Can CHAdeMO 3.0 standardize global EV quick-charging?

On April 24, the CHAdeMO Association released the 3.0 version of its electric-vehicle (EV) charging protocol. The technology was co-developed by the China Electricity Council as a 600-amp, 900-kW, bi-directional DC quick-charging standard that is harmonized and backward-compatible with all existing standards for the world's EVs. CHAdeMO was formed in 2010 by five major Japanese automakers and the Tokyo Electric Power Co. It has grown into a global association with more than 400 members.

The project to create an updated quick-charger standard was dubbed ChaoJi - the moniker that would also be used for a new harmonized global DC standard. The project commenced in early 2018 when representatives from China, home to the world's largest EV market, proposed that CHAdeMO help make improvements to China's GB/T standard. The Chinese National Committee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) are designated as Guobiao or “GB/T standards.”