USB Power Delivery
USB · 4 specs
Direct Answer
USB Power Delivery (USB PD) is a separate negotiation protocol governing how much power flows over a USB-C cable -- independent of the cable's data speed. Standard Power Range tops out at 100W (20V/5A); PD 3.1's Extended Power Range (2021) raised that ceiling to 240W (48V/5A), requiring cables with a built-in identification chip.
Source: USB-IF · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| PD 1.0 | 2012 -- up to 60W |
| PD 2.0 | 2013 -- up to 100W (Standard Power Range, 20V/5A) |
| PD 3.1 (EPR) | 2021 -- up to 240W (Extended Power Range, 48V/5A) |
| EPR Cable Requirement | Built-in E-Marker identification chip |
A Cable's Shape Doesn't Guarantee Its Power (or Speed)
USB Power Delivery is a negotiation protocol layered on top of a USB-C connection, not a property of the connector shape itself -- a plain USB-C cable with no special rating is only specified for 60W and USB 2.0-level data by default, and delivers neither faster data nor higher power unless the cable and both connected devices explicitly negotiate for it. That gap between what USB-C looks like it should do and what a specific cable actually supports is one of the more common sources of real-world USB confusion.
PD's power ceiling rose in stages: PD 1.0 (2012) topped out at 60W, PD 2.0 (2013) raised that to 100W within USB PD's original Standard Power Range (20V at up to 5A), and PD 3.1's Extended Power Range, introduced in 2021, pushed the ceiling to 240W by allowing voltages up to 48V at 5A. Reaching EPR's higher wattages requires a cable with a built-in E-Marker identification chip -- without one, a device has no way to confirm the cable can safely carry the higher voltage and current.