ABCs Of EVs: C For CHAdeMO

In this episode of ABCs of EVs, we dive into the CHAdeMO charging standard.

Today we’re profiling one side of a battle raging in the background. You don’t hear about it, but you see it all the time. Yes, we’re talking about CHAdeMO…one of the several biggest charging standards in the world. 

While we all stand around the coffee machine at work on a Monday morning talking about the range and quarter-mile times, there’s a bigger battle going on in the background… like the Tesla Supercharger Network, CCS and CHAdeMO battle. 

What is CHAdeMO? 

So let’s take a step back for a moment because I know some people watching this are thinking what is CHAdeMO? Well, to reduce charging to a really, really basic level, you’ve got slow AC charging, and you’ve got fast DC charging. Apart from an honorable mention for the Renault Zoe,  AC charging is slower and will happen at home in general or at various ‘destination chargers’ like at supermarkets and hotels. 

But today we’re talking about CHAdeMO, so we’re talking DC fast charging. CHAdeMO is probably most associated with the Nissan LEAF, arguably one of the most important early EVs, and up until recently the world’s best selling! So if you want to charge your Nissan LEAF quickly away from your home, you’re going to be connecting it to a CHAdeMO plug.

Watch the video for more on CHAdeMO.