KINGXOUL Machinery

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World Electricity Standards Voltage

Automatic wire stripper suppliers KINGXOUL is a leading manufacturer of automatic wire stripping and crimping machine in wire processing marketplace.

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KINGXOUL Machinery

There is no standard mains voltage throughout the world and also the frequency, i.e. the number of times the current changes direction per second, is not everywhere the same. Moreover, plug shapes, plug holes, plug sizes and sockets are also different in many countries. Those seemingly unimportant differences, however, have some unpleasant consequences.
Most appliances bought overseas simply cannot be connected to the wall outlets at home. There are only two ways to solve this problem: you just cut off the original plug and replace it with the one that is standard in your country, or you buy an unhandy and ugly adapter.

While it is easy to buy a plug adapter or a new “local” plug for your “foreign” appliances, in many cases this only solves half the problem, because it doesn’t help with the possible voltage disparity. A 110-volt electrical appliance designed for use in North America or Japan will provide a nice fireworks display – complete with sparks and smoke – if plugged into a European socket.

It goes without saying that the lack of a single voltage, frequency and globally standardized plugs entail many extra costs for manufacturers and increase the burden on the environment.

Voltage and frequency

Europe and most other countries in the world use a voltage which is twice that of the US. It is between 220 and 240 volts, whereas in Japan and in most of the Americas the voltage is between 100 and 127 volts.

The system of three-phase alternating current electrical generation and distribution was invented by a nineteenth century creative genius named Nicola Tesla. He made many careful calculations and measurements and found out that 60 Hz (Hertz, cycles per second) was the best frequency for alternating current (AC) power generating. He preferred 240 volts, which put him at odds with Thomas Edison, whose direct current (DC) systems were 110 volts. Perhaps Edison had a useful point in the safety factor of the lower voltage, but DC couldn’t provide the power to a distance that AC could.

When the German company AEG built the first European generating facility, its engineers decided to fix the frequency at 50 Hz, because the number 60 didn’t fit the metric standard unit sequence (1,2,5). At that time, AEG had a virtual monopoly and their standard spread to the rest of the continent. In Britain, differing frequencies proliferated, and only after World War II the 50-cycle standard was established. A big mistake, however.

Not only is 50 Hz 20% less effective in generation, it is 10-15% less efficient in transmission, it requires up to 30% larger windings and magnetic core materials in transformer construction. Electric motors are much less efficient at the lower frequency, and must also be made more robust to handle the electrical losses and the extra heat generated. Today, only a handful of countries (Antigua, Guyana, Peru, the Philippines, South Korea and the Leeward Islands) follow Tesla’s advice and use the 60 Hz frequency together with a voltage of 220-240 V.

Originally Europe was 110 V too, just like Japan and the US today. It has been deemed necessary to increase voltage to get more power with less losses and voltage drop from the same copper wire diameter. At the time the US also wanted to change but because of the cost involved to replace all electric appliances, they decided not to. At the time (50s-60s) the average US household already had a fridge, a washing-machine, etc., but not in Europe.

The end result is that now, the US seems not to have evolved from the 50s and 60s, and still copes with problems as light bulbs that burn out rather quickly when they are close to the transformer (too high a voltage), or just the other way round: not enough voltage at the end of the line (105 to 127 volt spread !).

Note that currently all new American buildings get in fact 230 volts split in two 115 between neutral and hot wire. Major appliances, such as ovens, are now connected to 230 volts. Americans who have European equipment, can connect it to these outlets.

World-Electricity-Standards-Power-110v-220v-world-wide

The power supply (voltage and frequency) and the types of outlets differ between countries, there is no international standard. Below is a list of outlet types, if you don’t see your destination country mentioned, check the outlet type in Voltage and Outlet Types by Country chart.

