On 29 May 2026, CHAdeMO Association has released the latest CHAdeMO protocol (CHAdeMO 2.1 English version) to its Regular members, specifying the requirements for charging current up to 800A, actions to be taken by charger and vehicle after the discontinuity of PE conductor, and Plug-and-Charge (PnC), among others.
This latest version of CHAdeMO protocol enables DC charging with the power up to 800kW (maximum current 800A) using the existing CHAdeMO connector/cable assembly specified as configuration ‘AA’ in IEC 62196-3 standard, bringing its maximum performance on par with China’s GB/T-plus and Europe’s CCS2, and also covering All Solid State Battery (ASSB) applications for passenger/commercial vehicles expected to be realised in the near future*.
In addition, the actions which need to be taken by charger and vehicle after the discontinuity of PE conductor have been clarified, to ensure 100% compliance with the requirements of IEC 61851-23 standard in which the EV contactors must be opened within 1s after the discontinuity of PE conductor between the charger and the vehicle.
Lastly and most importantly, CHAdeMO 2.1 now includes the new PnC specification jointly developed by Honda and PLUGO, already launched and operational in Japan from 2025. This innovative PnC specification, unlike the certificate-based PnC system as seen in ISO 15118, combines the simplicity of CHAdeMO-CAN communication protocol and the security of telematics service, allowing both the charger and vehicle manufacturers as well as charging point operators (CPOs) to implement PnC function with minimal effort. Furthermore, there is also an option to implement PnC without the use of telematics for those companies wishing to adopt a simpler specification.
Certification in accordance with CHAdeMO Ver. 2.1 will commence on 1 July.
*Note: For heavy-duty vehicle (HDV), ship, aircraft and other transportation equipment manufacturers requiring even higher charging power in the order of megawatts, ChaoJi (to be specified as system ‘D’ in the next amendment of IEC 61815-23) or GMCS (SAE J3271) based on CHAdeMO 3.1 protocol can be used.
For any enquiries, please contact:
CHAdeMO Secretariat (info@chademo.org)
