Electrical Engineering Standards: Essential November 2025 Updates (Part 2)

November 2025 saw the release of several crucial standards in electrical engineering, directly impacting industries from electric vehicle infrastructure to high-voltage transmission. This article covers five newly published standards, offering in-depth analysis, implementation tips, and direct access links. Part two of our four-part series provides technical professionals with the information they need to ensure compliance, optimize design and operation, and advance safety across diverse electrical engineering fields.

Overview

Electrical engineering is ever-evolving, with international standards providing the backbone for safety, quality, and interoperability. Whether it's powering our homes, supporting industrial automation, or enabling green technologies, standardization is key to reliable and secure electrical systems.

This November 2025 update features standards spanning electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, management of distributed energy storage, portable secondary battery safety, and high-voltage insulator selection. Each standard responds to modern challenges—battery-powered mobility, grid flexibility, environmental risks, and evolving global safety expectations.

What you'll learn:

• Technical scopes, new requirements, and the implications of these five standards
• Who must comply and why it matters for your organization
• Sector-specific best practices for adopting these standards
• How to access official standards documentation

Detailed Standards Coverage

IEC 62196-2:2025 – Dimensional Compatibility for AC EV Charging Connectors

Plugs, socket-outlets, vehicle connectors and vehicle inlets – Conductive charging of electric vehicles – Part 2: Dimensional compatibility requirements for AC pin and contact-tube accessories

The fourth edition of IEC 62196-2:2025 defines critical dimensional requirements for AC EV charging accessories—plugs, socket-outlets, vehicle connectors, and inlets. It ensures interoperability and safe operation at up to 480 V AC and currents up to 63 A three-phase or 70 A single-phase.

Key changes: New tests for latching devices boost safety, alongside corrections to standard sheets, reflecting evolving industry needs for secure, reliable connections.

Scope:

• Standardizes pin and contact-tube dimensions for all AC connectors and inlets in EV charging
• Covers accessory classification, earthing, protective measures, marking, and mechanical endurance
• Applies to OEMs, EV charging infrastructure providers, component manufacturers, and installers

Practical implications:

• Facilitates international compatibility of EV charging stations
• Elevates user safety, especially during high power transfers
• Reduces risk of failed connections, misalignment, or unsafe operation

Key highlights:

• Expanded and refined latching device test requirements
• Clear dimensional standard sheets for all four major configurations
• Up-to-date performance, insulation, temperature rise, EMC, and environmental resistance provisions

Access the full standard:View IEC 62196-2:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC 63382-1:2025 – Management of Distributed Energy Storage with EV Batteries

Management of distributed energy storage systems based on electrically chargeable vehicle batteries – Part 1: Use cases and architectures

This inaugural standard, IEC 63382-1:2025, addresses the fast-growing field of distributed energy storage comprised of EV batteries (ECV-DESS) aggregated for grid flexibility. It specifies technical architectures, operational requirements, and information exchange between stakeholders: vehicle owners, aggregation operators (FOs), grid operators, and charging station owners.

Scope:

• Governs integration and management of distributed EV batteries providing services to the grid
• Covers interface requirements, data exchange for flexibility services, credentials verification, and event logging
• Incorporates use cases for smart charging (V1G), vehicle-to-grid (V2G), vehicle-to-home (V2H), and congestion management via dynamic setpoints, droop control, and demand response

Target organizations:

• Charging station operators, aggregator services, grid operators, EV fleet managers, utilities, and smart grid solution providers

Practical implications:

• Streamlines the support of ancillary services (e.g., reserve markets, fast frequency response)
• Harmonizes the handling of credentials, cyber-security, and privacy (including GDPR compliance)
• Lays the groundwork for business models linking EV assets to energy markets

Key highlights:

• Comprehensive use cases for grid flexibility via EV battery aggregation
• Defined interface for Flexibility Operators (FO) and Charging Station/Service Providers
• explicit cybersecurity and privacy mandates for data and operational integrity

Access the full standard:View IEC 63382-1:2025 on iTeh Standards

FprEN IEC 62133-1:2025 – Safety of Portable Nickel-Based Secondary Cells and Batteries

Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes – Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary cells, and for batteries made from them, for use in portable applications – Part 1: Nickel systems

The new edition, FprEN IEC 62133-1:2025, updates the foundational safety standard for nickel-based portable batteries, covering single and multi-cell assemblies for laptops, tools, medical devices, and more.

