Why is China’s Civil Voltage 220V, while the United States uses 110V?

More than a hundred years ago, there was a fight about electricity in the United States. Tesla’s side beat Edison’s side. Alternating current (AC) beat direct current (DC) and became the main way to transmit electricity.

Before this, Edison had already set up a big DC network. The voltage was set at 110 volts, so DC was also set at 110 volts to use the existing equipment well.

So why did China choose 220V later on?

1. America’s 110V Voltage

The start of the United States’ electricity voltage goes back to the Second Industrial Revolution. Edison found that light bulbs worked best at 110 volts. That’s why 110 volts was chosen.

Back then, the era of using electricity was just starting. Electricity, as the main energy for factories, was much better than steam. The United States also found that AC was better than DC for industrial use.

At first, the United States also wanted to change the voltage, but because the use of electricity in homes came before industrial changes, many big 110-volt appliances were already in people’s houses.