Chinese authorities have published three critical aspects of the upcoming ultra-high DC charging standard. The ChaoJi-1 connector clarifies that China will continue to use a proprietary national standard in the future.

This new charging unit supports up to 1,2 MW and is compatible with CHAdeMO3.1. Not only does it support higher power, but it’s also future-proof with a high degree of adaptability and upgrade capabilities.

ChaoJi-1

China uses its proprietary connector and communication infrastructure through the GB/T plug. However, it has limitations, such as a maximum charging speed of 250 kW.

For a few years now, China has been working with Japan on the Chao-Ji project, operating under the CHAdeMO protocol. Despite production delays due to the pandemic, the third and latest version is out.

The Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Standardization Administration are putting another cog in the race to build a new high-power charging network. It has approved and published three standards for the ChaoJi-1, covering general requirements for wired charging.

Up to 1,2 MegaWatts

According to the CHAdeMO Association, this new charging infrastructure can support powers of up to 1,2 MW, with a voltage of 1 500 volts and a current of 800 amps. This ultra-high charging power should make the standard future-proof. Currently, no production car can accept that much power.

The ChaoJi-1 also uses the Chinese GB/T protocol, the same as the old connector. This new interface is being tested in over 80 high-power DC chargers in over 30 charging stations across China.

Global leap?

That’s good news for China. However, seeing the impact of such a leap globally is difficult. Currently, Europe relies on the CCS connector, while the US is rapidly switching to Tesla’s NACS charging system. CHAdeMO is virtually only used in Japan.