What if all ebikes used the same charging solution? What if you only had to place one type of ebike charger in your garage or company bike shed, and all your family members and colleagues could use it? What if you no longer had to carry that adapter block in your backpack?
CHADeMO: Providing safe, affordable and interoperable direct current charging
CHAdeMO is an association of automobile manufacturers, a technology and a standard, initially dedicated to the fast charging of electric vehicles. A specially created working group within the CHADeMO consortium has developed a standard for a uniform charging system for ebikes. The participants in the development of this charging solution are numerous suppliers of ebike drive systems (including Bosch, Shimano, Yamaha, Panasonic).
The system consists of a plug (and a socket) and the corresponding communication protocol. Thanks to retrofit solutions, existing systems from different manufacturers on the market can also be charged with a uniform CHAdeMO charger. Over the past year, the project has reached new milestones. The standard has been completed, the first prototypes have been built and the interoperability of the system has been demonstrated. The aim is to inform about the current status of the project and to show the first implementations.
Why promote a uniform charging solution for ebikes?
Currently, ebikes and speed ebikes are mainly charged at home. However, there is an urgent need for a unified charging solution for ebikes from different manufacturers, especially in public spaces such as tourist attractions, shopping centres or car parks.
Charge2Bike
This is why renowned players in the industry have come together to develop an interoperable charging solution (Charge2Bike) as an industry standard, based on all the experience gained in the field, in order to bring it to the market. This industry standard has the highest demands in terms of safety, robustness and reliability and was developed largely by member companies of the “ZIV – Die Fahrradindustrie”. These activities are currently taking place within the CHAdeMO-EPAC consortium, which is specifically dedicated to the application case of ebikes, independently of the charging solution already known for electric cars. The Charge2Bike charging solution developed there is to be implemented in an international ISO or IEC standard after its final publication.
The advantages
A major advantage of this concept is the consideration of different application scenarios:
- Use of a Charge2Bike-compatible connector mounted on the ebike with full cross-compatibility, which means that OEM chargers comply with the Charge2Bike standard.
- Retention of the manufacturer-specific proprietary connector and permanent use of an adapter for connection to a Charge2Bike charging station.
The interoperable charging solution is based on a connector standardized in ISO/TS 4210-10. The corresponding connector has an EPAC-optimized size of approx. 19 mm x 16 mm, the socket approx. 25 mm x 23 mm and can be integrated very well into existing designs. Compared to other charging solutions, the required hardware can thus be reduced to a minimum, resulting in a sustainable charging solution that meets all product-specific standards.
Ideal for charging stations
A major advantage of this charging solution is the ability to charge ebikes already on the market with a proprietary system at a Charge2Bike charging station via an adapter. Charging station manufacturers who implement the Charge2Bike standard can thus immediately serve the large market for existing ebikes, as these can be charged at a universal charging station with a compact adapter. Communication between the public charging station and the connected ebike – and thus the battery – takes place via a specific charging protocol. In this context, the charging station is part of the safety architecture, which includes safe and reliable communication between the battery or ebike and the charging station. The system enables a charging voltage of up to 60 V, suitable for batteries up to 50.4 V (nominal) nominal voltage and a charging current of up to 20 A.
Bosch joins the consortium
Bosch’s collaboration in the Charge2Bike consortium, however, promises a vision for the future: all parties involved are working on a standardized infrastructure for charging batteries. The concrete goal would ultimately be a standardized charging socket for all ebike batteries. In the meantime, an adapter will ensure compatibility between existing batteries and the new charging standard. Bosch is already presenting a first prototype, which will also be compatible with older generation batteries (even before the Smart System)!
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- Charge2Bike, Bosch prototype with full cross-compatibility
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- Charge2Bike, interoperable standard charging solution
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- Charge2Bike- connector with full cross-compatibility
About ZIV – Die Fahrrad Industrie
ZIV represents the interests of the bicycle industry. As an industry association, ZIV brings together and represents around 130 member companies to EU and German legislators, government, authorities, media, institutions and organizations. By 2023, 90% of all bicycles and ebikes produced in Germany will come from ZIV member companies, which, in addition to domestic sales, export 1.4 million vehicles every year. ZIV represents established companies and start-ups, the production industry and trade (including import and wholesale), as well as players from the entire bicycle ecosystem.
Sources: ChaDeMo, ZIV
Pictures : ChaDeMo, Bosch
