Average charge times for your new EV charging point
If you’re considering making the switch to an electric vehicle (EV), you may be wondering about how long it takes to charge the battery. After all, charging times are one of the biggest drawbacks of EVs when compared to traditional fuel cars. You also don’t want to be stranded on the side of the road waiting for your car to charge! However, there are a few things to keep in mind that will help you understand EV charging times a bit better.
It’s important to know that there are three different types of charging points, slow, fast, and rapid. If you opt for a slow charging point, they will typically charge at 3kW or 6kW, they are most suited for overnight charging due to their speed. It will take around 14 hours to charge a common EV from empty to full.
Fast charging points will charge between 7kW and 22kW, this is the most common option for Non-Residential buildings as they take around 7 hours to fully charge an EV.
However, the rapid charging point will charge at 50kW, providing the most charge for the least time – an hour for 80%
Of course, the charging times are influenced by many variables, including the size of the EV’s battery. If your car is equipped with a large battery, it will inevitably take longer to charge, for example a 40kWh battery could be fully charged in around 6 hours using a 7kW charger, whereas a 90kWh battery will take significantly longer at around 13 hours.
The make and model of a vehicle also heavily influences the charge time, as different EV’s have max charge rates. So, if your car can only charge at max 7kW using a 22kW charger will not reduce charging time.
The current charging state of the vehicle is also a factor if you are only topping the charge up it will significantly decrease the time to achieve full capacity.
Let’s not forget that weather plays a vital role in charging times, a colder temperature will increase times. In addition, when the weather is cold the vehicle will become less efficient as you use more features such as heaters for yourself and the windscreen to de-ice the car, this will drain the battery faster, reducing the average miles.
But how many miles will you get for the hours you charge?
- Slow chargers will give around 15 miles range per hour
- Fast chargers will give around 30-90 miles range per hour (7kW-22kW)
- Rapid chargers will give up to 200 miles in half an hour
As you can see, there are quite a few variables that can affect how long it takes to charge an electric vehicle. The size of your car’s battery, the type of charger you’re using, and even the make and model of your car can all play a role. However, with some consideration, you can easily find an EV charger that will be the perfect fit you.
