IEC megawatt charging standard could accelerate electric HGV rollout
A new international standard covering megawatt-level DC charging could help remove one of the barriers to the wider deployment of battery-electric heavy goods vehicles by establishing a common charging interface for high-power applications.
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has published IEC TS 63379:2026, covering the vehicle connector, vehicle inlet and cable assembly for megawatt DC charging. The specification is intended to provide a common technical framework for charging systems capable of handling the much higher power requirements of heavy-duty vehicles, as well as applications including buses, off-highway machinery and marine vessels.
The publication of the standard is significant because charging requirements for heavy commercial vehicles are very different from those of passenger cars. Large electric HGV batteries require substantially more energy, while operators need to replenish that energy within commercially practical timescales.
For long-distance haulage, extended charging stops can have a direct impact on vehicle utilisation, driver schedules and route planning. Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) are designed to address this challenge by delivering charging power measured in megawatts rather than the hundreds of kilowatts typically associated with conventional high-power EV charging.
Dr Frederik Zohm, executive board member for research and development at MAN Truck & Bus, said: “Megawatt charging will be a game changer for long-distance freight transport and regular coach services.”
He added that charging times could be reduced sufficiently for vehicles to operate on long-distance routes without restrictions comparable with today’s situation.
Standardising megawatt charging
Until now, much of the development of megawatt charging has involved individual manufacturers and infrastructure providers working with systems that were not necessarily interchangeable.
The IEC said existing standards for smaller battery-electric vehicles do not provide the necessary framework to recharge the much larger batteries used by heavy-duty vehicles within the time available for commercial operations. The absence of a common approach has also created the potential for compatibility problems between vehicles, chargers and charging equipment from different manufacturers.
IEC TS 63379 is intended to address the physical connection between the vehicle and charging infrastructure. It specifies standardised vehicle couplers, vehicle inlets and cable assemblies, including requirements relating to pins and contacts.
The specification covers systems with a rated operating voltage of up to 1,500V DC and a rated current of up to 3,000A. It also incorporates thermal sensing, or thermal transport and thermal sensing, reflecting the considerable heat-management requirements associated with transferring electricity at such high power levels.
CharIN, which has supported the development of the Megawatt Charging System, said the specification establishes requirements covering hardware design, safety, thermal management, temperature monitoring and mechanical and electrical robustness.
That common architecture should make it easier for vehicle manufacturers, charging hardware suppliers and infrastructure operators to develop interoperable equipment rather than relying on proprietary charging arrangements.
Why CCS is not enough for electric HGVs
The move towards MCS reflects the limitations of existing charging technology when applied to heavy-duty transport.
Amin Saidi, lead software engineer at ADVANTICS, said the new standard was necessary if heavy-duty vehicle electrification is to reach large-scale adoption.
He said the Combined Charging System (CCS), widely used for passenger cars and smaller commercial vehicles, was not designed for the higher voltage levels required by heavy-duty transport and was limited to 1,000V.
ADVANTICS has developed 1,500V power modules that can be combined to provide up to 6MW for megawatt charging applications. However, Saidi stressed that the technology alone would not deliver widespread adoption without interoperability between the vehicle, charging equipment and communications systems.
This is an important distinction. The objective of MCS is not simply to build a more powerful charger. The complete charging ecosystem needs to work together safely and reliably, including the vehicle inlet, connector, cable, power electronics, communications and thermal management.
Charging at up to 3,000 amps
The electrical capabilities specified by IEC TS 63379 demonstrate the scale of the technology.
At 1,250V and 3,000A, the theoretical power level would reach 3.75MW, although actual charging power depends on the vehicle, charger and operating conditions. The standard itself allows a rated operating voltage of up to 1,500V DC and current of up to 3,000A.
This level of power can dramatically reduce the time required to recharge an electric HGV. A German HoLa demonstration project, for example, has already operated an MCS charging point capable of delivering up to 1.2MW. Fraunhofer ISI said heavy-duty trucks could be charged for hundreds of kilometres of range in around 30 to 45 minutes under suitable conditions.
That makes megawatt charging particularly relevant to motorway charging hubs and long-distance freight corridors, where operators need to make effective use of legally required driver rest and break periods.
MAN, for example, has been testing MCS technology through the HoLa high-performance charging project in Germany. Its eTGX has demonstrated megawatt charging, while the company planned series production of MCS-equipped trucks during 2026.
Beyond trucks
Although electric HGVs are one of the most obvious applications, IEC TS 63379 has a wider potential role.
CharIN’s MCS work covers heavy-duty vehicles while also considering applications such as ferries and other marine vessels.
High-power charging is already being used for some electric ferries, but bespoke systems can mean that a vessel is effectively tied to ports using compatible equipment. A common charging interface could help reduce that fragmentation and make it easier for vessels to use a wider range of charging facilities.
The principle is similar to road transport: standardisation reduces the risk that an operator invests in an electric vehicle that can only use a limited selection of charging infrastructure.
A wider MCS framework
IEC TS 63379 is an important part of the wider MCS standards framework rather than a complete definition of every aspect of a megawatt charging installation.
In August 2026, the IEC also published IEC 61851-23-3:2026, which specifies EV supply equipment for Megawatt Charging Systems using a coupler conforming to IEC TS 63379. It covers supply-side voltages up to 1,000V AC or 1,500V DC and an EV-side maximum of 1,250V DC.
The standard also references ISO 15118-10 and ISO 15118-20 for digital communication between the charging equipment and vehicle. Requirements for bidirectional power flow remain under consideration in IEC 61851-23-3, showing that the MCS ecosystem is continuing to develop.
For fleet operators, the significance of IEC TS 63379 is therefore less about the standard itself and more about what standardisation could enable. A common charging interface gives manufacturers and infrastructure providers a shared technical foundation on which to build, potentially reducing compatibility concerns as electric HGV fleets expand.
Megawatt charging will not by itself solve every challenge facing electric long-distance transport. Grid capacity, connection times, charging-site costs, electricity supply, vehicle range and the availability of suitable public infrastructure remain important considerations.
However, the publication of IEC TS 63379 removes another piece of uncertainty around the technical interface between electric heavy vehicles and high-power charging infrastructure. As manufacturers introduce more MCS-capable HGVs and charging networks expand, a common international standard could become an important foundation for the next phase of heavy-duty vehicle electrification.
