November brought the regulatory breakthrough that V2G advocates have been waiting for. Germany’s Bundestag approved an amendment eliminating double taxation on bidirectional charging — removing one of the most cited barriers to vehicle-to-grid deployment in Europe’s largest EV market. Combined with the energy tax reforms we covered in September, this positions Germany as a potential leader in V2G integration from January 2026.
At the EU level, three major developments landed simultaneously. CINEA announced over €600 million in AFIF grants — the final cut-off of the 2024-2025 call — delivering 2,000 heavy-duty charging stations and 586 ultra-fast 1 MW units. The DATEX II standard for energy infrastructure was officially published, setting the technical specification for the April 2026 compliance deadline. And the MID trilogue delivered provisional agreement to modernise metering rules for EV chargers, removing several unnecessary certification burdens.
Meanwhile, the UK announced £1.5 billion in new EV support, AMPECO participated in the EU Sustainable Transport Forum where the MCS standard was confirmed for June 2026 publication, and the V2G Summit in Brussels signalled that bidirectional charging is moving from pilots into Europe’s regulated flexibility markets.
Here’s what changed in November and what it means for your operations.
Regulatory developments
DATEX II standard for energy infrastructure officially published
CEN officially published PD CEN/TS 16157-11:2025 on October 9, defining how EV charging data must be structured and exchanged across interoperable platforms in line with AFIR and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/670. This is the technical specification that gives substance to the DATEX II compliance deadline of April 14, 2026 and the German national profile published in September.
From April 14, 2026, all CPOs must provide data through a DATEX II-compliant API ensuring full transparency and cross-border accessibility. AMPECO has initiated internal development to align its platform architecture with the new specification, ensuring customer compliance ahead of the deadline.
What this means for operators:
- The published standard eliminates any remaining ambiguity about what DATEX II compliance requires — CPOs should begin implementation planning now rather than waiting for further guidance
- The April 2026 deadline is approximately five months away — operators who haven’t begun technical assessment of their data infrastructure should treat this as urgent
- CPMS platforms that can serve as the integration layer between CPOs and national access points will simplify compliance significantly
MID trilogue delivers provisional agreement on EV charger metering
The Measuring Instruments Directive trilogue on November 18 delivered a provisional political agreement to modernise MID and extend it to EV chargers, compressed-gas dispensers, and thermal energy meters — resolving the process we tracked through September’s Council and Parliament alignment.
The agreement includes several crucial improvements for the charging sector. The restrictive interpretation of “certified according to this Directive” has been revised. The 100 mA starting-current requirement is removed. Separate type-approval for replacement cables is dropped. And the blanket accuracy class B/C requirement is removed. These changes prevent unnecessary certification burdens and keep MID focused on true metering functions rather than imposing disproportionate requirements on charging infrastructure.
Next steps are procedural: IMCO votes on December 3, followed by Parliament plenary and Council endorsement. No further renegotiation is expected.
What this means for operators:
- The removal of the starting-current requirement and replacement cable type-approval eliminates two significant compliance cost drivers — operators should factor these improvements into future hardware procurement decisions
- The revised “certified according to this Directive” interpretation provides clearer boundaries for when MID certification applies to charging equipment
- Final text adoption is expected before end of 2025 — operators should prepare for the new framework to take effect in 2026-2027
Germany eliminates V2G double taxation effective January 2026
The Bundestag approved an amendment to the Energy Industry Act eliminating grid charges and electricity tax on energy drawn from the grid, stored in EV batteries, and fed back to the same grid. Until now, EVs were treated as vehicles rather than storage, so V2G energy was taxed twice — once when purchased and again when fed back. This made vehicle-to-grid applications economically unviable.
The change aligns EVs with stationary storage for tax purposes. Combined with the upcoming MiSpeL “flat-rate” option from the Federal Network Agency, households will be able to feed stored electricity into the grid without a second meter and with minimal metering requirements. Grid operators need 9-12 months to update IT systems and smart meters remain mandatory, but once implemented, the regulatory barriers for V2G in Germany drop substantially.
The law is expected to come into force on January 1, 2026.
What this means for operators:
- This is the most consequential V2G regulatory development in Europe to date — operators planning bidirectional charging services in Germany now have a viable economic framework for the first time
- The 9-12 month IT update timeline for grid operators means practical V2G deployment at scale won’t happen until late 2026 or early 2027, even with the January 2026 legal effective date
- Combined with the September energy tax reforms eliminating supplier reclassification risk, Germany has removed the two primary regulatory barriers to V2G — operators should begin developing grid service offerings and DSO partnerships now
- Other EU Member States are likely to watch Germany’s V2G rollout closely — early operational experience will inform policy development across the continent
Germany revises company car home-charging tax guidelines for 2026
From January 1, 2026, the BMF letter revises how employers can tax-exemptly reimburse electricity costs when employees charge company EVs at home. The former monthly flat-rate allowances (such as €70/month for EVs) expire at end of 2025, replaced by two tax-free reimbursement routes.