spread of plugs around the world

electricity plugs and sockets type A-D

electricity plugs and sockets type e-h

electricity plugs and sockets type i-l

electricity plugs and sockets type m-o

COUNTRY VOLTAGE FREQUENCY OUTLET TYPE
Afghanistan 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Albania 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Algeria 230 V 50 Hz C / F
American Samoa 120 V 60 Hz A / B / F / I
Andorra 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Angola 220 V 50 Hz C
Anguilla 110 V 60 Hz A
Antigua 230 V 60 Hz A / B
Argentina 220 V 50 Hz C / I
Armenia 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Aruba 120 V 60 Hz A / B / F
Australia 240 V 50 Hz I
Austria 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Azerbaijan 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Azores 230 V 50 Hz B / C / F
Bahamas 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Bahrain 230 V 50 Hz G
Balearic Islands 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Bangladesh 220 V 50 Hz C / D / G / K
Barbados 115 V 50 Hz A / B
Belarus 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Belgium 230 V 50 Hz E
Belize 110 V / 220 V 60 Hz B / G
Benin 220 V 50 Hz E
Bermuda 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Bhutan 230 V 50 Hz D / F / G
Bolivia 230 V 50 Hz A / C
Bosnia & Herzegovina 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Botswana 230 V 50 Hz D / G
Brazil 127 V / 220 V * 60 Hz A / B / C / I
Brunei 240 V 50 Hz G
Bulgaria 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Burkina Faso 220 V 50 Hz C / E
Burundi 220 V 50 Hz C / E
Cambodia 230 V 50 Hz A / C / G
Cameroon 220 V 50 Hz C / E
Canada 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Canary Islands 230 V 50 Hz C / E / L
Cape Verde 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Cayman Islands 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Central African Republic 220 V 50 Hz C / E
Chad 220 V 50 Hz D / E / F
Channel Islands (Guernsey & Jersey) 230 V 50 Hz C / G
Chile 220 V 50 Hz C / L
China, People’s Republic of 220 V 50 Hz A / C / I
Colombia 110 V 60 Hz A / B
Comoros 220 V 50 Hz C / E
Congo, People’s Rep. of 230 V 50 Hz C / E
Congo, Dem. Rep. of (formerly Zaire) 220 V 50 Hz C / D
Cook Islands 240 V 50 Hz I
Costa Rica 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Côte d’Ivoire
(Ivory Coast)
220 V 50 Hz C / E
Croatia 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Cuba 110 V / 220 V 60 Hz A / B / C / L
Cyprus 230 V 50 Hz G / F**
Czech Republic 230 V 50 Hz E
Denmark 230 V 50 Hz C / E / K
Djibouti 220 V 50 Hz C / E
Dominica 230 V 50 Hz D / G
Dominican Republic 120 V 60 Hz A / B
East Timor 220 V 50 Hz C / E / F / I
Ecuador 110 V 60 Hz A / B
Egypt 220 V 50 Hz C / F
El Salvador 115 V 60 Hz A / B / C / D / E / F / G / I / J / L
Equatorial Guinea 220 V 50 Hz C / E
Eritrea 230 V 50 Hz C / L
Estonia 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Ethiopia 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Faeroe Islands 230 V 50 Hz C / K
Falkland Islands 240 V 50 Hz G
Fiji 240 V 50 Hz I
Finland 230 V 50 Hz C / F
France 230 V 50 Hz E
French Guyana 220 V 50 Hz C / D / E
Gabon 220 V 50 Hz C
Gambia 230 V 50 Hz G
Gaza 230 V 50 Hz H
Georgia 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Germany 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Ghana 230 V 50 Hz D / G
Gibraltar 230 V 50 Hz C / G
Great Britain (see United Kingdom)
Greece 220 V 50 Hz C / D / E / F
Greenland 230 V 50 Hz C / K
Grenada 230 V 50 Hz G
Guadeloupe 230 V 50 Hz C / D / E
Guam 110 V 60 Hz A / B
Guatemala 120 V 60 Hz A / B / G / I
Guinea 220 V 50 Hz C / F / K
Guinea-Bissau 220 V 50 Hz C
Guyana 240 V 60 Hz A / B / D / G
Haiti 110 V 60 Hz A / B
Honduras 110 V 60 Hz A / B
Hong Kong 220 V 50 Hz G
Hungary 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Iceland 230 V 50 Hz C / F
India 230 V 50 Hz C / D / M
Indonesia 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Iran 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Iraq 230 V 50 Hz C / D / G
Ireland (Eire) 230 V 50 Hz G
Isle of Man 230 V 50 Hz C / G
Israel 230 V 50 Hz H / C
Italy 230 V 50 Hz C / F / L
Jamaica 110 V 50 Hz A / B
Japan 100 V 50 Hz / 60 Hz ** A / B
Jordan 230 V 50 Hz C / D / F / G / J
Kenya 240 V 50 Hz G
Kazakhstan 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Kiribati 240 V 50 Hz I
Korea, North 110 V / 220 V 60 Hz A / C
Korea, South 110V / 220 V 60 Hz A / B / C / F
Kuwait 240 V 50 Hz C / G
Kyrgyzstan 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Laos 230 V 50 Hz A / B / C / E / F
Latvia 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Lebanon 230 V 50 Hz C / D / G
Lesotho 220 V 50 Hz M
Liberia 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Libya 127 V / 230 V 50 Hz D / F
Liechtenstein 230 V 50 Hz J
Lithuania 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Luxembourg 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Macau 220 V 50 Hz D / G
Macedonia 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Madagascar 127 V / 220 V 50 Hz C / D / E / J / K
Madeira 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Malawi 230 V 50 Hz G
Malaysia 240 V 50 Hz G
Maldives 230 V 50 Hz D / G / J / K / L
Mali 220 V 50 Hz C / E
Malta 230 V 50 Hz G
Martinique 220 V 50 Hz C / D / E
Mauritania 220 V 50 Hz C
Mauritius 230 V 50 Hz C / G
Mexico 127 V 60 Hz A
Micronesia, Federal States of 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Moldova 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Monaco 230 V 50 Hz C / D / E / F
Mongolia 230 V 50 Hz C / E
Montenegro 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Montserrat 230 V 60 Hz A / B
Morocco 220 V 50 Hz C / E
Mozambique 220 V 50 Hz C / F / M
Myanmar (Burma) 230 V 50 Hz C / D / F / G
Namibia 220 V 50 Hz D / M
Nauru 240 V 50 Hz I
Nepal 230 V 50 Hz C / D / M
Netherlands 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Netherlands Antilles 127 V / 220 V 50 Hz A / B / F
New Caledonia 220 V 50 Hz F
New Zealand 240 V 50 Hz I
Nicaragua 120 V 60 Hz A
Niger 220 V 50 Hz A / B / C / D / E / F
Nigeria 230 V 50 Hz D / G
Norway 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Oman 240 V 50 Hz C / G
Pakistan 230 V 50 Hz C / D
Palau 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Panama 110 V 60 Hz A / B
Papua New Guinea 240 V 50 Hz I
Paraguay 220 V 50 Hz C
Peru 220 V 60 Hz A / B / C
Philippines 220 V 60 Hz A / B / C
Poland 230 V 50 Hz C / E
Portugal 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Puerto Rico 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Qatar 240 V 50 Hz D / G
Réunion Island 230 V 50 Hz E
Romania 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Russian Federation 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Rwanda 230 V 50 Hz C / J
St. Kitts and Nevis 230 V 60 Hz D / G
St. Lucia 230 V 50 Hz G
St. Vincent 230 V 50 Hz A / C / E / G / I / K
Samoa 230 V 50 Hz I
San Marino 230 V 50 Hz F / L
Saudi Arabia 110 V / 220 V *** 60 Hz A / B / C / G
Senegal 230 V 50 Hz C / D / E / K
Serbia 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Seychelles 240 V 50 Hz G
Sierra Leone 230 V 50 Hz D / G
Singapore 230 V 50 Hz G
Slovakia 230 V 50 Hz E
Slovenia 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Somalia 220 V 50 Hz C
South Africa 230 V 50 Hz D / M
Spain 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Sri Lanka 230 V 50 Hz D / G / M
Sudan 230 V 50 Hz C / D
Suriname 127 V 60 Hz C / F
Swaziland 230 V 50 Hz M
Sweden 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Switzerland 230 V 50 Hz J
Syria 220 V 50 Hz C / E / L
Tahiti 220 V 50 Hz / 60 Hz C / E
Tajikistan 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Taiwan 110 V 60 Hz A / B
Tanzania 230 V 50 Hz D / G
Thailand 220 V 50 Hz A / B / C
Togo 220 V 50 Hz C
Tonga 240 V 50 Hz I
Trinidad & Tobago 115 V 60 Hz A / B
Tunisia 230 V 50 Hz C / E
Turkey 230 V 50 Hz C / F
Turkmenistan 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Uganda 240 V 50 Hz G
Ukraine 230 V 50 Hz C / F
United Arab Emirates 240 V 50 Hz G
United Kingdom 230 V 50 Hz G
United States of America 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Uruguay 220 V 50 Hz C / F / I / L
Uzbekistan 220 V 50 Hz C / F
Venezuela 120 V 60 Hz A / B
Vietnam 220 V 50 Hz A / C / G
Virgin Islands 110 V 60 Hz A / B
Yemen 230 V 50 Hz A / D / G
Zambia 230 V 50 Hz C / D / G
Zimbabwe 240 V 50 Hz D / G

