MENU

CLOSE

On 15 February, CHAdeMO organised the 10th edition of V2G webinar.

Speakers:
Mark Potter, CTO, 3ti - Presentation available here
Dr Josey Wardle, Innovation Lead for ZEV infrastructure, Innovate UK - Presentation available here

Video recording: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/915862505

How do we find a business case in V2G operations, helping resolve the intermittent supply issue from renewables and generating income and cost savings at the same time? A consortium of British companies has secured £1,344,552 in government funding delivered by Innovate UK to evaluate a rapidly deployable ‘smart grid in-a-box’ solution with a DC microgrid system, which is to be a 'scalable and replicable EV charging solution that will act as virtual power and energy storage facilities according to user preferences and grid demand.'

For our 10th V2G webinar, we welcomed Mark Potter from four-party V2X FastHub project, which brings together Cenex (CHAdeMO Association member), 3ti, Turbo Power Systems (TPS) and GridBeyond for a 17-month collaboration, as well as Dr Josey Wardle, Innovate UK, from the UK's V2X programme which is part-funding the project.

Mark presented the project the consortium will be trialling: 12 bi-directional charge points based on a DC smart microgrid with a 280 kWh storage battery and 20 kWp solar canopy. Their upcycled and prefabricated shipping container, which can be placed almost anywhere, will simplify installation and reduce up-front costs. The bi-directional charging part (with both CHAdeMO and CCS EV charge points) with up to ±30 kW of charge rate will be aggregated to help smooth out peaks in electricity supply and demand. Mark presented a clear comparative analysis of AC vs DC bi-directional costs to explain their choice of DC microgrid as well as a higher charge rate for the expected medium dwell-time use cases.

Josey talked about the UK's V2X Innovation Programme (2022-2025), which is starting its Phase 2 work. She covered the results from the Phase 1 R&D projects and presented the Phase 2 demonstration projects underway, which includes the V2X FastHub project. The V2X programme follows on from the UK's successful V2G programme (2018-2022), which provided much-awaited insights into V2G, employing 650 bi-directional chargers in UK homes and workplaces in total. The UK's V2X programme is part of the up to £65m Flexibility Innovation Programme, funded from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero's £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP).

90 participants from 20 countries attended the webinar. The participants found the webinar insightful, with 'real-world, concrete elements and considerations of V2X implementation,' and 'AC vs DC costs & benefits really clearly explained and useful.'

CHAdeMO Association is always on the lookout for speakers in their V2G webinar series. Please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

Demonstration of ChaoJi-2, the new-generation harmonised plug that operates on the CHAdeMO protocol (CHAdeMO 3.x), will start this autumn at Hitachi’s Omika Works.

While tests of ChaoJi-1 (using the same hardware and GB/T protocol) have been on-going for the past few years at various locations in China, including the motorway between Beijing and Shanghai, this is the first site to test the ChaoJi-2 vehicles and chargers.

The ChaoJi-2 protocol (CHAdeMO 3.0) was published in April 2020, and the ChaoJi-1 documents (together with the testing protocols) were published just last month in China as GB/T standards. The start of the ChaoJi-2 testing marks a new phase in the development of ChaoJi for the market.

During this testing period, the Association and its members aim to correct protocol ambiguities, demonstrate V2X functionality and validate backward compatibility with existing standards. CHAdeMO 3.1-compliant 200-350kW testing equipment is installed, starting with a charging voltage of 450V, it will be eventually increased to 850V in the 2nd phase. Companies who wish to test ChaoJi-2 vehicles/chargers are invited to contact the testing centre; see more information on the slides posted on the CHAdeMO website.

Over the summer, CHAdeMO Association and the Bharat Charge Alliance (BCA) agreed to partner in their effort to implement global two- and three-wheeler charging standards in India based on international/Indian two-wheeler standards. 

