During the European Technical Working Group meeting in Berlin last month, new, positive test results for using Ethernet communication for the unified ChaoJi protocol was reported. In addition, CHAdeMO’s approach to adapt the ‘original’ CHAdeMO to the upcoming ISO15118-based ecosystem was also announced in the meeting.
For more than a decade, CHAdeMO has been using CAN for EV-EVSE communication to implement safe and reliable charging control. In the CHAdeMO protocol, no adjacent communication other than EV-EVSE was specified, so that stakeholders around the world can adopt what is best in their own regions.
However, as V2G communications to homes, offices and the grid have progressed, the need for more secure communication has been pointed out. CAN is a control communication, it would be necessary to add a messaging-enabled means for information processing, including very secure, high-level communication. Therefore, for ChaoJi’s next generation communication*, CHAdeMO’s New Protocol SWG members have been evaluating various options for bigger bandwidth.
*The first step of Japan-China collaboration was the hardware integration, which has already been completed. The next step is the unified communication.
This year, the New Protocol SWG conducted a test using 2-wire Ethernet and obtained satisfactory results in September. With these positive results, the SWG is recommending that ChaoJi integrated protocol should be able to support both Ethernet and WiFi to further enhance future flexibility.
These test results have been shared with CHAdeMO members in October, as well as relevant committees of international standard-setting bodies, and the robustness of Ethernet has received a certain degree of recognition from the industry members concerned. CHAdeMO shall continue to cooperate in the establishment of international standards on a global basis.
In Europe, some stakeholders are keen for a mandate of the ISO 15118 protocol, which is not compatible with the CHAdeMO protocol for the moment. In order not to penalise existing CHAdeMO EV owners or charging infrastructure in Europe, and more generally to provide better and affordable means of secured communication, CHAdeMO has been evaluating ways to be part of the ISO 15118 ecosystem.
Consequently, it was decided that the original CHAdeMO should be able to use WiFi communication by using the existing ISO standard (15118-8). More precisely, some modifications should be made to the already defined by ISO for pantograph and inductive charging and applying it to CHAdeMO conductive charging.
We believe that this method will pave the way for a low-cost WiFI method of secure communication not only for CHAdeMO, but also for other connectors such as AC charging in the future and started co-ordinating efforts within the ISO WG. If there are members who wish to join this effort in the framework of ISO 15118, please do reach out to us.
