Short answer: A Japanese DC fast charging standard that is being phased out in Europe in favor of CCS2.
Explanation
CHAdeMO (short for 'CHArge de MOve,' a play on the Japanese phrase 'o cha demo ikaga desuka' meaning 'how about some tea?') was one of the first DC fast charging standards. Developed by Japanese automakers including Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Toyota, it was widely used in early EVs like the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
If you see a CHAdeMO connector at a fast charger, it is the round, bulky plug that looks very different from CCS2. Many older fast chargers still have both CHAdeMO and CCS2 cables, but new charger installations in Europe increasingly skip CHAdeMO entirely. No new European-market EVs use CHAdeMO.
CHAdeMO is still common in Japan and supported in some Asian markets. It can deliver up to 400 kW in its latest specification, though most installed CHAdeMO chargers in Europe are limited to 50 kW. If you drive a newer European or American EV, you do not need to think about CHAdeMO at all.
Where you'll see this
- On the charger screen
- In charging network apps
- In vehicle specifications
Common confusion
People sometimes worry about finding CHAdeMO chargers for their new EV. If your car was made after 2018 and sold in Europe, it almost certainly uses CCS2, not CHAdeMO.
Example
The first-generation Nissan Leaf used CHAdeMO for DC fast charging at up to 50 kW. Newer Nissan models like the Ariya have switched to CCS2.
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