The two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for CHAdeMO Association to disclose its electric two- and three-wheeler charging protocol to the BCA, which in return is to promote the CHAdeMO electric two- and three-wheeler protocol (based on IEC 61851-25) in the Indian market. 

The BCA, founded in India, is a group of companies that develops two-wheeler and three-wheeler light electric vehicles (LEVs), and promote their development and implementation in society. As their name indicates, they emphasise the importance of building a better charging environment for LEVs and aims to set up a safe, robust and consumer-friendly charging infrastructure.

While battery swapping is starting to gain popularity for electric two-wheelers in India and the ASEAN markets, the BCA wishes to develop DC charging systems using an international and Indian standards (IEC 61851-25/IS 17017-25 and IEC 62196-6/IS 17017-2-6), and approached CHAdeMO for collaboration. 

Interested in presenting your research, either oral or by poster presentations, in the field of international experts?

Then, it is definitely a good idea to submit your abstract to EVS37, which take place in Seoul next April (23rd to 26th of April 2024). EVS, or the International Electric Vehicle Symposium (and Exhibition), already the 37th edition since its inception in 1969, is a prestigious conference that 'has grown to become the largest and most prominent global event in the electric vehicle industry, showcasing current and emerging technologies both in the market and under development.'

CHAdeMO member or not, if you are interested and have questions, please contact info@evs37korea.org
Submission deadline is Tuesday October 31st, 2023.

CHAdeMO Association is opening permanent connection test centres to further enhance the interoperability of CHAdeMO charging and minimise charging issues in order to improve the charging experience for EV drivers.

In 2013, CHAdeMO launched a state-of-the-art third-party certification programme for chargers to enhance ensure safety and interoperability, working with a number of certification bodies worldwide. However, as the number of CHAdeMO EVs and charger models increases, it is becoming increasingly difficult to guarantee interoperability. In view of this situation, CHAdeMO Association will open permanent connection test centres at UL Japan in Ise and in Tokyo, where connection tests with some 20 chargers can be conducted at any time throughout the year.

These test standards will be made available to the Association’s Regular members from this month.

Testing event (November 2022)

These centres will initially be equipped with eight CHAdeMO-certified chargers, which EV automakers will be able to test their EVs for interoperability test from this month. A further eight chargers will be added early next year. Another test site in the Tokyo metropolitan area will also be set up by the second quarter of 2025. Vehicle manufacturers will have to bear the costs of connection tests, but testing at CHAdeMO connection test centres will be cheaper than the current practice of conducting individual test events.

Test results will be published as a white list so that the CPOs can consult the testing results before deciding on deployment. For more information, see member page on the CHAdeMO site.

In October, CHAdeMO Association Europe's Tomoko Blech attended C-Move in São Paulo, Brasil to share CHAdeMO's point of view on safety and certification with Southamerican stakeholders.

C-Move was held on 5-6 October concurrently with the Veículo Eléctrico Latino-Americano exhibition at Expo Center Norte in Sao Paulo, where many e-mobility stakeholders gathered to discuss future directions. Tomoko participated in a panel entitled 'Interoperability of charging interfaces: the importance of standardisation and conformity testing,' together with Daniela Soler from CharIN, moderated by Rodrigo Vicentini of ABVE/Keysight.

In her presentation, Tomoko explained how CHAdeMO places the highest priority on safety and set up a certification system to guarantee interoperability already ten years ago. She also touched on the importance of backward compatibility, reporting on the status of the next-generation plug development and the Association's policy of ensuring backward compatibility even if the plug shape changes in order not to lose the trust of early adopters.

During the discussion, there was consensus on the importance of standardisation and certification to improve the reliability of EV charging and the confidence of EV users. The use of multi-standard charging with established standards was encouraged to jump-start e-mobility in regions where EVs are just starting to become widespread.

In September 2023, CHAdeMO Association Europe's Tomoko Blech went to Łódź, Poland, to share CHAdeMO members' V2G experience in the panel about smart charging.