Under the actual cost method, the employee’s consumption must be measured via a separate meter and the employer reimburses the documented cost. Under the flat-rate electricity price method, reimbursement uses a flat rate based on the average household electricity price for the previous year’s 5,000-15,000 kWh consumption class. Employers must apply the chosen method consistently for the full calendar year and cannot switch mid-year. Home-charging setups must be capable of accurately metering kWh and delivering documentation — without measurement, tax-free reimbursement is not permitted.
What this means for operators:
- The metering requirement creates demand for wallbox-level energy measurement capabilities — CPMS providers and hardware manufacturers should ensure their residential charging solutions can deliver audit-ready consumption documentation
- For organisations operating across borders or advising corporate fleets, this German model signals increasing regulatory scrutiny on home-charging cost reimbursement — analogous regimes are likely to emerge in other jurisdictions, as we saw with Belgium’s review in July
Germany assesses the pass-through model for public charging
Germany is assessing a pass-through model (Durchleitungsmodell) that would allow drivers or fleet operators to use their own electricity supply contracts at public charging stations. The CPO would charge only an infrastructure access fee rather than acting as an energy supplier, while the user’s electricity provider bills for consumed energy.
Opinions are polarised. Proponents argue the model could enhance price transparency, introduce genuine competition among CPOs, and enable dynamic tariffs tied to wholesale electricity markets. Critics caution it would complicate metering and billing, disrupt the established AFIR-compliant roaming framework, and deliver limited consumer benefit. This builds directly on the HDV pass-through tender debate we covered in September — the German government is now considering extending the concept beyond heavy-duty to all public charging.
Czech flexibility market expansion signals V2G opportunity
Czech community energy has been live since August 1, 2024, with the Electroenergetic Data Centre enabling electricity sharing between active customers, apartment buildings, and energy communities through 15-minute metering data processing and shared volume calculations.
The real leap comes with the full EDC phase planned for the second half of 2026. Under the LEX OZE III amendment to the Energy Act, the platform will extend beyond sharing to support storage, aggregation, and flexibility services. Aggregated batteries, EVs, heat pumps, and other flexible assets will be able to appear as coordinated virtual power plants, with EDC providing the underlying data flows. EDC prioritises interoperability in line with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1162, meaning future Czech flexibility services will operate on standardised, machine-readable data interfaces rather than bespoke integrations.
The National Action Plan for Flexibility assigns EDC data management responsibilities and signals that if market incentives alone don’t deliver sufficient non-fossil flexibility by the late 2020s, the Ministry should prepare a dedicated support scheme.
What this means for operators:
- The Czech market is building V2G-ready infrastructure at the data layer — operators planning flexibility services should monitor EDC’s full phase launch in H2 2026
- The interoperability-first approach means operators can build once to a standardised interface rather than developing bilateral integrations with individual DSOs
- Public support for flexibility is explicitly on the table if market incentives prove insufficient — a potential funding pathway for early V2G deployments
Funding and incentive updates
EU awards over €600 million for alternative-fuel infrastructure
On November 17, CINEA announced over €600 million in grants for 70 projects — the final cut-off under the 2024-2025 AFIF call. The selected projects will deliver over 1,000 fast-charging points, 2,000 heavy-duty vehicle charging stations, and 586 ultra-fast units at 1 MW. Since 2021, AFIF has allocated more than €2.5 billion to alternative-fuel infrastructure.
The awarded portfolio reveals clear deployment priorities. HDV corridors dominate, with operators across Germany, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Spain, Sweden, and Finland deploying MCS pools and 350 kW+ sites. Port decarbonisation is a major driver, with Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp-Bruges, Barcelona, and others implementing high-capacity on-shore power supply combined with PV generation and battery storage. Airport electrification follows the same trajectory at Cologne/Bonn, Vienna, Milan, Helsinki, Rome FCO, Budapest, and Warsaw.
A key announcement: the AFIF March 2026 cut-off has been cancelled. The EU Commission will announce a new mechanism soon.
What this means for operators:
- The cancellation of the March 2026 AFIF cut-off changes the funding timeline — operators who were preparing applications should monitor the Commission’s announcement of the replacement mechanism closely
- The portfolio’s heavy HDV and MCS weighting confirms that EU funding priorities are shifting decisively toward high-power and heavy-duty infrastructure
- Port and airport electrification are now firmly integrated into the alternative fuels funding strategy — operators with capabilities in these segments have a growing opportunity set
- With €2.5 billion allocated since 2021, AFIF has established itself as Europe’s dominant infrastructure funding instrument — the replacement mechanism will be closely watched
United Kingdom announces £1.5 billion EV package
The UK Government announced a major EV package centred on charging infrastructure and affordability. The Budget includes an extra £1.3 billion for the Electric Car Grant, extending the scheme by a year, and £200 million to accelerate public chargepoint rollout. A substantial share is earmarked for local authorities to strengthen on-street and neighbourhood charging, particularly for households without driveways.
