| Charging Type and Output | Confirm whether the product is AC charging, DC fast charging, or both. Check rated voltage, current, connector configuration, and maximum output power. | Complete technical datasheet, electrical schematic, nameplate photo, and sample test report. | The stated output, input range, connector type, and charging mode should match the purchase specification and the target market. | Marketing power may refer to a peak value rather than continuous rated output. |
| Electrical Safety | Review protection against overcurrent, overvoltage, short circuit, ground fault, leakage current, overtemperature, and emergency stop conditions. | Protection-function list, circuit diagrams, risk assessment, and laboratory test records. | All protective functions should be demonstrated on a production-equivalent sample under normal and fault conditions. | A certificate alone does not prove that every optional configuration has been tested. |
| Applicable Standards | Identify the standards relevant to the destination country and product type, including charging-system, connector, EMC, and electrical-safety requirements. | Standards compliance matrix showing the exact model, revision, test scope, and applicable clauses. | The compliance matrix should reference current or contractually accepted editions of standards such as IEC 61851 and IEC 62196 where applicable. | A general “CE” statement is not equivalent to a complete technical compliance file. |
| Certifications and Market Access | Verify whether the required conformity marks, national approvals, and grid-related approvals are valid for the intended sales region. | Certificate copies, certificate numbers, issuing-body details, scope pages, validity dates, and factory address. | The certificate holder, manufacturing site, model range, rated parameters, and intended market should correspond to the supplied product. | Certificates may cover only a base model and exclude higher-power or modified versions. |
| Communication Protocols | Check support for charger-to-backend communication, remote monitoring, firmware updates, load management, and roaming interfaces. | Protocol declaration, API documentation, integration test report, and live demonstration. | OCPP 1.6 JSON or OCPP 2.0.1 support should be verified according to the buyer’s backend requirements; claimed features must work in testing. | Protocol support may be limited to basic functions or require a proprietary software service. |
| Connector and Cable Quality | Inspect connector standard, cable cross-section, cable length, bend resistance, locking mechanism, temperature sensing, and strain relief. | Component specifications, supplier declarations, dimensional drawings, and repeated plug-in test records. | The connector and cable assembly should be rated for the declared current and environmental conditions, with no excessive heating or mechanical looseness. | Unverified substitute components can change thermal performance and certification status. |
| Ingress and Environmental Protection | Confirm enclosure protection, impact resistance, operating temperature, humidity tolerance, corrosion resistance, and outdoor installation suitability. | Environmental test reports, enclosure drawings, material declarations, and product installation manual. | The stated IP and impact ratings should apply to the complete assembled unit, not only to a separate enclosure component. | Cable entry points, display openings, and service doors are common weak points in outdoor installations. |
| Thermal Management | Evaluate natural cooling, fan cooling, or liquid cooling; verify derating behavior, fan monitoring, filter maintenance, and thermal alarms. | Thermal test curves, internal temperature records, fan or pump specifications, and fault-alarm demonstration. | The charger should maintain safe operation at the declared ambient temperature and clearly reduce output or stop when thermal limits are reached. | Nominal output may not be continuously available in hot climates or with restricted airflow. |
| Factory Quality System | Assess incoming inspection, process control, traceability, calibration, nonconforming-product handling, and final inspection procedures. | Quality-management certificate, process flow chart, inspection plans, calibration records, and anonymized nonconformance reports. | Every unit should have a traceable serial number, documented final test results, and a controlled bill of materials. | Trading companies may present third-party factory documents without controlling production quality. |
| Production Capacity | Verify assembly lines, testing equipment, staffing, monthly capacity, component availability, and ability to handle customized configurations. | Factory audit, equipment list, production records, capacity plan, and recent shipment evidence with confidential data removed. | Capacity should be supported by actual equipment and testing throughput rather than only by a stated monthly quantity. | Capacity claims may combine several facilities or depend on subcontracted assembly. |
| Factory Acceptance Testing | Define tests for insulation resistance, dielectric strength, grounding, output accuracy, communication, emergency stop, and protective shutdown. | Buyer-approved inspection checklist, automated test records, calibrated instrument list, and sample test video. | The supplier should test every finished unit or apply a documented sampling plan agreed before production. | Visual inspection cannot replace electrical safety and functional testing. |
| Reliability and Life Testing | Review accelerated aging, power cycling, connector insertion cycles, vibration, temperature cycling, and continuous-load testing. | Test plans, duration, sample quantity, failure criteria, raw data, and corrective-action records. | Test conditions should represent the intended installation environment and declared duty cycle, with failures documented transparently. | A short demonstration test does not establish long-term field reliability. |
| Software and Cybersecurity | Check user authentication, role permissions, encrypted communication, secure firmware updates, event logs, password policy, and vulnerability handling. | Cybersecurity questionnaire, network architecture, firmware-release procedure, penetration-test summary, and vulnerability-response policy. | Remote access should be controlled, software versions should be traceable, and critical events should be logged for investigation. | Connected chargers can create operational and data-security exposure if default credentials remain active. |
| Spare Parts and Service | Confirm availability of contactors, control boards, fans, screens, cables, connectors, fuses, filters, and other replaceable parts. | Spare-parts list, recommended inventory, repair manual, response-time commitment, and training plan. | Critical spare parts should have defined lead times, compatible revision numbers, and documented replacement procedures. | A low purchase price can become expensive if proprietary parts or remote service fees are required. |
| Warranty and Claims Control | Clarify warranty period, coverage, exclusions, replacement process, response time, software support, and responsibility for shipping defective units. | Signed warranty terms, service-level agreement, claims workflow, and failure-rate reporting format. | Warranty terms should cover the complete charger and clearly define remedies for repeated failures and safety-related defects. | Warranty may be invalidated by installation, climate, grid-quality, or unauthorized-maintenance exclusions. |
| Pre-Shipment Inspection | Inspect quantity, labeling, accessories, packaging, firmware version, electrical performance, appearance, and documentation before shipment. | Approved inspection standard, inspection report, serial-number list, photographs, and independent inspection option. | Shipment should be released only after all critical defects are closed and sample results meet the agreed acceptance criteria. | Testing only one sample is insufficient when models, firmware, or components vary across the order. |