At the New Mobility Congress held at EXPO Łódź, a major e-mobility event in the CEE region organised by Polish Alternative Fuels Association (PSPA), Tomoko was part of the roundtable called 'how to charge in a smart way?' on 27 September.

The panelists represented various industry sectors (DSO, technology providers, EVSE manufacturers, CPO..), legislators (the Ministry of Climate and Environment) and policy advocates coming together. While recognising diverse challenges, 'Smart charging EVs is key to secure transport electrification and energy transition' was a conclusion the panel agreed on.

Tomoko shared the experience of the CHAdeMO Association members and discussed how V2G technical feasibility and its benefits are well demonstrated, but suggested that in order to overcome some of the challenges (legislative, financial, consumer sentiments), starting with V1G is a reasonable approach that can ease and accelerate V2G adoption.

On 19 September, CHAdeMO Association's Director of Public Relations, Tomomi Hakomori, spoke at the Technology Symposium of EVM Asia 2023 (19-21 Sept) held at MITEC (Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre) in Kuala Lumpur.

In the Technology Symposium was collocated with the EVM2023, which is 'the region's No.1 exhibition on electrified vehicles, mobility, manufacturing and auto parts exhibition' acceding to the organiser, attracting over 250 exhibitors and 20 000 visitors from 12 countries.

M Hakomori's presentation was among the six opening speeches on the first day of the conference. In his presentation titled 'The latest charging standards in the world,' M Hakomori talked about the global trends of charging standards and future prospects, as well as CHAdeMO's approach to safety, certification and bi-directional power transfer. He emphasized that while the specifications and charger certification system have ensured the safety of CHAdeMO, interoperability with the EVs will further increase with the Testing Center, which will begin operations later this year.

The attentive audience showed keen interest in the topics covered and asked various questions especially around global standards, safety and bi-directional charging.

On 20 September, the Association has released the Design Guideline for External Charging ver.2.0.1 to its Regular Members.

The document was published in cooperation with Gulplug, a French start-up CHAdeMO member located in Grenoble, France. It now includes technical and operational requirements for safely integrating or retrofitting the Automated Connection Devices - Underbody (ACD-U) charging systems to CHAdeMO chargers/V2X equipment, EVs and PHEVs with little or no modifications to the on-board interface and components that already exist in the vehicles.

 

An example of ACD-U charging system retrofitted to an electric vehicle on the market can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxq3NDEm1Zw

The Guideline is adapted to ACD-U systems up to the max current of 125A and is partially compliant with the upcoming IEC 61851-26 ED1.

The CHAdeMO technical guideline for integrating wireless (WPT), pantograph and long-plug charging systems to CHAdeMO vehicles ('Design Guideline for External Charging ver.1.0') was published in September 2022.

On 12 September 2023, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Standardization Administration of China officially approved and released the three key standards for ChaoJi-1, the next-generation DC charging technology using the GB/T communication protocol.

Ref: China National Standard Announcement No. 9 of 2023

The three documents released are:

  • GB/T 18487.1-2023 Electric Vehicle Conductive Charging System Part 1: General Requirements,
  • GB/T27930-2023 Digital Communication Protocol between Off-Board Conductive Chargers and Electric Vehicles, and
  • GB/T 20234.4-2023 Connecting Devices for Conductive Charging of Electric Vehicles Part 4: High-Power DC Charging Interface.

ChaoJi-1 uses the new, harmonised coupler and compatible charging system with CHAdeMO 3.1, the latest version of CHAdeMO vehicle charging, but operating under the GB/T communication protocol. This version is not only suitable for high, medium and low power charging (up to 1.2MW*), but also considers the current and future adaptability and upgrade capabilities to meet the needs of safe and fast EV charging.

The three standards released this time propose high-power temperature runaway detection technology with Chinese technical characteristics, ensuring the accurate determination of serious faults under high-power charging conditions including:

  • a layered and upgradable communication protocol architecture to support future needs and functions that will continue to emerge,
  • a new DC control pilot circuit and a safe charging system model, which achieved high level of charging safety and reliability,
  • DC charging system compatibility laying the foundation for the future unification of global DC charging technology, as ChaoJi is designed to be compatible with all of existing DC fast charging standards.

