IEC 61980-1-2020 PDF

Full title and description

St IEC 61980-1-2020 — Electric vehicle wireless power transfer (WPT) systems — Part 1: General requirements. This document specifies general requirements for supply devices used to charge electric road vehicles by wireless power transfer at standard supply voltages (per IEC 60038) up to 1 000 V AC and up to 1 500 V DC, covering electrical safety, communication, performance and EMC aspects applicable to the supply side of WPT systems.

Abstract

IEC 61980-1:2020 is the second edition of the Part 1 standard for wireless power transfer systems for electric road vehicles. It defines requirements and tests for supply devices that provide wireless charging to battery-powered and plug-in hybrid road vehicles, including characteristics and operating conditions, required levels of electrical safety, communication and control between supply and vehicle, efficiency and alignment considerations, and specific EMC requirements for the supply equipment. The edition reorganizes and generalizes requirements to be technology‑agnostic and delegates technology‑specific rules to other parts of the IEC 61980 series.

General information

• Status: Published / Current (active edition)
• Publication date: 19 November 2020
• Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
• ICS / categories: 43.120 (Electric road vehicles) — Electromagnetic compatibility / Safety
• Edition / version: Edition 2.0 (2020)
• Number of pages: 88

Scope

Applies to supply devices for charging electric road vehicles (including plug-in hybrid vehicles) by wireless power transfer at standard supply voltages per IEC 60038 up to 1 000 V AC and up to 1 500 V DC. It covers WPT equipment supplied from the grid or on-site storage (e.g., buffer batteries). The document addresses supply‑side requirements only; it does not cover maintenance safety aspects, WPT systems for trolley buses, rail vehicles or primarily off‑road vehicles, nor safety or EMC requirements for the vehicle side. Technology‑specific requirements (for example for MF‑WPT) are covered in other parts of the IEC 61980 series.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of supply device characteristics and operating conditions for WPT charging.
• Electrical safety requirements and tests for supply-side equipment (protective measures, insulation, fault responses).
• Communication and control requirements between the EV device (vehicle side) and the supply device to enable safe and controlled WPT.
• Performance requirements including efficiency, alignment, power transfer levels and control during charging.
• Specific electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements and limits for the supply device.
• Requirements for interoperability and avoidance of duplication with technology‑specific parts (delegation of MF/other technology details to IEC 61980-2/3).
• Exclusions and boundaries: maintenance safety, non-road and rail vehicle applications, and vehicle‑side requirements.

Typical use and users

Used by manufacturers of WPT supply equipment, EV manufacturers and vehicle‑system integrators, charging infrastructure developers, test laboratories and conformity assessment bodies, regulatory authorities and standards committees. It is referenced by design, safety and EMC engineers when developing, testing and certifying wireless EV charging stations and related supply devices.

Related standards

Part of the IEC 61980 series; closely related documents include IEC 61980-2 and IEC 61980-3 (technology‑specific parts), IEC 61851-1 (conductive charging / related terms and definitions historically referenced), IEC 60038 (standard supply voltages), standards covering EMC (IEC 61000 series) and EV charging communication standards such as ISO 15118 for higher‑level charging communication (where interoperability is required).

Keywords

wireless power transfer, WPT, electric vehicle charging, inductive charging, supply device, EVSE, alignment, efficiency, communication, electrical safety, EMC, IEC 61980 series

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC 61980-1:2020 is the Part 1, general requirements standard for wireless power transfer systems used to charge electric road vehicles. It defines supply‑side requirements for safe, interoperable and EMC‑compliant WPT equipment.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers characteristics and operating conditions of the supply device, electrical safety requirements and tests, communication and control between supply and vehicle, efficiency and alignment considerations, and EMC requirements for the supply-side equipment. It excludes vehicle-side safety/EMC requirements and maintenance safety aspects.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: WPT equipment manufacturers, EV and component designers, test labs, certification bodies, infrastructure operators and regulators use the standard to design, test and certify wireless charging supply devices.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: This is the current second edition published on 19 November 2020; it cancels and replaces the first edition (2015). The document is the active Part 1 edition as of its 2020 publication.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — IEC 61980 is a multi‑part series addressing WPT for electric vehicles. Part 1 gives general requirements; subsequent parts (for example IEC 61980-2 and IEC 61980-3) contain technology‑specific requirements.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Wireless power transfer, WPT, EV charging, inductive charging, supply device, electrical safety, EMC, alignment, efficiency, IEC 61980.