China Partners with CHAdeMO to Develop a Fast EV Charging Standard

author: Manish Kharinta   

China's fast charging standard–the Chinese GB/T–has partnered with the Japanese CHAdeMO to develop the next generation of a single fast charging standard. The standard will be compatible with the older GB/ T compatible cars. CHAdeMO is the trade name of a fast charging method for electric vehicles.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the CHAdeMO association and the China Electric Council. The agreement was signed on August 28th in Beijing, with consent from the governments of both countries. The partnership aims to co-develop a joint standard. The CHAdeMO Association aims to increase quick-charger installations worldwide and to standardize how to charge EVs.

The similarities between the two standards were an incentive for Chinese CEC to unify with CHAdeMO. The communication between the charger and the car uses CAN in both standards. The level of performance for the new standard remains undefined.

With over 18,500 chargers installed, CHAdeMO happens to be one of the most popular DC charging standards worldwide. The Chinese EV market is one of the largest in the world and is eying global expansion, once deployed, a new standard width CHAdeMO plug, which comes with backward compatibility. The new standard might be a worthy rival to the CCS combo standard.

CHAdeMO protocol is an IEC recognized fast charging standard and covers the electric vehicle market across the globe. When it was initially Defined in 2009, CHAdeMO set its specification at 500V and 125A. The standard was upgraded in 2017 which followed another update earlier this year. To meet market demand, the specifications of the upgraded standard now stand at 1,000V and 400A. This higher output offers much faster charging rates.

The Chinese CEC is an association which supervises the standardization of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This body is responsible for conducting studies, assessing new fast-charging technologies and supporting demo projects. CEC is responsible for providing an efficient electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which matches the future needs of the market. 

Not only is China one of the largest markets in the world but last year the sales of electric and hybrid vehicles in China were four times as much as that of the United States.

The entities have entered this MOU to develop ultra-fast charging technology that is safe as well as versatile. It is expected that the new standard will not be limited to Chinese and Japanese markets but might also be introduced globally in the near future. 

The MOU falls under what is called a strategic category and the Japanese government's new strategy for automobile industry, which was recently announced by the Minister of Economy The Japanese government defines this joint venture as "enhancing International harmonization in vehicle electrification policies". This Association is strongly supported by the Chinese government as well.

The Memorandum of Understanding aims to develop a standard which will enhance the development of electrified vehicles and unify the next generation of fast charging systems internationally. To achieve this, the joint development will carry out operations based on cutting-edge technologies.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.