How long does it take to charge an electric car?
It depends on three things: the size of the battery, the power of the charger and the most your car can accept. The figures below use an example 60 kWh battery and a car that accepts 11 kW on AC and 100 kW on DC. They are estimates, shown with a likely range.
At home on a 7 kW charger
A 20% to 80% charge adds about 36.0 kWh and takes about 5 h 45 min. A full 0% to 100% charge takes about 9 h 30 min. That is long enough to suit leaving the car on charge overnight. If you are deciding what to install, see the home charger guide for costs, grants and installer quotes. To see how far a charge goes, use the EV range calculator.
At a rapid charger
On a 50 kW rapid charger the same 20% to 80% charge takes about 45 min. On a 150 kW charger it takes about 15 min only if your car can accept 150 kW on DC. A car limited to 100 kW takes the same time on a 150 kW charger as on a 100 kW one.
Why 22 kW often does not help
On AC, the charger passes power to the car's onboard charger, which sets the limit. Many cars accept 11 kW or less on AC, so a 22 kW point gives them no extra speed. Check your car's handbook for its maximum AC rate.
The 80% rule on rapid chargers
Rapid charging slows as the battery fills, because the car reduces power to protect the battery. This page assumes full power to 80% and an assumed 30% of that power above 80%. In the example, 20% to 80% on a 100 kW charger takes about 20 min, while 20% to 100% takes about 45 min. Treat this as a rule of thumb and an estimate.
Example charging times
Computed by the same calculator for a 60 kWh battery and a car that accepts 11 kW on AC and 100 kW on DC, using the assumptions below. These are example inputs, not a specific car.
| Charger | Speed used | Limited by | 20% to 80% | 0% to 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7 kW AC | 3.7 kW | The charger | about 10 h 50 min (10 h 15 min to 13 h) | about 18 h (17 h 5 min to 21 h 35 min) |
| 7 kW AC | 7 kW | The charger | about 5 h 45 min (5 h 25 min to 6 h 50 min) | about 9 h 30 min (9 h 5 min to 11 h 25 min) |
| 11 kW AC | 11 kW | Matched | about 3 h 40 min (3 h 25 min to 4 h 20 min) | about 6 h 5 min (5 h 45 min to 7 h 15 min) |
| 22 kW AC | 11 kW | Your car | about 3 h 40 min (3 h 25 min to 4 h 20 min) | about 6 h 5 min (5 h 45 min to 7 h 15 min) |
| 50 kW DC | 50 kW | The charger | about 45 min (35 min to 1 h) | about 1 h 45 min (1 h 30 min to 2 h 25 min) |
| 100 kW DC | 100 kW | Matched | about 20 min (20 min to 30 min) | about 55 min (45 min to 1 h 10 min) |
| 150 kW DC | 100 kW | Your car | about 20 min (20 min to 30 min) | about 55 min (45 min to 1 h 10 min) |
Assumptions
- Speed is the lower of the charger power and your car's maximum rate for that current type (AC or DC).
- AC: energy added divided by speed, with an assumed 10% charging loss. The likely range runs from 5% faster to 20% slower than the estimate.
- DC: full power up to 80%, then an assumed 30% of that power from 80% to 100%. The likely range runs from 15% faster to 35% slower than the estimate.
- Cold batteries, battery age and shared chargers all change real times.
To see what a charge costs as well as how long it takes, use the EV charging cost calculator.