The ChaoJi project started in 2018 between China and Japan, later joined by an international collaboration forum. ChaoJi-2, operating under the CHAdeMO protocol, was published in 2020 and the conformance test protocols in 2021. Despite some project delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences, prototype testing for the latest version (CHAdeMO 3.1) is starting in Japan.

CHAdeMO3/ChaoJi2 trial site equipment

In China, the State Grid Corporation of China and other operating companies like ATC have constructed over 80 high power** DC chargers with ChaoJi interface. These chargers are located in more than 30 charging sites across Shenzhen, Shanghai, Sichuan, Fujian, Guandong provinces, and along the highway from Beijing to Shanghai. They are being tested by various EV OEMs since 2022.

The harmonised ChaoJi connector has already been published as an IEC PAS (publicly available specification) 63454:2022 (ChaoJi connector standard), and the experts are currently actively discussing vehicle adapters as well as interoperability and safety of such adapters between different DC charging systems in the respective technical committees (SC 23H/PT 62196-7 and TC 69/ahG 17) at the IEC.

 

ChaoJi Demo Project along the Beijing-Shanghai Highway

*1500V x 800A
**maximum output 500A, highest voltage 1000V, maximum output power 480kW

On 13 June, at EVS36 in Sacramento, California, CHAdeMO President Takafumi Anegawa addressed the global e-mobility community on why CHAdeMO has made a significant contribution to the development of fast charging technology.

Anegawa's presentation is available here.

Anegawa, the driving force behind the development of CHAdeMO, is himself an avid EV user, and started his talk with his own experience of having used a fast charger more than 1,000 times. ‘Only twice have I been unable to recharge the battery, and one of them was because of a power cut,’ he said with a smile.

After working as a nuclear engineer at TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) for more than 20 years, he switched his focus to EV-related work and founded the non-profit CHAdeMO Association in 2010.

'The CHAdeMO protocol is a non-exclusive, open licensed solution,’ emphasised Anegawa, adding that ‘in the past 16 years since the testing period, no fatal accidents have been reported’.

The main feature of CHAdeMO is safety: not only is it designed to avoid exposing users to unnecessary risks associated with high-voltage electricity when charging EVs, but its safety and interoperability are also guaranteed by the global certification system established by CHAdeMO.

The evolution of CHAdeMO never stops,’ continued Anegawa, explaining that the CHAdeMO protocol is continuously reviewed and updated based on member requirements and market feedback. He cited the example of the bi-directional charging (V2X) function developed immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, which enabled the use of EV batteries as a back-up power source and provided time-critical assistance to the victims.

He further explained that the family of CHAdeMO protocols today supports not only passenger cars but also bicycles, two- and three-wheelers, and heavy-duty vehicles. For example, CHAdeMO launched ChaoJi in collaboration with China Electricity Council (CEC), with the aim of developing an internationally harmonised ultra-high power charging standard for trucks and buses.

To wrap up, Anegawa said that collaboration is important but competition is also necessary to drive innovation and concluded by saying ‘CHAdeMO will never die, because we love EVs like you do.’

EVS36 took place in mid-June in Sacramento, the capital of California. The first EVS to be held in North America since EVS29 in Montreal in 2016, the event was so popular that tickets were 'sold out' weeks before the conference, and visitors who tried to register at the last minute were unable to attend.

CHAdeMO was a Gold Sponsor at this year's event and had a spacious stand right in front of the entrance to the exhibition hall. In addition, co-exhibitors at the CHAdeMO booth also had the honourable opportunity to present their products to the EVS VIP tour members.