The Government will also consult on Permitted Development Rights to make residential charging easier and cheaper, building on the planning reform from May. A review of public charging costs, reporting by autumn next year, will examine energy prices and the structural cost pressures that have pushed tariffs upward. The package does not yet address business rates or VAT, but signals political recognition of the cost problems affecting operators.
Australia NSW fleet electrification funding
NSW is preparing to open the next Kick-start funding allocation under the Electric Vehicle Fleets Incentive programme, targeting small and mid-size operators piloting their first EVs and installing initial charging infrastructure. Eligible applicants include ABN holders with at least three vehicles, taxi operators with one licensed taxi, and individual truck operators with one registered truck, with support for 1-15 BEVs per application plus smart charging infrastructure. Updated guidelines will be published when the allocation opens.
AMPECO leadership and advocacy
EU Sustainable Transport Forum confirms MCS timeline and HDV charging urgency
AMPECO’s Petar Georgiev participated as a subject-matter expert in the Sustainable Transport Forum in Brussels on November 21, where the Commission outlined several decisive developments.
The MCS standard is expected to be formally published on June 1, 2026, and operators should plan for a CCS/MCS coexistence transition period. Labelling, data exchange, interoperability, and mixed-standard site costs were emphasised as immediate implementation realities rather than long-term hypotheticals.
The HDV charging discussion underscored urgency: Europe has approximately 20,000 electric HDVs and fewer than 300 public stations exclusively for heavy-duty vehicles. By 2030, projections point to widespread demand for public charging above 350 kW and an essential layer of 700 kW+ infrastructure for long-haul routes. User requirements were framed around predictability — real-time data exchange, occupancy ratios, average hourly power delivery, simultaneous connector visibility, and interoperable booking systems for freight operations.
On AFIF, the March 2026 cut-off cancellation was confirmed, with funding accelerating beyond roads into ports, airports, and early ammonia bunkering projects. During the Forum, AMPECO advocated for wider ISO 15118-20 adoption by automotive OEMs as part of the EU type approval process, complementing the existing 2027 charging infrastructure requirements.
V2G Summit signals shift from pilots to regulated flexibility markets
The Commission used the V2G Summit in Brussels to send a clear signal: V2G is moving from pilots into the core of Europe’s future flexibility markets. Three themes dominated. Technical maturity is now treated as a baseline — ISO 15118-20 bidirectional capability is the foundation, and fragmented or proprietary solutions will not fit Europe’s 2030 flexibility architecture. V2G is being positioned as a grid service rather than a consumer feature, meaning operators must meet the same standards as established flexibility providers including accurate metering, settlement-grade telemetry, and DSO congestion-management alignment. And regulatory fragmentation remains the primary obstacle — some Member States are preparing V2G-ready flexibility rules while others lack metering standards or aggregator frameworks.
Flexible Connection Agreements position paper published
As a member of ChargeUp Europe, AMPECO supports the association’s latest policy position calling for urgent EU-level action on grid connection delays — one of the biggest barriers to e-mobility deployment. Flexible Connection Agreements enable CPOs to connect under variable, capacity-managed terms instead of waiting years for full grid reinforcements, preserving market momentum and enabling immediate utilisation of partially available grid capacity.
ChargeUp Europe urges policymakers to establish harmonised EU guidelines for FCA contract terms, ensure equal access through transparent grid-connection processes, require DSOs to publish congestion and capacity maps with interoperable digital processes, and provide funding for DSO telemetry and control systems. From AMPECO’s perspective, FCAs are bridge mechanisms that will reduce project lead times, cut capital lock-in, and accelerate Europe’s alignment with its 2030 Fit-for-55 transport targets.
Key dates and deadlines
- December 3, 2025: IMCO vote on MID provisional agreement
- January 1, 2026: Germany V2G double taxation elimination takes effect
- January 1, 2026: Germany company car home-charging tax guidelines take effect
- January 1, 2026: California 97% uptime mandate takes effect
- January 8, 2026: ISO 15118-2 compliance for newly installed public chargers
- January 29, 2026: CALeVIP FCCP extended application deadline
- April 14, 2026: DATEX II reporting deadline (CEN standard now published)
- June 1, 2026: MCS standard expected formal publication
- January 1, 2027: ISO 15118-20 compliance for new public and private chargers
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