What are the main features of CHAdeMO charging?

What is CHAdeMo charging?

The CHAdeMO standard was introduced in 2010 and stands for “CHArge de MOve”. Originating from Japan, the standard has been developed by Nissan, Mitsubishi, Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), and others. Unlike the CCS, CHAdeMO is used only for DC (direct current) charging. CHAdeMO is the main charging standard in Japan and all vehicles intended for the Japanese market come with a CHAdeMO port. CHAdeMO is also present in Europe and North America but most of the charging stations there are old and neglected as both regions have adopted different primary standards. The majority of the CHAdeMO stations in Europe are between 24kW and 50kW which is considered a “slow” station by modern standards. That’s why the recently released CCS to CHAdeMO adapter is highly discussed in the EV community. Using this adapter CHAdeMO vehicles (mainly Nissan Leaf) will be able to charge at CCS stations which is the main standard in Europe. In 2018 CHAdeMO Association announced that they were developing a next-generation ultra-fast protocol called CHAdeMO 3.0. This project stated that it would harmonize the CHAdeMO standard with the Chinese GB/T. It also promised power of up to 600 kW and plans to increase it to 900 kW.

Main features of CHAdeMo charging

CHAdeMO chargers are not the fastest but many vehicles still rely on them. Many chargers have both CCS and CHAdeMO plugs and are usually around 50 kW. These stations can be primarily found in Japan, ( main standard) Europe, and North America. 

Not so fast “fast charging”

Technically, the maximum output power of a CHAdeMO plug is 400 kW (1000V*400A). Despite that, such stations are scarce or don’t exist at all. Some of the fastest CHAdeMO stations in Europe are rated at 150 kW. Despite that, very few CHAdeMO vehicles can accept that much power. For example, the popular Nissan Leaf can take up to 80 kW (e+, 62 kWh battery). 

Regions

As of May 2023, the CHAdeMO Association stated that there are a little over 57,000 CHAdeMO stations installed. 

• Europe- 31,600
• Japan- 9,600
• North America- 9,400
• Elsewhere- 7,000

Despite the large number of stations in Europe, CHAdeMO ones are increasingly rare.

Safety and reliability

There are several safety features embedded in the CHAdeMO protocol ensuring safe and reliable charging.

• Handshake- this is a communication process between the station and the vehicle that checks compatibility between the two parties. During this communication, the battery’s state of charge and the charger’s maximum capacity are also checked. 
• Real-time monitoring- While charging, the CHAdeMO constantly monitors several crucial metrics such as voltage, current, and temperature. If any of these metrics are out of the norm the charging session will be terminated.
• Physical safety features- CHAdeMO connectors and charging stations are equipped with physical safety features such as insulation and shielding to protect users from electrical shock. The connectors also have a locking mechanism that prevents the plug from being disconnected while charging is in progress.

Vehicles utilizing CHAdeMO

The list of vehicles with CHAdeMO charging ports is large and depends on the car’s intended market. Some of the most popular CHAdeMO vehicles are the following:

• Nissan Leaf
• Kia Soul EV
• Nissan env200
• Mitsubishi iMiev
• Peugeot ION
• Citroen C-Zero
• Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
• Lexus UX 300e
• Porsche Taycan
• Honda e
• Honda Fit
• Hyundai Ioniq 5
• Audi Q4 e-tron
• Peugeot e-208 and e-2008

Why is the hype around the CCS2 to CHAdeMO adapter?

For the past 10 years, CHAdeMO owners had to rely on their charging infrastructure entirely. At the very beginning of the EV transition, the CCS and CHAdeMO stations had a similar spread. With time Europe showed that it insists on standardization and CCS stations have grown in times compared to CHAdeMO ones. As the number of new CHAdeMO cars decreases, so does the number of stations. 

The most recent innovation in the CHAdeMO community is the CCS to CHAdeMO adapter. Using this adapter CHAdeMO owners will have access to two charging standards – CCS and CHAdeMO. This device gives access to thousands of well-maintained CCS charging stations, many of which are rated at over 100 kW. This would be particularly useful to owners of Nissan Leaf e+ (62 kWh) as the vehicle is capable of charging with 85 kW (or even more). The adapter will give CHAdeMO users back the confidence to travel long distances, even with smaller batteries.