How long does it take to charge an electric car?

Charging time comes down to three things: how much energy you need to put in, how powerful the charger is, and how much power your car can accept. The examples below use simple numbers so you can see how it works. Real cars vary, so check your owner's manual or the carmaker's figures for your model.

The simple sum

Battery size is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) and charger power in kilowatts (kW). As a rough guide:

Hours to charge = energy you need to add (kWh) ÷ charger power (kW)

Real charging takes a little longer than this sum, because some energy is lost as heat and the car may not take the charger's full power all the way.

The three main ways to charge

Home socket (3-pin plug or Level 1)

This uses the cable supplied with many EVs and an ordinary household socket. It is the slowest way to charge.

Worked example: a car with a 60 kWh battery, charging from 30% to 80%, needs about 30 kWh. At 2.3 kW that is about 13 hours by the simple sum; at 1.9 kW it is about 16 hours. What Car? reckons a Volkswagen ID.3 with a 55 kWh battery would take about 30 hours from flat to full on a 3-pin plug.

That is fine if you drive only a short distance each day and can plug in every night. For most people it is a back-up, not the main way to charge.

Home wallbox (Level 2)

A wallbox is a dedicated charger fitted to your wall or driveway by an electrician. Most home units in the UK are 7 kW; in the US, the Department of Energy says residential Level 2 units typically deliver about 7.2 kW. Some homes with a three-phase supply, common in parts of Europe, can have 11 kW or 22 kW.

Worked example: the same 30 kWh top-up on a 7 kW wallbox takes about 4 to 5 hours. What Car? puts the 55 kWh ID.3 at about 7 hours 55 minutes from flat to full at 7 kW, and about 5 hours 10 minutes at 11 kW.

There is a catch with faster home chargers: your car has to be able to accept the power. Zapmap gives the example of a Kia EV6, which takes up to 11 kW on AC, so a 22 kW charger does not make it any faster.

Rapid and ultra-rapid public chargers (DC)

These are the big chargers at motorway services and charging hubs. They range from about 50 kW to 350 kW, and the US Department of Energy notes some go up to 500 kW. Your car decides how much of that it actually takes.

Worked examples from published tests:

• Nissan Leaf on a 50 kW charger: about 43 minutes from 20% to 80% (Zapmap).
• Volkswagen ID.3 on a 50 kW charger: about 50 minutes from 10% to 80% (What Car?).
• Kia EV6 on an ultra-rapid charger: about 16 minutes from 20% to 80% (Zapmap).

What Car? adds that going on from 80% to 100% takes about another 15 minutes on the ID.3, a long time for only a fifth of the battery.

Why charging slows down past 80%

Every EV follows a charging curve. The car controls how much power the battery accepts at each stage, mainly to manage battery temperature and limit wear. In What Car?'s description, charging is typically slower below about 10%, fastest roughly between 10% and 50%, and then tapers off past 80%.

This matters most on rapid chargers. On a road trip it is usually quicker to stop at 80%, drive on and charge again than to wait for the last 20%. It is also why carmakers quote rapid-charging times to 80%. On a home wallbox the slowdown matters less, because the car is charging overnight anyway.

What else changes charging time

• Your car's maximum charging rate, both for AC (home) and DC (rapid) charging. Check your owner's manual or the carmaker's specs.
• Cold weather. A cold battery accepts power more slowly, especially on rapid chargers. Many EVs can warm the battery on the way to a charger if you set it as your destination in the car's navigation.
• Battery level when you start. Charging from 10% is quicker per kWh than charging from 80%.
• Shared or busy chargers. Some public sites share power between bays when several cars are plugged in.

Charging safely at home

Have a wallbox fitted by a qualified electrician. If you use a home socket, use the car's own cable, a socket in good condition, and avoid household extension leads unless your owner's manual allows them. Never attempt any work on the car's high-voltage system yourself. For how charging habits affect battery life, see how long do EV batteries last.