# Connectors & comms — Type 2/CCS (BS EN IEC 62196) and where ISO 15118 bidirectional begins > A plain V2L socket is the car acting as a standalone AC inverter — it sits **outside** the EV-charging mode framework and the ISO 15118 communication standards. The **Type 2** connector (BS EN IEC 62196-2) is just the physical interface a V2L adapter plugs into; **BS EN IEC 61851** defines the charging Modes 1–4 and the control pilot (which V2L does not use); and **BS EN ISO 15118-20** is where true, communicating, bidirectional V2G/V2H begins — not classic V2L. Knowing where each standard starts and stops keeps the boundary honest. **Safety frame.** This is education, not an instruction to carry out work. Work connecting V2L equipment to fixed wiring is safety-critical and may be notifiable under Part P. It must be designed, installed, inspected and tested by a competent person to the current edition of BS 7671. Vehicle manufacturers generally do not sanction back-feeding fixed wiring from V2L outlets; follow manufacturer instructions. ## In short - **Type 2** (BS EN IEC 62196-2) is the AC interface a V2L adapter plugs into; **CCS Combo 2** (-3) is DC, for bidirectional V2X, not classic V2L. - The coupler is a **live, latched interface** — not an ordinary plug to be pulled live. - **BS EN IEC 61851** defines charging Modes 1–4 and the control pilot — **V2L sits outside these** (it draws power out, not in). - **BS EN ISO 15118-20** (bidirectional power transfer) is where **true V2G/V2H** begins; a plain V2L socket does **not** use ISO 15118. - Edition discipline: **62196-1:2026** is the current UK edition; **62196-2 / -3** UK readable at **:2022**, a :2026 **Not confirmed**; ISO 15118-20 UK published 30 Jun 2025; AFIR's 2026 requirement is 15118-**2**, not -20. **Where this stops:** This positions V2L against the EV-charging standards. The fixed installation that any V2L feed connects to is competent-person work to BS 7671. ## The connector is just the physical interface Almost all V2L on European-market EVs comes out of the car's **Type 2** port via an adapter (BS EN IEC 62196-2). The connector geometry and its rating bound how much backup power you can draw. Crucially, the coupler locks — it is a live, latched interface, not an ordinary domestic plug, and must not be casually unplugged under load. ## V2L is outside the charging modes BS EN IEC 61851 defines charging **Modes 1–4** and the control-pilot handshake that confirms a safe connection before charging current flows. A V2L outlet draws power **out** of the vehicle, so it is **not** a control-pilot-mediated charging session — V2L sits outside the mode framework, and load protection comes from the vehicle inverter plus your downstream arrangement, not the EVSE control scheme. **Figure: Grid-parallel vs islanded — the DNO-notification line.** Running a source in parallel with the grid engages ENA G98/G99 (DNO notification); a true islanded changeover that never connects the two together is generally treated as a load, outside G98/G99. _Two arrangements. On the left, the grid and the EV/source are connected together (in parallel) — this engages ENA Engineering Recommendations G98/G99, so the DNO must be notified. On the right, a break-before-make changeover switch connects the load to either the grid OR the EV/source, never both together (islanded) — a source that can never run in parallel or export is generally treated as a load and sits outside G98/G99. Whether a given changeover genuinely prevents parallel operation is a design-and-test matter for the competent person and the DNO. The exact G98/G99 clause locators are Not confirmed pending the official PDFs._ ## Where ISO 15118 bidirectional begins **BS EN ISO 15118-20** specifies the communication for **bidirectional power transfer** — the backbone of true V2G/V2H through a communicating bidirectional charger. A plain V2L socket has no such handshake, so do not imply V2L equals ISO 15118. V2H readiness depends on **both** the car and the charger supporting Part 20, not just the car having a V2L socket. > **AFIR date discipline** — Pair the dates carefully: the EU AFIR 2026 requirement references ISO 15118-**2** (the first generation); ISO 15118-**20** is the 2027 requirement. AFIR is EU context, not a UK domestic-installation rule. ### How this is made and proven compliant **What governs it:** BS EN IEC 62196 (connectors), BS EN IEC 61851 (charging modes/control pilot), BS EN ISO 15118-20 (bidirectional comms); BS 7671 §722 for any fixed installation the V2L feed connects to **Who may do it:** The connector/comms standards bound the vehicle-charger interface; the fixed installation a V2L feed connects to is competent-person work to BS 7671. **How compliance is demonstrated:** Use a V2L adapter rated for the vehicle's Type 2 output; Treat the coupler as a live, latched interface — never unplug under load; Any fixed-wiring connection verified to BS 7671 §722 by a competent person ## FAQ ### Is my V2L socket the same as V2G? No. A V2L socket is the car as a standalone AC inverter, with no grid handshake — outside ISO 15118. V2G is communicating, bidirectional export in parallel with the grid, which uses ISO 15118-20 and is DNO-notifiable. ### Why can't I unplug the V2L adapter while it's running? The Type 2 coupler is a live, latched interface designed not to be disconnected under load. Treat it like live equipment, not a domestic plug. ### Which 62196 edition is current in the UK? Part 1 is now BS EN IEC 62196-1:2026 (the current UK edition, BSI-verified 28 Feb 2026). Parts 2 and 3 readable UK remain at :2022; we do not cite a -2:2026 or -3:2026 UK edition until current BSI product pages confirm them. --- _Author: Martin — qualified UK electrician (BEng Mech Eng; vehicle mechanic)._ _Last reviewed: 15 June 2026. Written against: BS 7671:2018 + A4:2026._ _Status: published. General information, not project-specific design advice._ _[How we source this](/methodology) — evidence hierarchy, confidence flags and source policy._ ## Sources 1. BS EN IEC 62196 series (connectors) — BSI — https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/plugs-socket-outlets-vehicle-connectors-and-vehicle-inlets-conductive-charging-of-electric-vehicles-general-requirements-6 (cited by reference only; Part 1 current UK :2026; Parts 2/3 UK :2022 with :2026 adoption not confirmed) 2. BS EN ISO 15118-20:2022 (bidirectional comms) — BSI — https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/road-vehicles-vehicle-to-grid-communication-interface-2nd-generation-network-layer-and-application-layer-requirements