a global leader for e-mobility testing and certification”, commented Beat Kreu-ter, Vice President, Business Line Safety Testing, Service Division Product Test-ing at DEKRA.
“The CCS recognition is a major milestone in expanding our range of EV charg-ing station and infrastructure testing services and sets DEKRA apart as one of the leading global players in this field. DEKRA is committed to contribute to a safe, secure and sustainable world of which e-mobility is a cornerstone” “We appreciate the great cooperation with CharIN and its members, which has been excellent over the last years”, said Fernando E. Hardasmal, Head of Service Di-vision Product Testing and Executive Vice President at DEKRA.
As of today (DC) charging station manufacturers can apply for a CharIN CCS Basic certificate, which will be issued after successful testing by a CharIN recog-nized test laboratory, such as DEKRA. The CharIN initiative is aimed at establish-ing the CCS as the global standard to enable interoperable charging as an im-portant component in the ecosystem. This is supported by many European, North American and Asian car makers. The Charging Interface Initiative e.V. (CharIN e.V.) is a registered association with over 200 members along the whole value chain from all over the world.
End-to-end testing of EV charging infrastructure, including testing the secure communication between the EV, the charging station and the back office, is one of DEKRA’s unique capabilities. DEKRA can provide testing for the EV as well as the charging station including the “back office”, which includes the grid operator and energy distributor as well as the mobility service operator, that manages charging cards, and the Charging Point Operator (CPO). The testing service port-folio includes interoperability, conformance, safety, wireless, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and cybersecurity.
Through the CharIN recognition DEKRA´s state-of-the-art laboratory, located in Arnhem, the Netherlands, is the most complete EV charging stations test lab in the world supporting all major Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) stand-ards such as CharIN (CCS), EV READY, CHAdeMO, OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) and ISO 15118 up to 360 kW charging power. Further DEKRA locations in APAC and North America will follow this path and add more services to their EV charging stating testing and certification portfolio.