Written by With electric vehicles gaining more and more popularity, most interested drivers wonder about the details of charging. One of the most common questions asked is, how long does it take to charge an electric car? While the answer depends on several factors, knowing the key elements that influence charging time will help drivers make the right decision. In this article, we shall examine various factors affecting how long it takes to charge an electric car and provide guidelines on how to optimize the charging times.
1) Type of Charger:
The type of charger used is one of the main factors that determine the amount of time it will take to charge an electric vehicle. The main three types of chargers differ in their speeds and characteristics as discussed below:
i) Level 1 Chargers (120V):
Level 1 chargers are the slowest charge and usually come with a vehicle. These chargers connect to a standard household outlet for charging, offering a charge approximately 2 to 5 miles of range per hour. An electric vehicle filled using a Level 1 charger may need to charge anywhere from 12 hours to 24 hours more, depending on the battery capacity inside your vehicle and the initial state of charge.
While Level 1 charging is the most convenient, it’s really only suitable for overnight charging or for vehicles with smaller batteries.
ii) Level 2 Chargers (240V):
Level 2 chargers are faster and are commonly used in public charging stations as well as home installations. These chargers run on a 240-volt circuit and charge much faster than Level 1 chargers. A Level 2 charger would get you about 10 to 60 miles per hour of charge.
Most electric vehicles take between 4 to 8 hours from completely empty to completely full, depending on the size of the battery when charged by a Level 2 charger.
Level 2 chargers are ideal for home use or in a situation where you want to get a charge in public areas, such as shopping malls, workplaces, or parking garages.
iii) DC Fast Chargers (Level 3):
DC Fast Chargers, or Level 3 chargers, are the fastest type of charger. They can charge an electric vehicle within 30 minutes or less. These chargers use DC and charge much faster. For instance, they could add up to 80% of battery capacity in just 30 minutes. However, these chargers are only usually available at public charging stations, especially along highways and major routes.
While these chargers are very fast, frequent use of DC fast charging can degrade the battery over time, so it’s recommended to use them sparingly and opt for Level 2 chargers when possible.
2) Battery Size:
The size of your electric car’s battery plays a major role in determining charging time. Larger batteries take longer to charge because they require more energy. For instance, a car with a 60 kWh battery will take significantly less time to charge than a car with a 100 kWh battery, even when using the same charging level.
Most of the electric vehicles sold today have batteries that range between 30 kWh and well over 100 kWh. For instance, a Tesla Model 3, which has a battery of 54 kWh will take roughly 10 hours to fully charge using Level 2, while a Tesla Model S with 100 kWh battery will require more than 16 hours on the same charger.
It is worth noting that the bigger the battery size, the more is its range but also requires more time to charge. Drivers are also supposed to consider their distance they cover in a day as they decide on their choice of vehicle and best available charging solutions.
3) State of Charge (SOC):
The state of charge, or how much charge remains in your battery, can have a huge influence on how long it takes to charge an electric vehicle. Generally speaking, charging is faster when the battery has a lower charge (i.e., it’s closer to empty), but it may slow down as the battery approaches full capacity.
This is due to the way battery charging works—towards the end of the charging cycle, the system limits the current to protect the battery and avoid overcharging.
This would mean, for example, that if a car has a battery charged to 20%, charging to 80% will probably be faster than filling up from 80% to 100%. It is sometimes known as “charging taper,” where the charge slows down when the battery is close to full. Knowing this can enable drivers to more effectively time their charge cycles, being aware that the last 20% can take substantially longer than the first 80%.
4) Temperature:
Temperature is another factor that affects the charging time of your electric car. Hot and cold temperatures can influence the speed at which your electric car charges, but cold weather has a more significant impact on it.
i) Cold Weather:
In colder temperatures, the internal resistance of the battery rises, and charging slows down. Cold weather can even reduce the overall efficiency of the battery, meaning it takes longer to charge. Also, to charge optimally, a battery needs to warm up to a certain temperature, which further contributes to charging times.
ii) Hot Weather:
Conversely, very high temperatures can also result in slower charging because of increased thermal resistance inside the battery. This can pose a risk of overheating, and for this reason, most electric vehicles have cooling systems installed within them to control temperature while charging.
These can be partly neutralized by having a controlled charging environment (for example, a garage) or by utilizing the thermal management system that is included in many EVs.
5) Charging Infrastructure:
The condition and availability of charging stations will also determine how long it will take for your electric vehicle to fully charge. Modern and well-maintained charging stations are probably faster to charge your car than those that are older or even outdated.
The location of the charging station also matters—the charging stations located in busy areas or with higher usage may have longer wait times, slowing down the overall process. Moreover, public charging stations have different charging speeds depending on the type of charger (Level 2 vs. DC fast chargers) and the number of available chargers at the location.
6) Charging Cable and Vehicle Compatibility:
Another critical aspect is the type of charging cable and whether your vehicle is compatible with the charger. Electric cars can charge more quickly if their onboard chargers are faster than those of other cars, provided they use compatible charging equipment. For instance, a vehicle fitted with a 7 kW onboard charger will charge faster than a vehicle fitted with a 3.3 kW onboard charger if both use a Level 2 charger.
The vehicle and charging station need to be compatible for optimal charging. There are also different types of connectors used by the different manufacturers of EVs, and compatibility can impact the time required for charging.
7) Usage Patterns:
The frequency of charging your car and the extent you deplete the battery during discharge also determine the times taken to charge. For example, if you frequently charge your car when the battery has risen to above 20% before it drops to very low levels, you will realize that more frequent charging takes less time since not much energy is required to top up the battery. This contrasts with allowing the battery to drop to lower levels that take longer to recharge.
The Final Words:
The time it takes to charge an electric car is influenced by a variety of factors, from the type of charger used to the temperature and the vehicle’s battery size. Understanding these elements can help drivers optimize their charging habits, whether they’re at home or using public charging stations. By selecting the right charging infrastructure, planning for temperature variations, and considering battery capacity, drivers can manage their expectations and ensure a smoother charging experience. With time, charging technology is likely to evolve further, making charging times for electric vehicles come down, thus making owning an EV the most convenient it has ever been.