The uptake of electric vehicles in New Zealand is rapidly increasing and there is a desire for information about charging systems. This information is required by consumers, engineers, and businesses interested in installing charging infrastructure. This project was completed during the 2015-2016 summer break and aimed to enhance the University of Canterbury EPECentre’s knowledge of charging technologies. In addition to gaining a general understanding of charging technologies, detailed research into rapid DC chargers using the CHAdeMO protocol was conducted. The project also included the building and testing of an open source 12kW rapid DC charger using the CHAdeMO protocol. This paper combines the findings of researching the numerous charging technologies with the practical experience of building the charger. Although the charger was not tested with a compatible car due to time constraints, it was successfully built and initial testing was completed. Plans are also underway to conduct more comprehensive testing on the charger to fully characterise it.