V2G

Two production vehicles (Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Nissan LEAF) were placed on the CHAdeMO stand, which can readily offer bi-directional charging. Similarly, a total of four bi-directional chargers (V2G) from Fermata Energy, Tepco, Takaoka Toko and Zerova were deployed to demonstrate CHAdeMO's position as the world's only market-validated bi-directional charging standard. This was complemented by InnovateUK, the UK governmental agency leading the world in V2G investment, whose various V2G demonstration projects over the past few years were on display, confirming CHAdeMO's unparalleled track record in V2G.

High power

The ChaoJi standard for next-generation ultra high-power charging, which CHAdeMO has been working on in cooperation with China's CEC (China Electricity Council), was also on display, including a panel on the progress of the seven ChaoJi station projects already under demonstration on the Shanghai-Beijing motorway in China, and a display of Star Charge's ultra high-power ChaoJi mock up charger used for the same demonstration. There was also a panel display of the ChaoJi 2 (CHAdeMO 3) demonstration underway on the Japanese side (Hitachi), and a working sample of ChaoJi- CHAdeMO adapter, manufactured by Fujikura.

Micromobility

On the micromobility side, the CHAdeMO standard for two- and three-wheelers (eTreego), which has already become an IEC international standard, and the verification equipment (Chroma) were exhibited. Also on display was a CHAdeMO e-bicycle charger and e-bicycle, a design prototype of the new CHAdeMO DC charging standard for electric bicycles , which was being unveiled for the first time. Many people stopped to look at the unusual bicycle charger and standard bicycle inlet.

Other exhibits included a range of connectors from high power 300A to lightweight V2G (Sumitomo Electric), a V2G compatible truck (Phoenix Motorcars), the latest multi-standard charger (Zerova) and panels by a few California EV drivers' groups (Adopt a charger, SacEV); overall, a strong display bringing together the CHAdeMO family of products.

The coffee cart set up in the centre of the stand was also well received, with many conference delegates, exhibitors and visitors stopping by.

This year’s CHAdeMO All-Member Meeting took place in a hybrid format in Shibuya, Tokyo on 1 June. It was the first time in-person participants had met each other since 2019, with about two-thirds of the 250 participants choosing to meet online.

The Association’s President, Takafumi Anegawa, gave the first address, emphasising the importance of cooperation and competition. Secretary General Osamu Maruta reviewed the Association’s activities in 2022 and presented its priorities for 2023, including the promotion of CHAdeMO in the Asian market and efforts to improve reliability of charging infrastructure.

Kuniharu Tanabe, Director of the Mobility Automotive Industry Strategy Office from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) stated that the challenge is to create profitable EVs in Japan, while some point out that Japan is lagging behind in the electrification of certain vehicle types. 

Shoko Yotsuyanagi, President, e-Mobility Power Co.,Inc., reported on the successful installations of 200 kW multi-standard charging stations and shared day-to-day operational challenges related to charging stations.

Ni Feng from the NARI Group, who leads ChaoJi's key international sub-working groups, reported on the progress of the ChaoJi standard in general, notably the discussions at the IEC, and introduced a demonstration project with seven ChaoJi stations on the Shanghai - Beijing motorway, after which Hiroaki Miyata, Hitachi Industrial Products, Ltd., reported on the ChaoJi 2 (CHAdeMO 3.0) trial project that is taking place at the Omika Works site of Hitachi, which will be adopting to DC 850V using CHAdeMO 3.1 (published 29 May 2023) and testing V2X in the coming two years.

For more information and presentation materials, please see Member Pages (Access is limited to CHAdeMO members only).

On 25 May, CHAdeMO organised the 9th edition of V2G webinar focusing on V2G AC.

Speakers:
Robin de Berg, Director, We Drive Solar - Presentation available here
Anne Lobbes, Public Relations Manager, Hyundai Motor Nederland - Presentation available here

Video recordings is also made available.

Utrecht, a city in the Netherlands, is now on the road to becoming the world's first smart bi-directional city, with its network of AC V2G charging stations. The driving force behind this initiative is collaborative efforts of actors including grid operators, local authorities, OEMs, and mobility solution providers.

