Have you wondered how long it takes to charge an electric car? With 2.1 million electric cars sold worldwide just last year, the shift from motor-driven to electric is becoming a massive trend amongst drivers.
The answer to the question ‘how long does it take to charge an electric car’ is one that prospective buyers need to know.
If you’re in the market of buying an electric car and have been curious about this question, we’ve got you covered. Keep scrolling to find out how long it takes in this guide.
Types of Charging
There are different types of charging situations that you may run into, and all of these situations have different charge times. Let’s go over them.
Home Charging
This is the most common method of charging an electric car. Factors that contribute to how fast your electric vehicle can charge depend on two things: The quantity of electricity needed to charge the battery and the power supply.
The car battery of an electric vehicle is measured in kWh (kilowatt-hours). An easy formula to remember what the total charging time is as follows:
Total charging time = kWh / kW
For instance, if you have an electric battery that is rated at 42kWh, it will take six hours to fully charge if it’s plugged into a 7kW power supply.
Most standard three-pin home sockets typically draw about 3kW, which can take a long time for the car to charge. This is why most owners purchase rapid charging stations for their homes to speed up the process. A 7kW power supply is typical for home charging.
Public Charging
Charging stations located in public vary in two different scenarios: rapid chargers and fast chargers.
Fast charging is classified by being in the 7kW to 50kW range. Anything over 50kW would be considered rapid charging. Tesla owners can take advantage of the Supercharger network, where charging speeds are anywhere to 120kW upwards of 250kW.
That means charging could be done in as little as sixteen minutes!
Top-Up Charging
Top-up charging is a method of charging your electric while the car still has power. Whether you’re at home or a public charging station, top-up charging is an excellent way to keep your car charged up as much as possible. If you buy solar, you can top up easily as well.
Other Charging Considerations
Charging time also depends on several factors. Putting these factors into considerations will help you determine how long it will take your car to charge fully:
- How long you’ve been driving your vehicle
- How depleted your battery is
- Size of your battery
- Type of charging station you’re using
Knowing these can help you determine if you need a full charge or you just simply need to top-up charge.
How Long Does it Take to Charge an Electric Car
If you use the formula kW / kWh, you’ll get your answer to the question ‘how long does it take to charge an electric car.’ Just remember to factor in the other considerations when charging your car, as mentioned above.
If you found this article helpful, please make sure to share it on social media, and check out the other content on our website.