Scope:

• Specifies safety requirements and tests for sealed nickel cells/batteries in portable devices
• Addresses intended use and foreseeable misuse—including vibration, free-fall, short circuit, overcharge, and thermal abuse
• Defines general safety measures (insulation, venting), marking, and information obligations

Industries affected:

• Battery manufacturers, OEMs for portable devices, consumer electronics, medical device manufacturers, and equipment assemblers

Implementation:

• Direct impact on certification requirements for battery and device manufacturers
• Enhances labeling and end-user safety
• Adopts new guidance for button cells and EMC

Key highlights:

• Comprehensive test procedures for assembly and products
• Enhanced markings for traceability and safety communication
• Robust requirements for both routine use and accidental misuse

Access the full standard:View FprEN IEC 62133-1:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC TS 60815-1:2025 – Insulator Selection for Use in Polluted Environments

Selection and dimensioning of high-voltage insulators intended for use in polluted conditions – Part 1: Definitions, information and general principles

Insulators on high-voltage systems face unique environmental stresses when exposed to pollution. IEC TS 60815-1:2025 guides the systematic selection and dimensioning of external insulation in outdoor high-voltage applications, supporting both AC and (with reference to IEC TS 60815-4) DC systems.

Scope:

• Introduces definitions, site pollution assessment methods, and dimensioning principles
• Applies to ceramic, glass, and polymer insulators—including those forming part of other apparatus
• Details unified specific creepage distance (USCD), pollution severity classes, and site-specific correction factors

Industry application:

• Power utilities, transmission/distribution grid operators, OEMs for transformers and switchgear, plant designers, and maintenance teams

Practical implications:

• Risk reduction for pollution-induced flashovers
• Site-adapted dimensioning ensures reliability under different environmental classes (including new “extremely heavy” pollution class f)
• Updated measurement procedures and clearer terminology improve selection outcomes

Key highlights:

• Expanded pollution severity classification and measurement methodology
• Guidance for alternate material selections (HTM/non-HTM and hybrid)
• Procedures for data-driven, site-specific dimensioning

Access the full standard:View IEC TS 60815-1:2025 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

Implementing the November 2025 standards is critical for organizations across the electrical engineering spectrum. Compliance ensures:

• Interoperable, internationally compatible systems — essential for EV charging and distributed storage
• Safety and reliability in challenging environments, from urban energy storage to rural transmission grids
• Legal conformity and reduced liability through adherence to global safety frameworks (especially in consumer and industrial battery applications)
• Enhanced market access, as many regions demand compliance for product acceptance or network interconnection

Compliance timelines:

• Organizations should audit current processes and product lines for alignment with the new requirements
• Certification bodies will begin referencing these versions in conformity assessments, so early adoption minimizes business risk

Benefits:

• Reduced failure rates and downtime from more robust components
• Fewer safety incidents and lower insurance costs
• Access to new business opportunities in evolving markets (e.g., ancillary energy services, global supply chains, or emerging EV sectors)

Risks of non-compliance:

• Product recalls, regulatory penalties, denied market entry
• Increased safety hazards and reputational damage

Technical Insights

There are several recurring technical requirements across these standards:

• Dimension and Compatibility: Strict adherence to standardized dimensions, interface types, and mechanical tolerances (e.g., EV connectors, insulators)
• Safety Testing: Robust sequences for thermal, mechanical, electrical, and abuse testing of both components and final assemblies (e.g., batteries, connectors)
• Data Security: Encryption, authentication, and access management in distributed systems—especially for smart grids and aggregated storage
• Environmental Considerations: Site assessments for pollution, humidity, thermal cycling, and mechanical resilience
• Labeling and Information: Clear, standardized markings and documentation to inform installers, operators, and end users

Implementation best practices:

1. Engage cross-functional teams (engineering, quality, compliance) early in the adoption process
2. Use manufacturer-supplied test data and third-party verification for critical safety and compatibility parameters
3. Educate service teams and end-users on new features, such as safety markings or advanced connector mechanisms
4. Document all design and process changes for regulatory review

Testing & Certification:

• Employ accredited labs for conformity assessment
• Update product datasheets, operating manuals, and training materials to reflect new requirements

Conclusion & Next Steps

The November 2025 electrical engineering standards represent a major evolution in how key technologies are designed, tested, and deployed—especially where safety, interoperability, and grid flexibility are concerned. Organizations should prioritize:

• A full review of their products and systems against the new specifications
• Upskilling teams on technical and compliance requirements
• Early engagement with certification and testing providers

Stay ahead:

• Explore the full standards via the official iTeh Standards links included above
• Bookmark iTeh Standards for authoritative, searchable access to the latest international specifications
• Watch for parts 3 and 4 in this series for comprehensive coverage of November 2025 releases

Adopting these new standards now will help ensure your organization is ready for tomorrow’s technological, regulatory, and market demands. For detailed guidance or to access the official documentation, follow the provided links and consult with your standards and compliance professionals.