120 kW DC Charger: Vehicle Fit, Dual-Gun Output, Site Inputs and Price Guide

Quick answer

A 120 kW DC charger is a commercial fast-charging power class, not a promise that every car—or both connectors—will receive 120 kW continuously. Delivered power is controlled by the cabinet, connector, vehicle voltage/current request, allocation logic, temperature and site controls. Compare prices only after every bidder confirms the same hardware, installation, software, logistics and acceptance scope.

120 kW at a glance

What does “120 kW” actually mean on a DC charger?

The useful first question is not “Is it 120 kW?” It is “Where in the system does 120 kW apply?” A proposal may use the same headline number for very different implementations:

• a cabinet with 120 kW total available to one active connector;
• a 120 kW cabinet shared between two connectors;
• a configuration advertised as 60 kW + 60 kW during simultaneous sessions;
• a modular system that allocates available power dynamically;
• or a product family whose exact per-port behavior changes with ordered modules and software.

Those are not interchangeable. A datasheet headline is the beginning of qualification, not the acceptance result.

Power also depends on voltage and current. In simplified terms:

DC power (kW) = voltage (V) × current (A) ÷ 1,000

At 400 V, 120 kW requires about 300 A. At 800 V, it requires about 150 A. That does not mean a real charger will produce those combinations automatically. The cabinet voltage window, connector/cable current limit, vehicle request, temperature and control logic all have to permit the operating point. This is why a buyer should ask for a voltage-current envelope, not only a peak-kW badge.

The 120 kW Output Ledger

Treat output as a ledger with six entries. The lowest active ceiling controls the session:

1. Cabinet nameplate: the installed conversion capacity.
2. Connector ceiling: the voltage, current and thermal limit of the selected outlet and cable.
3. Vehicle request: what the vehicle’s battery management system will accept at that state of charge and temperature.
4. Allocation rule: how modules are assigned when one or two outlets are active.
5. Sustained/site limit: thermal derating, upstream capacity or an energy-management setpoint.
6. Accepted delivery: the measured result under an agreed FAT/SAT test case.

The deliverable is not the largest number in the chain. It is the lowest active limit, demonstrated under a defined condition.

For a broader comparison of power classes, use our 120 kW vs 240 kW vs 480 kW DC charger guide. For allocation architectures across multiple power levels, see dual-gun charging.

Which vehicles are a good fit for a 120 kW DC charger?

The 120 kW class is often considered for commercial locations that need materially faster turnover than AC charging but do not have the vehicle demand, grid capacity or business case for a much higher-power installation. Typical candidates may include mixed passenger-car sites, fleet depots, dealerships, destination hubs and selected public corridors. The site label alone cannot confirm fit.

Build a vehicle matrix before selecting equipment. For each high-frequency vehicle, record:

• DC inlet standard and regional compatibility;
• usable battery capacity;
• battery voltage architecture;
• maximum accepted DC power and current;
• the charging curve across the operating state-of-charge window;
• expected arrival and departure state of charge;
• dwell time and daily energy requirement;
• cold- or hot-weather constraints.

A vehicle rated below 120 kW will normally control the session below the cabinet nameplate. A vehicle advertised above 120 kW can still charge, if interface and voltage/current ranges match, but the charger becomes the ceiling. Even a vehicle capable of accepting 120 kW may hold that level only over part of the session.

How long does a 120 kW charger take?

A transparent first-pass estimate is:

ideal time (hours) = energy added (kWh) ÷ accepted power (kW)

Adding 60 kWh at a constant 120 kW would be 0.5 hour in ideal arithmetic. That is not a 30-minute promise. If average accepted power over the relevant window is 80 kW, the energy portion is about 45 minutes before allowing for losses and operational overhead. Battery taper, temperature, preconditioning, sharing and site control can all lower the average.

Model the actual route or duty cycle with an average charging curve, then validate it with the target vehicle. Our electric-car charging time guide explains the wider method.

One connector or two: what must the supplier declare?

Two cables improve access and utilization only when the allocation behavior suits the operating plan. “Dual gun” does not prove that two vehicles can each receive 120 kW.

Ask the bidder to fill this table for the offered SKU:

Also establish whether allocation is fixed, first-come-first-served, equal sharing, priority-based or dynamically assigned in module increments. If a depot requires predictable departure readiness, a controllable minimum per session may matter more than the highest single-session peak.

What site inputs are required for a 120 kW charger?

A charger cannot be safely sized from kW alone. The electrical engineer needs the ordered equipment data and local rules before selecting the transformer, feeder, protection, isolation, earthing, cable and civil route.

