As you might already know, there's many benefits to getting behind the wheel of an electric vehicle. These include less maintenance costs; a smooth, noiseless drive; not to mention an environmentally-friendly way of getting from A to B.
But for a lot of drivers (yourself included, perhaps), there's one potential stumbling block: how long do they take to charge?
We admit, it can get a little complex, and there's no one-size-fits-all answer here. Electric batteries and charging points come in various shapes and sizes.
Luckily, we're to make it all that little bit less complicated. So for all your charging-time needs, please do read on!
Electric Car Charging Speed Calculator
It all comes down to one simple formula:
Battery size (kWh) ÷ Charger power (kW) = Charging time (hours)
For example, it would take a 100kWh battery 40 minutes to go from empty to full using a 150kW charger. But if the charger only delivered electricity at 50kW, it would take as long as two hours (as 100 divided by 50 = 2).
Charging Speed at Home
Home is where the heart is, and it's safe to say that being able to plug your car in overnight and wake up to a fully-charged vehicle would be the ideal situation for most of us.
Unfortunately, depending on where you live, getting access to a home plug-in point isn't always possible. If it is, then you can either use a domestic three-pin plug socket or get a wall-box installed. A domestic socket will get the job done, but a wall-box will deliver faster and safer charging. Without one, it could take longer than a day to charge a vehicle with one of the bigger batteries.
Most homes are compatible with a 7kW charger, and you're generally looking at a cost of at least £700 to get your home charging point set up.
Public Charging Points
At the last count, there were around 22,000 electric car charging locations across the UK.
You can find them at supermarkets, workplaces and service stations, to name just a few locations. And the best news is that the number's growing all the time, particularly as the country prepares for the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.
7kW outlets are some of the most common for public charging points. These typically give your electric vehicle 20 or 30 miles range per hour.
Of course, most things cost money, and use of a public charger usually isn't free. Certain supermarket charging points may not cost you, but others will likely require you to subscribe to a particular provider or use a pay-as-you-go method.
If there isn't already a dedicated charging point at your workplace, it might be worth asking your employer if it's possible to get one. That's because there's a Workplace Charging Scheme government grant which can help cover the costs for businesses looking to install chargers. The grant covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charge points (inclusive of VAT).
Rapid Charging Points
Expected charge time: 20-60 minutes.
These chargers are usually rated at 50kW (but can reach up to 150kW or more), so you'll be able to charge a typical electric vehicle from empty to 80% in less than an hour.
Rapid chargers use one of two special connector types (known as CCS and CHAdeMO). They're found on most fully-electric vehicles.
And the good news is that fast-charging technology just keeps getting better. It's fast becoming a more popular method of charging, particularly for domestic use.
Slow Charging Points
Expected charge time: 6-12 hours.
Usually running at about 3kW, you might still find these chargers at public charging points, but more often than not they'll be the portable type featuring a three-pin plug for use with a domestic electricity supply.
To take just one example, you can expect a Nissan Leaf with a 40kWh battery to achieve a full charge in under six hours when using a 7kW or under 2 hours for a 22kW charger.
If you don't cover many miles, then slow charging gives you an easy way to top-up the car’s cells overnight. The slow charge rate means that less heat is generated in the battery, which can help prolong its life.
Tesla Supercharger Speed
Expected charge time: under 40 minutes.
If you lease an electric car, you'll have access to an exclusive global network of chargers. As the biggest and best electric car brand around, Tesla boasts 2,000 stations with 20,000 chargers across the world. Most of them are rated at 150kW.
It does come at a cost, though. Although drivers of older Tesla models enjoy free access to the supercharger network, new customers can expect to pay around 28p per kWh.
Unfortunately, vehicles from other manufacturers with a CCS charging port aren't compatible with Tesla's supercharger network, though there is a chance that could change in the future.
Factors That Affect Charging Speed
There's always exceptions to the rule, but generally speaking, the bigger your car battery, the more power it delivers and the longer it will take to charge.
Here's the five main factors which affect charging speed:
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Size of battery: The bigger your vehicle’s battery capacity (measured in kWh), the longer it's going to take to charge.
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Maximum charging rate of vehicle: Your electric vehicle will have a maximum charge rate for its battery. For example, a charge rate of 7kW won't be made any faster by using a 22kWh charge point.
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Maximum charging rate of charging point: Likewise, the max charging rate of the actual charge point is going to play a part. For example, even if your vehicle can charge at 11kW, it's only going to charge at 7kW on a 7kW charge point.
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Battery percentage (empty vs full): It goes without saying that if you're charging from empty, it's obviously going to take a lot longer than if you were charging from 50%. The first 80% of capacity fills up much more quickly than the last 20%.
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Environmental factors: Research shows that extreme heat has a negative effect on electric vehicle battery health, reducing its capacity over an extended period of time. This results in shorter ranges and the need for more frequent charging. (To help remedy this, we'd recommend parking in the shade.)
In a similar way, colder temperatures can also have a negative impact, meaning the vehicle becomes less efficient and more miles are added per time charging. A colder ambient temperature makes charging times slightly longer, especially when using a rapid charger.
What is Top-up Charging?
Top-up charging is when you charge your electric vehicle during times that it's parked, whether that be outside a supermarket, a gym or your place of work. That's instead of letting the battery go to zero and having to recharge from empty to full.
This 'on the go' method of charging can help you get the best of both worlds, combining daytime top-up charging with overnight home charging as an effective way to keep your electric vehicle ready 24/7.
Save Time by Planning Ahead
If you're going on a holiday or road trip using your electric car, you can plan your journey ahead by searching for the public charging points en route.
Thankfully, the UK is well-supplied with an extensive network of public chargers, but you can always use tools like Zap-Map live map to check which particular ones will be most ideal. These search engines can also let you know if certain chargers are not working. There’s even a handy route planner tool which allows you to select filters such as driving range, average speed and elevation.
Summary
So, long story short: when it comes to electric charge times, it's complicated. How long it takes to charge can depend on what battery size your electric car has, what charging points you have access to and how much battery you've already used, among other factors.
BUT . . . as you've seen, there are different options available. If a home charging point isn't possible for you, then go with a public one. If you don't want to do one big charge at night, then top up throughout the day.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
(And if you've yet to begin your electric journey, you can always check out the best lease deals on electric cars and vans.)
FAQs
How long will an electric car run on a full charge?
The average distance on a full charge is around 211 miles, although the Mercedes-Benz EQS can stretch to around 453 miles.
Do electric cars charge while driving?
Unfortunately, as of 2023, no electric cars can be charged whilst driving. That would defeat the point in having charging stations! A manual connection to an external charger is required.
How fast is a 7kW charger?
A 7kW charger can top up most batteries from 10% to 80% in less than eight hours.
Can you charge an electric car in 10 minutes?
Not yet, but a recent breakthrough in battery technology could make it possible in the not-so-distant future.