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Industry: Smart EV Charging Solutions Manufacturing (Home Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles)
Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands
Customer Needs: Compliant multi-lingual user manual (PDF and HTML) for a home EV charging station, regulatory framework analysis (EN 61851-1, Low Voltage Directive, Radio Equipment Directive), and single-source content management via MadCap Flare for ongoing updates and translations.
When WeDriveSolar, a Dutch manufacturer of smart EV charging solutions, was preparing to launch its new home charging station, the documentation brief looked manageable on paper: produce a user manual that met all applicable regulatory requirements, covered multiple languages, and fitted inside the product packaging.
In practice, it was anything but simple.
The product needed to reach the market within a fixed window tied to a first production run. The packaging dictated a specific form factor: an A5 booklet with limited physical thickness. All required language versions had to be contained within that single booklet. And because the charging station fell under a specific set of electrotechnical standards rather than the Machinery Directive, getting the regulatory framework right from the outset was critical. A misstep at this stage could mean non-compliant documentation, a delayed CE marking process, or a failed market introduction.
WeDriveSolar contacted INSTRKTIV to handle the complete documentation process: regulatory analysis, technical writing, custom illustration, and output in both PDF and HTML format.
Determining the Correct Regulatory Framework
The first task was establishing which standards and directives actually applied to the product. Based on initial product information, there was a working assumption that the EU Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) might be relevant. After reviewing the product with the client, INSTRKTIV concluded that the Machinery Directive did not apply.
The primary standard governing the product was EN 61851-1 (based on IEC 61851-1), "Electric Vehicle Conductive Charging System," which defines general requirements for conductive EV charging equipment. The applicable EU legislative framework included the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU, covering the electrical safety of the device, and the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU, which applies to the wireless connectivity components — including the Bluetooth module used to communicate with the smart meter dongle.
Getting this analysis right at the outset is not a formality. Identifying the wrong directive leads to missing essential requirements in the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity. For WeDriveSolar, with a production date already fixed and a supply relationship with Renault in the pipeline, there was no room for rework.
Two Formats, One Structured Source
From the beginning, INSTRKTIV's approach was to produce two distinct but fully consistent outputs from a single source, using MadCap Flare as the content management platform. This single-source approach is increasingly standard practice in regulated industries: you write and structure content once, and the system generates the required output formats.
The PDF version had to satisfy two constraints simultaneously: regulatory compliance and physical packaging limits. With multiple language versions required and space strictly limited in the product box, INSTRKTIV made deliberate structural decisions about which chapters were mandatory for compliance and which content could be reserved for the digital version. Templates were optimised and fonts adjusted to maximise information density without compromising readability or layout quality. The result was a 30 to 35 page per-language PDF that covered all required safety and installation content cleanly, meeting CE marking requirements while remaining genuinely usable in the field.
Title page and table of contents of the PDF manual
The HTML manual took a different approach. Without the physical constraints of print, it could include fuller explanations, richer navigation, and a more comprehensive treatment of every installation scenario. The HTML version, hosted at wedrivesolar.com/manuals, functions as a permanent digital resource accessible to installers and end users at any time after purchase. As Remco Fens, the WeDriveSolar contact for this project, noted: "The HTML is certainly a nice thing to navigate to. It will also help customers when they search online and find the manual, so they are effectively inside the manual."
This dual-format model reflects a broader shift in product documentation. A printed booklet satisfies the regulatory requirement to supply instructions with the product. An HTML manual extends that documentation into a living, searchable resource that supports the product throughout its entire lifecycle, not just at point of installation.
A topic from the HTML manual
Illustration Strategy: Show What Needs to Be Done
The manual serves two distinct audiences: the installer, who sets up the charging station mechanically and electrically, and the end user, who simply connects their vehicle.
For the installer, the content is technically demanding. It covers mechanical mounting of the charging post, connection to the home electrical installation, and configuration of the smart meter dongle. For the end user, the interaction is far simpler: connecting the charging cable to the vehicle and the charging station.
Rather than illustrating every paragraph, INSTRKTIV's illustrator applied a structured visual approach. Each installation stage was anchored by a main technical drawing showing the overall assembly state, with numbered steps clearly indicated within the drawing itself. Exploded views helped installers identify individual components before working with them. Supporting text was kept concise and tied directly to what the drawing already communicated.
This is a core principle of effective technical documentation: the illustration should carry the instruction. Text fills in what a drawing cannot show on its own. The reader should never need to cross-reference between an image and a separate block of text to understand what action to take.
Given the strict page constraints of the A5 booklet format, this approach was also structurally necessary. A text-heavy manual would have required significantly more pages, increased translation volumes, and created a far heavier review burden for the client.
In total, around 25 illustrations were produced across the manual, covering everything from the full installation sequence to detailed component callouts.
Illustrations clarify the text
Delivery: On Time for Market Introduction
The English-language source manual was completed on schedule, meeting the deadline for WeDriveSolar's first production run. Dutch and French translations followed. INSTRKTIV managed the MadCap Lingo translation workflow throughout the project, and resolved a technical compatibility issue in the XLIFF file exchange process that had the potential to delay the translation phase. The issue was identified, escalated, and resolved in close collaboration with the client, ensuring all language versions were correctly integrated into the CMS before output.
The final package included a compliant, multi-lingual PDF manual and a comprehensive HTML version, both generated from the same structured source in MadCap Flare.
WeDriveSolar's product subsequently went into production and was used in the company's partnership with Renault, confirming that the documentation met the standards required for a major automotive supply relationship.
What the Client Said
"We ultimately have a good document. The speed in the process was high, and ultimately you know what you're doing." — Remco Fens, WeDriveSolar
WeDriveSolar was particularly satisfied with the compact result of the PDF manual: all compliance requirements and installation steps covered in 30 to 35 pages per language, without losing layout quality or legibility.
What This Project Demonstrates
Getting documentation right for a regulated product like an EV charging station requires more than competent writing. It requires a structured process: regulatory framework analysis, structured authoring, purposeful illustration, and multi-format output with a controlled translation workflow.
Three things made this project successful:
Getting the regulatory analysis right, first. Applying the correct standards from day one avoids costly rework and prevents compliance gaps in the technical file. The determination that EN 61851-1, the Low Voltage Directive, and the Radio Equipment Directive applied, rather than the Machinery Directive, shaped the entire documentation structure.
Using a single source for multiple outputs. Producing PDF and HTML from the same MadCap Flare source meant that every update happens once and propagates to all formats. This is essential for any manufacturer with plans for product updates, norm revisions, or additional language versions over time.
Matching illustration strategy to audience and format constraints. A well-placed technical drawing and a concise exploded view inside a compact A5 format can be more effective than paragraphs of text. The goal is always that the installer can follow the instruction without confusion, not that every detail is verbally described.
For WeDriveSolar, the outcome was a market-ready product launch, supported by documentation that fulfilled its regulatory obligations and genuinely helped the people installing and using the charging station.
Ready to bring this discipline to your own documentation? Contact INSTRKTIV to find out how we can help.