The minimum site-input package includes:

1. supply voltage, frequency and grounding arrangement;
2. existing and planned transformer/service capacity;
3. charger rated input current and efficiency for the exact SKU;
4. other coincident building/site loads;
5. desired demand-management or export-limit behavior;
6. cable route length, installation method and allowable voltage drop;
7. short-circuit level and protective-device coordination;
8. local inspection, accessibility, fire and parking rules;
9. ambient temperature, altitude, drainage, dust/salt exposure and ventilation;
10. bollards, cable reach, wheel stops, lighting and accessible bay geometry;
11. communications path—Ethernet, cellular or Wi-Fi—and signal quality;
12. commissioning responsibilities and shutdown/escalation procedure.

The supplied charger manual recommends professional installation and adequate heat dissipation. It does not replace a destination-specific electrical design. Never copy a cable size or breaker from another project simply because both chargers say 120 kW.

For the full sequence from survey to handover, use our DC fast charger station guide.

What does a 120 kW EV charger cost?

There is no responsible universal price for an international 120 kW project. A visible web price may represent cabinet hardware only, a local installed package, an introductory configuration or a quote excluding taxes and grid work. To compare proposals, normalize six layers.

The 120 kW Quote Stack

1. Core charger: cabinet, installed modules, screen, cooling and standard cables.
2. Ordered configuration: connector standard/count, cable length, payment terminal, branding, metering and optional protection.
3. Digital scope: OCPP implementation, connectivity, SIM/data, CSMS license, API, remote commissioning and roaming/payment integration.
4. Landed scope: packing, freight, insurance, Incoterm, duty, tax and inland delivery.
5. Site scope: survey, transformer/service upgrade, switchgear, feeder, trenching, foundation, bollards, markings and communications.
6. Lifecycle scope: installation supervision, commissioning, training, warranty, spare parts, software support and service response.

Put every quotation into the same stack before comparing totals. A cheaper cabinet can produce a more expensive project if it shifts essential work into exclusions. For cost-planning logic rather than an unsupported price claim, see commercial DC fast charger cost.

What is documented for HG Power’s supplied 120 kW CCS2 sheet?

The one-page Genesis 120 kW CCS2 specification supplied for this project lists the following configuration:

• rated input: 380 Vac ±15%, 50/60 Hz, L1 + L2 + L3 + N + PE;
• rated input current: 194 A;
• maximum output power: 120 kW;
• output range: 200–1000 Vdc;
• two CCS2 outputs and 250 A maximum per connector;
• 12.1-inch Android screen;
• optional OCPP 1.6J / 2.0.1;
• DIN 70121 and ISO 15118 communication references;
• IP54 enclosure and forced-air cooling;
• 2000 × 910 × 700 mm cabinet and 5 m listed cable length;
• listed operating range of −25°C to 55°C, storage range of −40°C to 70°C, 5–95% non-condensing humidity and altitude up to 2,000 m;
• listed efficiency of 95% at nominal output and power factor of at least 0.99 at 50% load and above.

These values are evidence for that supplied sheet, not a universal promise for every market or ordered product. The sheet does not establish how 120 kW is allocated during two simultaneous sessions, the sustained output under a buyer’s ambient/duty cycle, or the validity/scope of certificates for a particular shipment. Those items belong in the order-specific technical schedule and acceptance plan.

HG Power’s DC portfolio spans 40–480 kW. If the project is likely to outgrow 120 kW, compare the duty cycle and grid plan before freezing the cabinet size.

OCPP, payment and network: specify outcomes, not labels

The Open Charge Alliance defines OCPP as the protocol between the charging station and the charging-station management system. A line that says “OCPP supported” is incomplete procurement evidence.

State the exact OCPP version and required profiles/features, then test them with the chosen CSMS. The checklist may include:

• remote start/stop, authorization and transaction records;
• tariff and meter-value handling;
• status, faults and availability;
• reservations, local authorization and offline behavior;
• smart-charging behavior and site power limits;
• firmware/log/diagnostic workflows;
• security configuration and certificate management;
• payment-terminal/acquirer responsibility;
• time synchronization, SIM/data and roaming dependencies.

OCPP interoperability and payment integration are separate workstreams. A charger can communicate with a CSMS without being ready for a particular bank, terminal, fiscal or roaming requirement.

Turn specifications into FAT and SAT evidence

Use an evidence ladder:

1. Document: order-specific datasheet, drawings, wiring/interface schedule and software configuration.
2. Certificate scope: certificate/test report matched to model, options and destination requirement.
3. Factory acceptance: output envelope, dual-port allocation, protections, HMI, OCPP messages and fault recovery under written test cases.
4. Site acceptance: phase/voltage checks, insulation/earthing/protection tests, communications, payment, load management and target-vehicle sessions.
5. Operational handover: settings backup, training, spares, warranty contacts, escalation process and a baseline performance record.

