Overview of CCS charging
CCS, which stands for Combined Charging System, is an EV charging standard adopted in North America and Europe. It successfully combines DC (direct current) and AC (alternating current) in a single unit, eliminating the need for 2 charging ports. North America utilizes the CCS1 standard while Europe uses the CCS2. The two regions have taken different paths towards a uniform charging standardization. In Europe, it seems like CCS2 is not going to be replaced soon while North America currently has two widely adopted charging standards- CCS1 and NACS (North American Charging Standard, Tesla). Until 2023 the only vehicle utilizing the NACS was Tesla. In November 2022 Tesla made the standard publicly available to other manufacturers. As of April 2024, more than 20 brands have shared their plans to use the NACS port with their future models. Brands include Ford, Stelantis Group, Mercedes, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, BMW, Volkswagen and others.
The main difference between the two is that CCS2 has three-phase charging (L1, L2, L3, N) while CCS1 has single-phase charging (L1, N). In terms of communication, both CCS2 and CCS1 use powerline (PLC) for communication between the EV and the charging station. Charging speed varies between 20 kW and 350 kW. The majority of the modern stations have 100 kW or more power in response to the faster charging vehicles on the market. Charging has become faster than ever as more and more 800V architecture vehicles are released. The standard 10-80% charging session can now be done in less than 20 minutes (Hyundai Ioniq 5 at a 300 kW station taken for example).
Overview of CHAdeMO charging
The CHAdeMO standard was introduced in 2010 and stands for “CHArge de MOve”. Originating from Japan, the standard has been developed by Nissan, Mitsubishi, Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), and others. Unlike the CCS, CHAdeMO is used only for DC (direct current) charging. CHAdeMO is the main charging standard in Japan and all vehicles intended for the Japanese market come with a CHAdeMO port. CHAdeMO is also present in Europe and North America but most of the charging stations there are old and neglected as both regions have adopted different primary standards. The majority of the CHAdeMO stations in Europe are between 24kW and 50kW which is considered a “slow” station by modern standards. That’s why the recently released CCS2 to CHAdeMO adapter is highly discussed in the EV community. Using this adapter CHAdeMO vehicles (mainly Nissan Leaf) will be able to charge at CCS stations which is the main standard in Europe. In 2018 CHAdeMO Association announced that they were developing a next-generation ultra-fast protocol called CHAdeMO 3.0. This project stated that it would harmonize the CHAdeMO standard with the Chinese GB/T. It also promised power of up to 600 kW and plans to increase it to 900 kW.
What are the main differences between CCS and CHAdeMO charging?
Charging speed
Both standards have a maximum charging power of over 300 kW. Technically this is possible but we rarely see chargers that can deliver that much power and vehicles that can accept it. And while we see more and more CCS stations with maximum power of 250 kW and more, CHAdeMO stations seem to lag behind. The majority of the CHAdeMO stations are 50 kW and very few of them have more than 100 kW. With that being said, CCS is the faster charging standard.
Vehicle compatibility
Vehicle compatibility depends on the region. All vehicles intended for the European/ North American market now come with a CCS/ NACS charging port. Some older models like the Nissan Leaf can also survive in Europe/ North America by relying on the old CHAdeMO infrastructure or by using a CCS to CHAdeMO adapter.
You would have a problem if you turned out to be in the opposite situation- a CCS vehicle in Japan. According to Plugshare, there are no CCS stations in Japan. People in Japan entirely rely on the CHAdeMO and Tesla infrastructure (NACS).
Accessibility
When comparing accessibility between the two standards we need to take factors such as location, market adoption, and infrastructure development into consideration. Despite not being very popular, CHAdeMO charging exists all around the world, including South America, Asia, and Africa. CCS is a much more prevalent standard around the world. Despite that, you won’t be able to find any CCS stations in China or Japan. That’s why accessibility mainly depends on location and type of vehicle.
Connector design
CCS combines both AC and DC charging in one connector while CHAdeMO offers only DC charging. CHAdeMO vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf or Kia Soul EV have a separate AC port which is either Type 2 or Type 1. CCS connectors are larger due to their dual functionality. CHAdeMO connectors have a locking mechanism integrated into the plug itself.