Utrecht currently has a city network of more than 500 chargers, and V2G compliance is required for all public charging infrastructure tenders. This initiative by the municipal government facilitated the deployment of V2G across the region, avoiding the chicken-and-egg problem between EVs and charging infrastructure first.

It all started almost 10 years ago when Robin Berg, Director of We Drive Solar, a Utrecht based company delivering solar e-mobility services, bought a Nissan Leaf, his first EV. Leaf, which uses the CHAdeMO protocol, already had bi-directional charging capability at the time. Robin imported a V2G charger from Japan and built Europe's first V2G charging system in the garden of his office. The company managed to operate 24 hours a day using solar energy. The city and region of Utrecht have then shown a high level of interest in implementing V2G at a larger scale, recognising that with this technology it is possible to achieve a 100% renewable energy system.

Following the 1st testing phase conducted with Renault in 2019, We Drive Solar launched a new V2G demo project last year in collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company to assess large-scale feasibility and potential benefit of AC V2G. For this, 25 units of IONIQ 5, specially modified for the trial, were deployed in the form of car-sharing for the residents of large housing projects. Combined with a comprehensive system of solar panels and charging stations, it is expected to provide power to 2,530 households in Utrecht, electrifying everything, including heating.

For Hyundai, which had offered 'Vehicle-to-Load' (V2L) prior to this project, this is an opportunity to test the V2G capabilities of its vehicles. According to our second speaker, Anne Lobbes of Hyundai Netherlands, they are already gaining a lot of experience and hoping to bring the production model of V2G compatible cars sometime soon (of course, no specific schedule was disclosed.)

One key question at this webinar by CHAdeMO, provider of DC charging protocol, was why Utrecht has chosen AC and not DC for V2G. According to Robin, either AC or DC would have been finefor them, but as Utrecht already had a large number of AC chargers across the city and the region, using the on-board V2G was a ‘natural choice’ for them. (NB: To learn more about the pros and cons of AC and DC V2G, please watch our 4th webinar.)

Synchroon, one of the housing project sites

An interesting learning from the Utrecht project was that consumer awareness/acceptance was irrelevant to the spread of V2G: ‘You don't need to convince them to be interested in V2G,’ revealed Robin, ‘As long as you offer a solution, a lot of people, especially those with solar panels on their roofs, would embrace it immediately.’ Indeed, the recent energy crisis has made people realise that solar power is one of the most viable options for reducing electricity bills. Last year alone, half a million people installed solar panels on their roofs in the Netherlands. V2G is a reliable and cost-effective way to store power generated during the day and use it in the evening when electricity consumption is the highest.

For more information about the project, follow the We Drive Solar LinkedIn page.

Future Mobility Asia 2023 (FMA2023) was held on 17-19 May at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok. It is the region’s comprehensive mobility platform showcasing the latest future clean mobility concepts, solutions, technologies, and innovations, supported by the Thai Ministry of Energy.

Along with Future Energy Asia (FEA), an exhibition and summit introducing and discussing Asia's energy transition and transformation, the two conventions welcomed 467 speakers as well as 17,500 visitors from 70 countries representing 200 companies and organisations.

CHAdeMO’s president, Takafumi Anegawa, appeared on one of the Center Stages on the first day. The panellists discussed the status quo and future prospects of DC charging for two- and three-wheelers, especially in the ASEAN nations. As Thailand has been playing an important part as the hub of Asia's automotive industry, there was an active and fruitful discussion on the panel

As for the present situation concerning electrified two- and three-wheelers, battery swapping system has gained popularity in Asia, but all six panelists finally agreed that in the near future, DC conductive charging would surely play a major role. This is because it is difficult for a battery-swapping system to reflect the constantly evolving advances in batteries.

There were also displays of various products including EVs, EV chargers, software, and devices to make use of renewable energy sources.

Scroll To Top