Head of Juice Test Centre Appointed Chair of Mobility Standards Committee

One of the main topics that TK69 addresses is the charging of electric vehicles with alternating and direct current. The committee plays a significant role in the development and enhancement of the international standards series IEC 61851. This series forms the basis for the charging infrastructure and regulates the energy transfer, communication between vehicle and charging station, as well as protection concepts and requirements for electrical safety. In addition to standardisation work, clarifying technical issues concerning charging infrastructure is also among the responsibilities of the committee.

Standardisation work in a highly dynamic environment

Urs von Känel takes over the chairmanship of TK 69 during a period of high dynamism and growing interconnectedness – both within the committee and in exchange with other standardisation bodies. He sees the reasons for this in the subject matter itself: “Electromobility is now one of the most active areas of national and international standardisation work at CES, Cenelec, and IEC. Topics like installation regulations, communication interfaces or energy efficiency increasingly require collaboration across traditional disciplinary boundaries.”

First-class expertise for high product safety

Von Känel has extensive experience in standardisation, testing, and certification. He is an acknowledged expert in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and product safety. For many years, he held leadership positions at Electrosuisse and at Eurofins Electrosuisse Product Testing AG, managing various testing laboratories. In late 2021, he transitioned to the electromobility sector and has since been working as Head of the Test Centre and Approvals at Juice Technology. In this role, he significantly contributes to the implementation and advancement of relevant standards. His commitment includes participation in several working groups within TK 69, such as WG 12 and JWG 20, as well as membership in other committees like WG 7 and WG 8 in SC 23E.

New application scenarios require continuous advancement

Due to technological progress, there remains a consistently high demand for standardisation in the realm of electromobility, closely aligned with the needs of various stakeholders: These include charging infrastructure operators, electricity suppliers, distribution network operators, and electricity producers, as well as property owners and electric car drivers.

A special focus is on user-centric topics such as bidirectional AC charging. This includes in particular Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) for grid-serving charging and discharging without costly DC infrastructure, as well as Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) for direct power supply to consumer devices from the vehicle battery. Such application scenarios pose new demands on communication, safety and protection concepts, which are not yet fully covered in the existing IEC standards.

Also on the standardisation agenda are innovative concepts like portable DC chargers (IEC 61851-23-4) as well as bidirectional DC charging stations. Further developments within the 61851 series aim to enable symmetrical charging without phase imbalance for single-phase charging vehicles with outputs of up to 22 kW.

Engagement for safety, interoperability, and practical relevance

The work of TK 69 thereby contributes significantly to ensuring the technical conformity and interoperability of the charging infrastructure. The chair by an industry representative strengthens the practical relevance of the standardisation work and ensures that concrete experiences from development and application are incorporated early into standardisation. This enhances the usability of the charging infrastructure in everyday life and thus strengthens the attractiveness of electromobility.

“We support the work of Urs von Känel as Chair of the Technical Committee out of conviction. For Juice, active participation in standardisation bodies is an important contribution to the continuous advancement of electromobility,” says Christoph Erni, CEO of Juice Technology AG. “When recognised professionals like Urs von Känel contribute their know-how to these bodies, it strengthens the quality and safety of the entire industry. At the same time, his expertise allows for an early and consistent alignment of our product development with existing as well as future standards. Hundreds of corporate and private customers benefit from this daily.”

Media contact

Daniela Märkl
Communication & Public Relations
Juice Technology AG
daniela.maerkl@juice.world
+41-41 510 02 19 or +49-800 3400 600

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: Juice Technology AG