Brazil has no standard voltage. Most states use 127V electricity (Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Maranhão, Pará, Paraná, Rondônia, Roraima, Sergipe and Minas Gerais). Other (mainly northeastern) states are on 220V (Alagoas, Brasília, Ceará, Mato Grosso, Goiás, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Santa Catarina and Tocantins). Although in most parts of the states of Bahia, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul 127V is used, the cities of Santos, Jequié, Jundiaí, São Bernardo do Campo, Novo Friburgo, Bagé, Caxias do Sul and Pelotas run on 220V. The states of Pernambuco and Piauí use 220V, except for the cities of Paulista and Teresina (127V).

Although the main voltage in Japan is the same everywhere, the frequency differs from region to region. Eastern Japan uses predominantly 50 Hz (Tokyo, Kawasaki, Sapporo, Yokohama, Sendai), whereas Western Japan prefers 60 Hz (Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Hiroshima).

Saudi Arabia uses 110V in many parts of the country, such as the Dammam and al-Khobar area (situated in the eastern province of Ash Sharqiyah). 220V is commonly used as well, especially in hotels.

Updates and corrections: Countries can and do change their name, power supply and outlet design. The information provided here is a guideline and cannot to be relied upon as 100% accurate. We welcome any updates or corrections from your personal traveling experience.