Ultra-rapid charging beyond 400 kW in Europe: AFIR thresholds and what operators must manage

Charging power at public DC sites keeps rising, and AFIR attaches power thresholds to the main European corridors. For an operator, the useful questions are narrow: what does the regulation really require, what remains a design choice, and what must the site handle once several high-power chargers share one grid connection.

What AFIR sets for power

AFIR (Regulation (EU) 2023/1804) has applied since 13 April 2024. Its power thresholds are in article 3(4) and concern recharging pools, meaning one or more stations at a given location.

Core TEN-T network: pools at most 60 km apart in each direction.

By 31 December 2025: each pool offers at least 400 kW, with at least one 150 kW point.

By 31 December 2027: each pool offers at least 600 kW, with at least two 150 kW points.

Comprehensive TEN-T network: at least 300 kW with one 150 kW point on at least 50 % of the network length by the end of 2027, then on the whole network by the end of 2030. The 600 kW level follows by the end of 2035.

Two points are often mixed up. 150 kW is a per-point figure, 400 kW or 600 kW a per-pool figure. And these are deployment targets that Member States must ensure on the network, with exemptions for low-traffic sections. They are not a per-station obligation on every operator.

Beyond cars: megawatt charging

For heavy-duty vehicles, the connector standard is recent. IEC TS 63379 was published on 28 January 2026 as a technical specification, with a rated voltage up to 1 500 V DC and a rated current up to 3 000 A. CharIN refers to 1 250 V and 3 000 A, which gives 3,75 MW by calculation, and describes some requirements as still under discussion. SAE published J3271 as an information report on 5 March 2025.

AFIR itself sets heavy-duty targets in kW per pool in article 4, and notes that standards for heavy-duty vehicles were still being developed. No official source we read gives a deployment calendar for megawatt charging in Europe, so plan for it as an option, not as a date.

Other AFIR obligations on high-power points

Power is only one part of the text. For points of 50 kW or more:

Ad hoc payment: new points since 13 April 2024 need a card reader or a contactless device. From 1 January 2027, this extends to existing points of 50 kW or more on the TEN-T network or at a secure parking area, QR code alone no longer being enough.

Price per kWh, plus any occupancy fee per minute, displayed before the session starts (article 5(4)).

Communication: Delegated Regulation 2025/656 requires at least ISO 15118-20 for public points installed or renovated from 1 January 2027, with ISO 15118-2 kept in parallel when Plug & Charge is offered.

Data: operational status and availability published as dynamic data (article 20).

What the CSMS handles on a multi-charger site

Several high-power chargers behind one connection is mostly a power-allocation problem. The CSMS is where it is solved.

Remote monitoring and control: AFIR defines a digitally-connected point as one that can be monitored and controlled remotely.

Smart recharging: current adjusted in real time from information received electronically, required on public points built after 13 April 2024.

Load management across chargers, so the sum of sessions stays within the connection capacity agreed with the network operator.

Protocol consistency: OCPP 1.6 and 2.0.1 are not compatible, and OCPP 2.1 extends 2.0.1. AFIR does not name OCPP, so the protocol is a design choice, not a legal requirement.

On the grid side, Directive 2019/944 asks Member States to facilitate the connection of charging points. In practice, the connection request can be the longest step. Start it before the hardware order.

This week

Check which of your high-power sites fall under the 1 January 2027 card-payment rule. List the ISO 15118 version each charger supports. Compare the connection capacity at each site with the sum of nameplate powers, and ask who allocates the difference. GFO Omni is a CSMS supporting OCPP 1.6, 2.0.1 and 2.1 that supervises charge points.