IEC 61851-23:2023 covers requirements for DC EV supply equipment, but referencing a standard is not the same as proving that the ordered model/configuration is certified or accepted in the destination. Ask for matched evidence.

The 12-input RFQ for a comparable 120 kW proposal

Send every supplier the same project inputs:

1. destination country and installation environment;
2. vehicle list, voltage architecture and acceptance data;
3. energy per vehicle, dwell time and sessions per day;
4. connector standard/count and required cable reach;
5. one-vehicle and two-vehicle output/allocation requirement;
6. grid voltage/frequency and available site capacity;
7. ambient, altitude, dust/salt/rain and duty cycle;
8. OCPP version, CSMS and required workflows;
9. payment, authorization, metering and connectivity scope;
10. required certifications/documents for the ordered SKU;
11. FAT/SAT cases and acceptance thresholds;
12. quote boundary: Incoterm, freight, tax, site works, commissioning, warranty, spares and service.

Then require the supplier to return an assumptions/exclusions sheet. The goal is not the most attractive headline; it is the proposal with the fewest unresolved interfaces.

When should you not choose 120 kW?

A 120 kW charger may be oversized when vehicles stay for many hours, daily energy demand is low, grid upgrades dominate economics or smart-managed AC/lower-power DC can meet departures. It may be undersized when high-throughput vehicles can accept more power, queues create lost revenue, heavy-duty duty cycles need higher sustained energy delivery or a two-port site requires more guaranteed concurrent output.

Do not jump from “120 kW is too small” directly to an HPC label. Compare vehicle acceptance, average session demand, concurrency, thermal design and upstream capacity. Our HPC vs DC charging guide and liquid-cooled EV charger guide separate those decisions.

Reality check before purchase

• 120 kW on the cabinet is not 120 kW into every vehicle.
• Two connectors are not proof of 2 × 120 kW simultaneous output.
• A peak is not a sustained-duty guarantee.
• A hardware price is not an installed or landed project price.
• A standards logo is not matched certificate evidence.
• OCPP support is not complete CSMS/payment interoperability.
• A cable/transformer value from another site is not a design for this site.

If a proposal does not answer those seven points, it is not yet ready for commercial comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 120 kW DC charger considered fast charging?

Yes. It is a commercial DC fast-charging power class. Actual vehicle-side power still depends on the vehicle, voltage/current envelope, allocation, temperature and site controls.

Can a 120 kW dual-gun charger charge two cars at 120 kW each?

Do not assume so. A 120 kW cabinet commonly has a total capacity that must be allocated, but the exact behavior is configuration-specific. Require a concurrent-output table and FAT evidence.

Can an 800 V vehicle use a 120 kW charger?

Only if the ordered charger’s output voltage range, connector/communication standard and current envelope match the vehicle. The supplied HG Power CCS2 sheet lists 200–1000 Vdc for its documented configuration.

Does a 120 kW charger always add 120 kWh in one hour?

No. That is ideal nameplate arithmetic. Average accepted power changes during a real session because of the battery curve, state of charge, temperature, sharing, losses and site limits.

What is the price of a 120 kW EV charger?

Price depends on configuration and quote boundary. Compare the core charger, options, software/payment, freight/import, electrical/civil works and lifecycle support separately.

What electrical service does a 120 kW charger need?

Use the rated input data for the exact ordered SKU and have the destination engineer size the upstream system. The supplied 120 kW CCS2 sheet lists 380 Vac ±15% and 194 A, but that cannot be copied into a universal site design.

Is OCPP 1.6J enough?

It depends on the CSMS, security policy and workflows. State the exact required version/features and complete an interoperability test; do not buy on the word “OCPP” alone.

What should be tested before shipment?

At minimum, test the agreed voltage/current envelope, single- and dual-port allocation, protections, HMI, communication, fault recovery and configuration records. Repeat site-dependent functions during SAT.

Send a project-ready 120 kW RFQ

Send HG Power your vehicle matrix, destination, connector requirement, concurrency rule, supply information, environment, backend/payment scope, evidence requirements and quote boundary. We can map the request to the appropriate configuration within the 40–480 kW DC portfolio and return the open assumptions for engineering confirmation.

Technical review: Marvin

Primary references

• IEC 61851-23:2023, DC EV supply equipment: https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/32973
• Open Charge Alliance, OCPP overview: https://openchargealliance.org/protocols/open-charge-point-protocol/
• Open Charge Alliance, current OCPP downloads: https://openchargealliance.org/my-oca/ocpp/
• U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, infrastructure development and cost variability: https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity-infrastructure-development
• HG Power supplied CCS2 120kW Charger Specifications.pdf
• HG Power supplied CCS1 120kW ~ 480kW DC charger user manual（起源二代）.pdf