chargebyte at ACT Expo: Stand-alone Charge Controller for Megawatt Charging in Heavy-duty Vehicles

Leipzig, 29. April 2026. chargebyte GmbH introduces the Charge Control L MCS (CCL MCS) at ACT Expo, 04-07 May 2026 in Las Vegas. The new stand-alone charge controller enables DC fast charging for electric trucks, buses and other heavy-duty commercial vehicles via the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). The ECU sits in the low-voltage path between inlet and vehicle and handles the full charging communication and safety logic, fully compliant according to ISO 15118-20, in a compact, automotive-grade controller. The CCL MCS is open for pre-order.

The CCL MCS is chargebyte's first product to implement the charging communication defined for MCS – 10BASE-T1S Ethernet in a compact, automotive-grade controller. This replaces the PLC-based approach known from CCS in the high-power segment, and provides the stable, low-latency link required at megawatt-scale charging power.

Heavy-duty e-mobility is held back by charging time and operating conditions. The CCL MCS addresses both. It makes OEMs and body builders MCS-ready without forcing them to implement their own ISO 15118-20 stack. With protection rating IP6K9K (ISO 20653), an industrial operating temperature range of -40°C to +85°C and a wide supply input of 9-32 V, it is built for the rough environment of trucks, construction and agricultural machinery, and buses. Dual HV interlock, HV switch control with weld detection, a full inlet controller (ID, CE, PE, lock, button), temperature monitoring on both DC paths and LED control are all integrated – no additional ECUs are required.

“With the Megawatt Charging System, charging communication moves to a new layer – away from PLC, towards Ethernet. Our brand new CCL MCS is a fully integrated, rugged controller. It makes MCS deployable today, and thus enables OEMs and body builders to stay ahead in the e-truck market.” — Martin Kranzfelder, CPO Products, chargebyte GmbH

Unlike communication ICs or evaluation boards, the CCL MCS is a complete, rugged ECU built around two NXP S32K146 processors, with CAN-FD and CAN interfaces (500 kbit/s vehicle CAN), native support for Isabellenhütte current shunts (IVT-S, IVT-3), and firmware update via UDS. Its rugged Cinch housing (153 × 146 × 56 mm, 400 g) and the per-unit end-of-line test make it ready for direct integration. Customer-specific variants are available on request; first samples of the CCL MCS are open for pre-order now.