EVs from Asian manufacturers could feature a new ultra-rapid charging standard, after the Japanese-based CHAdeMO Association has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the China Electricity Council (CEC) – which runs the GB/T standard – today (Tuesday 28th August).
The ultra-rapid standard will be developed by both parties for DC EV charging, with the current specifications for CHAdeMO points currently up to 400 kW – though not currently found in the UK. CHAdeMO connectors are found on the likes of the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – the two best-selling plug-in cars in the UK.
It has already been announced that the new standard will be backwards compatable with existing CHAdeMO cars, meaning those already on the road in the UK will be able to charge from the yet-to-be-developed system, though at the 50 kW limits found on current models.
CHAdeMO recently announced that it will roll out specifications capable of charging at up to 400 kW. It is not known what power the new standard will be able to deal with, though we can expect significantly more than existing limits.
There are a large number of charge points with CHAdeMO connectors around the world, and China is by far the largest EV market globally. As such, the news could have a significant impact on future EV development, as an option between CHAdeMO and CCS in Europe looks set to continue.
Due to the initial success of the Nissan Leaf, and the work carried out by Nissan and charging partners to provide a rapid charging network for its cars, CHAdeMO is still a standard with a lot of backing. However, a number of manufacturers have decided to opt for the Type 2-based CCS charging standard, which is prevalent in Europe, in recent launches.
CCS will allow for ultra-rapid charging on networks such as Ionity, with speeds of up to 350 kW already available should the vehicle be able to cope with such power. Even some Asian-based manufacturers – such as Hyundai and Kia – use Type 2 CCS in the UK and Europe, while Toyota’s PHEVs also use Type 2.
We are yet to see what the likes of Toyota and Honda will use for rapid charging in Europe, but will find out as pure-EVs are developed. Potentially, a mix of Type 2 AC and CHAdeMO DC charging will be available, as with the latest Nissan Leaf, though this does defeat some of the point of CCS, which allows for a smaller and more neatly packaged on-board charger and inlets.
There have been no announcements yet of an ultra-rapid CHAdeMO network to rival the CCS-based Ionity, with the latter backed by a number of manufacturers. As such, an ultra-rapid CHAdeMO network will either need to play catch-up, or rely on integration with charge point manufacturers.
