GB/T charging standard

GB/T AC charging station outlet (female) and plug (male, blue). A male is used for both ends of cables

The GB/T AC standard uses a connector with a pin layout similar to the European Type 2 connector, but are not compatible.

It allows mode 2 or mode 3 AC charging at up to 8 or 27.7 kW, with current of 10/16/32A and voltage of 250V, or current of 16/32/64A and voltage of 440V.[1]

Charging speeds are also limited by the speed of the vehicle's on board charger (typically up to 10 kW) which has to convert the input to DC.

The GB/T DC fast charging standard uses a different connector and allows for fast charging at up to 250 kW, with current of 80/125/200/250A, and voltage of 750-1000V.[2] However, 50 kW or other lower rated power chargers are more commonly seen, typically retaining the minimum GB/T voltage of 750V but with different current ratings. Some chargers may also follow the GB/T standard plug but not the GB/T standard power limits by using a lower voltage than 750V, such as 500V.

Maximum charging speed is limited by a variety of factors aside from the charger's full rated power.

For example,

• Some chargers may not be able to supply the full rated power if the car battery voltage is too low, as the current draw needed would exceed the charger's current rating.
• Some cars, even if they match the maximum voltage supplied by the charger, may not to be able to handle the full rated power as the high current draw could result in excessive heat.
• Cars with battery voltages higher than the charger's voltage rating will not be able to charge at all (eg; chargers with the minimum GB/T voltage of 750V will not be able to charge a 800V battery), though some such as the Hyundai E-GMP and Porsche Taycan can still use lower voltage chargers through the use of a boost converter.[3]

As of 2022, China Electricity Council and CHAdeMO are developing a new unified ChaoJi system capable of up to 900 kW, with current of 600A, and voltage of 1500V. The new system will replace both GB/T DC and CHAdeMO, and will feature backward compatibility for GB/T DC, CHAdeMO and CCS, all with adapters.[4][5]

Full list of standards are:[6]

• (1) GB/T 18487.1-2015 Conducting Charging Systems for Electric Vehicles – Part 1: General Requirements
• (2) GBT/T 20234.1-2015 Connectors for Conducting Charging for Electric Vehicles – Part 1: General Requirements
• (3) GB/T 20234.2-2015 Connectors for Conducting Charging for Electric Vehicles – Part 2: Alternating Current Charging Interfaces
• (4) GB/T 20234.3-2015 Connectors for Conducting Charging for Electric Vehicles – Part 3: Direct Current Charging Interfaces
• (5) GB/T 27930-2015 Communication Protocol between Off-board Conductive Charger and Battery Management System of Electric Vehicle

The GBT connector uses CAN BUS signaling for control, specifically, GB/T 27930-2015 is largely based on the SAE J1939 network protocol,.[7] This is unlike the PLC based control protocols on the European Type 2 connector.

The signals controls the processes of charging, such as handshake initiation and recognition, amperage and voltage configuration, charging and suspension of charging.[8]