Independent Validation Confirms ISO 15118-20 Bidirectional Charging Interoperability

DEFA, Toyota Industries Corporation, and Sweden’s national research institute RISE have achieved a significant industry milestone.
“This is an important step toward broader industry adoption and demonstrates that DEFA’s and Toyota Industries’ technologies support open standards, helping establish the foundation for large-scale interoperability,” says Martin Jonsson, CEO of DEFA Group.

In a breakthrough for the global electrification industry, independent testing conducted by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden has successfully validated bidirectional charging interoperability between a Toyota Industries platform and the charging station DEFA Power, using the international standard ISO 15118-20.

The successful validation is more than a technical milestone. It demonstrates how electric vehicles can become active participants in the energy system, helping consumers lower energy costs while supporting a more resilient and sustainable power grid. As renewable energy generation increases, interoperable bidirectional charging will play an important role in balancing supply and demand, reducing peak loads, and accelerating the transition to a low-carbon society.

Martin Jonsson, CEO of DEFA Group:
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the world’s first independent third-party validation of ISO 15118-20 bidirectional charging interoperability based on open standards on a commercially available AC charger. The successful validation demonstrates that open standards are moving from theory to reality and laying the foundation for electric vehicles to operate as Distributed Energy Resources at scale. Ultimately, this will enable EV owners to unlock additional value from their vehicles while contributing to a more flexible and sustainable energy system.”

Anna Larsson, Director Electromobility at RISE, confirms:
“The tests were completed successfully with no complications, or issues observed during the validation process. We are very proud of having established this new test platform in close collaboration with our customers. Validation of the complete chain, implementing this standard is an essential step towards interoperability.

Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) and bidirectional charging have long been recognized as key technologies for accelerating renewable energy integration, strengthening grid resilience, and reducing energy costs. However, widespread adoption depends on vehicles and charging infrastructure being able to communicate reliably regardless of manufacturer.

Unlike previous demonstrations based on proprietary solutions, this project focused on validating open standards in practice.

Hiroaki Matsuda, Senior Executive Officer of Toyota Industries:
“We have leveraged bidirectional charging technology to provide power supply functions for electrical devices inside and outside vehicles, as well as backup power supply to homes during power outages. We believe that this validation marks a significant step forward toward realizing a society in which electric vehicles function as distributed energy resources (DERs) and provide even greater value.”

As Europe accelerates electrification and grid flexibility becomes increasingly important, the findings arrive at a pivotal moment. The European Union’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) will require support for ISO 15118-20 in charging infrastructure from January 1, 2027, placing interoperability at the center of the industry’s next phase of growth.

Martin Jonsson, CEO of DEFA Group:
“We launched DEFA Power as the first AC charger with support for OCPP 2.0.1 and ISO 15118. From day one, we have championed open protocols and never compromised on the technologies that will define the future. These results validate our long-standing belief that the future of electrification will be built on open standards and interoperability.”