What is the difference between CCS and CHAdeMO charging? Everything you should know

Updated on: 02.07.2024

CCS vs CHAdeMO: Which charging standard should you choose for your electric vehicle? The world of charging standards is confusing with electric vehicles.

Are you not sure of the differences between CCS and CHAdeMO, and wondering what will fit you best? Well, do not worry, for in this article, we will cover everything you need to know about CCS and CHAdeMO charging, giving you the confidence to be informed of an easy decision. With this comparison, seasoned EV users or those just starting with EVs will have nothing to worry about when deciding the best charger.

Let's get started.

What is CCS Charging?

CCS, which stands for Combined Charging System, is a charging standard that has gained widespread adoption in Europe and North America. The system couples AC and DC charging into one port configuration through which an electric vehicle can be charged with alternating- or direct-current configurations.

What is CHAdeMO Charging?

The other electric vehicle standard that is popular, but with mainly adoptions in Asia and part of Europe and North America, is CHAdeMO. Developed in Japan, CHAdeMO has DC fast charging for a core product since the beginning and has been among the leaders in the development of its charging equipment for many years.

CCS vs CHAdeMO Charging: What are the Differences?

So, the difference between CCS and CHAdeMO adds up when deciding on your electric vehicle recharge operations. A few differences between these two DC fast-charging standards include the design of the connectors, speed of charging, and globular adoption.

Connector Design:

• CCS: The Combined Charging System, which combines all the charging pins in a single connector for AC and DC charging, makes the electric vehicle much more flexible and convenient for its owner. The integrated design makes it very easy for the complete charging process and helps in compatibility with different charging stations.
• CHAdeMO: In this aspect, CHAdeMO takes a relatively more oversized plug, owned by many pins that dedicate connections to the functions of DC fast charging alone. This kind of unique interface likely means that it would not be mainstream throughout global trade like the CCS interface.

Global Adoption:

• CCS: CCS is the most used standard in Europe (CCS2), where virtually all major automakers have adopted it as their primary standard for charging. This widespread adoption guarantees that CCS-equipped vehicles are broadly compatible and accessible across this region.
• CHAdeMO: This is a Japanese standard. It has been adopted by various markets worldwide, though mainly in Asia and parts of Europe. While not as globally prevalent as CCS, CHAdeMO still maintains a significant presence in regions where it has been widely adopted.

Which Standard is More Popular in Europe?

It may be said that, among all the protocols for charging electric vehicles, CCS is the Emperor of the European countries.

Among the three architectures, CCS has so far seen the most expansive embrace by automakers, fueling infrastructure providers, and the governments on this continent since its introduction.

Reasons for CCS's Popularity in Europe:

• Industry Alignment: Thanks to strong support from the European automotive industry, CCS charging capabilities have been incorporated into vehicle design plans.
• Charging Infrastructure: Europe is investing heavily in CCS charging infrastructure.
• Government Policies: The EU directives, with national regulations, are in place to support CCS and offer bonuses for its promotion.
• Interoperability: The owners of the continental EVs will have no problems charging their vehicles because the CCS became a standardized single-port design.

Charging Speed

CCS and CHAdeMO fast-charging stations, in fact, charge at speed dependent on many factors, including the output rating of the charging station, the potential of the vehicle's charging system, and the state the vehicle's battery is in when charging.

• CCS: The CCS offers a vast range of power output from 50 kW to 350 kW in very rapidly charging electrically powered vehicles thus properly equipped, CCS-enabled vehicles assuredly guarantee good range over short periods.
• CHAdeMO: Power out of the CHAdeMO charging stations usually is between 50 kW and 100 kW, although this is changing with new stations able to let out a higher power. Not as fast as CCS, CHAdeMO gives a very efficient DC fast-charging service that will ensure EV drivers cover the shortest period possible, especially on trips.

Brands that Use it

Here are some of the brands that use CCS and CHAdeMO:

CCS:

• European Automakers: Including Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz companies, have adopted CCS as the standard protocol for charging all their electric vehicles across Europe.
• North American Automakers: Ford, General Motors, and other North American automakers use CCS for electric vehicle charging in North America. Soon many North American manufacturers will start manufacturing vehicles with NACS (North American Charging Standard) which was previously used only by Tesla
• Global Adoption: CCS is currently a worldwide standard and widely accepted, with most automotive manufacturers around the world starting to adopt CCS for their electric vehicle line-up.

CHAdeMO:

• Japanese OEMs: Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and others have produced electric vehicles to have built-in CHAdeMO charging for their home market of Japan and other parts of Asia.
• International Presence: CHAdeMO is more prevalent in Asia and a bit obscure in some areas of Europe and North America, but in other words, CCS adaptors are relatively commonplace. Some German brands such as Porsche and Mercedes have also released CHAdeMO vehicles specially intended for the Japanese market. 

Can I Charge my Nissan Leaf with a CCS charger?

Yes, a CCS charger can charge up on a Nissan Leaf using an adapter like CCS2 to CHAdeMO. Therefore, it is an interface between the CCS charging point and the CHAdeMO port, which will be fitted in your car. So, the big difference would be a game-changer for all Nissan Leaf owners. Now, with charging infrastructure, they have a lot more potential.

The CCS to CHAdeMO adapter is particularly useful in regions where CCS chargers are more prevalent than CHAdeMO ones. With this adapter, the charging process is straightforward: connect the CCS plug to the adapter and then connect the adapter to your car's charging port.

This is so important because you need to ensure the CHAdeMO adapter CCS is compatible with the make of the vehicle and with all specifications that the charging station has to enjoy agreeable charging.

Are CCS1 and CCS2 compatible with CHAdeMO?

CCS1 and CCS2 are types of the Combined Charging System (CCS) used for fast charging electric vehicles. CCS1 is used in North America, while CCS2 is standard in Europe and other regions. Both types allow EVs to charge quickly with DC power and have similar designs for their pins and communication methods.

However, CCS1 and CCS2 are not compatible with CHAdeMO, another fast charging standard from Japan. CHAdeMO connectors look different and use a different pin setup than CCS connectors, so they can't directly connect to CCS charging stations.

There are adapters available that let CHAdeMO-equipped EVs use CCS charging stations, but it's less common for CCS-equipped EVs to use CHAdeMO stations because of technical challenges.

It's important for EV owners to know which charging standards their vehicles support. This helps them plan trips and find compatible charging stations easily. With the growing adoption of CCS globally and the availability of adapters, EV drivers have more choices for convenient and efficient charging wherever they go.

Understanding the charging standards and infrastructure can ensure a smooth and hassle-free charging experience for all EV users, making long-distance travel more practical and supporting the broader transition to electric mobility.

Final Words

In the world of electric cars, deciding between CCS vs CHAdeMO chargers is important. While CCS charging is most widespread in Europe and North America, CHAdeMo is common in Asia. Pay close attention to the prevalent charging standard in your region. We strongly recommend our European customers opt for a CCS2 vehicle as the majority of the chargers have CCS2 connectors.  Differences in speed and supported vehicle brands can help you figure out your choice.

Both work with electric cars so that they can be charged fast and easily, respectively, making electric cars a perfect way for ecologically clean transport.