CHAdeMO 3.0 supports charging with “over 500 kW”
The CHAdeMO Association has presented the new CHAdeMO 3.0 protocol, which was jointly developed with the China Electricity Council (CEC). According to the organisation, the charging standard will enable DC charging with a capacity of “over 500 kW”.
In view of the CCS offensive – particularly in Europe – Japan and China are jointly driving forward the further development and integration of their protocols. The first result of this cooperation: CHAdeMO 3.0, a next-generation charging standard developed under the working title ChaoJi. Last year, the CEC and the CHAdeMO Association had already shown a first picture of the new charging connector and talked about the fact that the new charging standard should enable outputs of up to 900 kW.
In the current press release, the developers are somewhat more moderate: the connection is designed for “over 500 kW” and a maximum of 600 amperes, they say. The Chinese version of the new charging standard, which will work under the GB/T communication protocol, is to be released next year. Also in 2021, the first vehicles compatible with the new standard are to be launched on the market – first commercial vehicles, then all other vehicle types.
As for the connector, the CHAdeMO Association specifies that it is lighter, more compact and requires a thinner cable. This is guaranteed by a new liquid cooling system and the elimination of the locking mechanism. Another important aspect is that CHAdeMO 3.0-compliant vehicles will be compatible around the other way, meaning that they can continue to be charged with the latest generation of chargers – “CHAdeMO, GB/T and possibly CCS”, the organisation emphasises. Either by adapter or by a multi-standard charger.
For all those who are not yet familiar with DC charging standards: While in Europe, North America and some other countries the Combined Charging System (CCS) has been defined as a fast-charging standard, Japan has so far relied on CHAdeMO and China on its own GB/T standard. Tesla, on the other hand, has opted for its own variant. However, the Californians are installing an additional GB/T charging socket in the chargers especially for the Chinese market, just as the CCS charging connection is installed in Europe – at least in the Model 3 – an adapter can be ordered for Models S and X.
CHAdeMO and GB/T share more than 90 per cent of the global fast-charging market. However, they see their current dominance threatened in the long term because CCS is supported by major players. The development of a common new standard can therefore certainly be seen as a frontal attack on the CCS camp, which has organised itself in the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN). This is also reflected in the wording used by the organisation: “ChaoJi started as a bilateral project and has developed into an international cooperation forum that mobilises the expertise and market experience of the key players from Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania,” it says. And “There are signs that India will soon join the team. And governments and companies from South Korea and Southeast Asian countries have also expressed strong interest.”
The tug-of-war over standard sovereignty is in full swing. Both the CHAdeMO Association and the China Electricity Council emphasise the open approach of their project, which explicitly leaves room for suggestions from other countries. However, a few things are set: Both partners want to continue to rely on the Controller Area Network (or CAN bus), which is a standard for communication within and between vehicles and chargers and which CHAdeMO and GB/T already have in common.
With reporting by Cora Werwitzke
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