How long does it take to charge an electric car? [2023]

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How Long Does It Take to Charge an Electric Vehicle? [2023]
Last Updated: November 15, 2023
EVBox

The time required to charge an electric vehicle (EV) depends on several factors. To give you a rough idea, here’s a quick overview of estimated average charging times.

How Long Does It Take to Charge an Electric Vehicle?

• Using a fast-charging station (Level 3): Charging a mid-sized electric vehicle typically takes between 17 and 52 minutes.
• Using a home charging station (Level 2): Charging a mid-sized electric vehicle typically takes between 1 hour 45 minutes and 6 hours.
• Charging your vehicle without a charging station using a standard household outlet (Level 1): A mid-sized vehicle takes approximately 19 hours to charge.
  Approximate time to charge a battery from 20% to 80% state of charge (SoC). For illustrative purposes only: does not reflect exact charging times, as some vehicles may not support certain power inputs and/or fast charging.

Charging an Electric Vehicle: A New Experience for Many
Electric mobility is gaining momentum, so much so that France aims to produce two million electric vehicles by 2030. However, this new concept remains unclear for many and raises doubts and uncertainties.

Beyond the cost and range of EVs, one of the main concerns for EV drivers is charging time. Our study with Ipsos showed that 30% of potential EV drivers are worried about the time it takes to charge an electric vehicle.

Let’s address some of these concerns by looking at the charging times outlined below.

EV Charging Times

EV Charging Level	Charging Session Output Power	Small EV (40 kWh battery)	Mid-sized EV (65 kWh battery)	Large EV (90 kWh battery)
Level 1	2.3 kW	11h 36m	18h 50m	26h 05m
Level 2	7.4 kW	3h 36m	5h 51m	8h 06m
Level 2	11 kW	2h 25m	3h 56m	5h 27m
Level 2	22 kW	1h 08m	1h 45m	2h 27m
Level 3	50 kW	32 min	52 min	1h 12m
Level 3	100 kW	16 min	26 min	36 min
Level 3	150 kW	–	17 min	24 min
Level 3	240 kW	–	11 min	15 min
Level 3	300 kW	–	8 min	11 min

Approximate time to charge a battery from 20% to 80% state of charge (SoC). For illustrative purposes only: does not reflect exact charging times, as some vehicles may not support certain power inputs and/or fast charging.

How Long Does It Take to Charge Your Electric Vehicle?
To find out the estimated charging time for your electric vehicle or a specific model you’re considering, use our free search tool, which provides key specifications.

But what affects an EV’s charging time? The answer isn’t as straightforward as it seems, as several factors come into play.

Electric Vehicles vs. Combustion Engine Vehicles
If you’re reading this article, you may not be very familiar with electric mobility.

Before diving into the details, it’s important to understand that charging an EV isn’t the same as refueling a gasoline vehicle. Typically, drivers of combustion engine vehicles fill up their tanks when the gauge indicates they’re running low.

For EVs, instead of waiting for the battery to be completely drained before recharging, most drivers charge whenever they park. This is called opportunity charging. It means that every parking moment—at home overnight, at work, or at the supermarket—can be used to keep the battery topped up and ready to go. Additionally, a good practice for battery longevity is to avoid letting it fully discharge before recharging.

Yes, charging an EV takes longer than filling up a gas tank. But in most cases, you won’t notice, as you’ll be doing more important things during that time.

What Affects an Electric Vehicle’s Charging Time?

1. Battery Size
   Just like the fuel tank of a combustion engine vehicle, an EV’s battery size determines the amount of energy the vehicle can store. Measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh)—the electric equivalent of liters for gasoline—the larger the battery, the longer it takes to charge.

Larger vehicles, like the Porsche Taycan or Tesla Model S, require more power than others. With batteries of 90 kWh and 100 kWh, respectively, these vehicles take longer to charge than smaller ones with the same power output. However, once fully charged, they offer a much greater range than vehicles with smaller batteries.

2. State of Charge (Empty or Full)
   Similar to a fuel gauge, the state of charge (SoC) refers to the amount of energy your EV can use between “full” and “empty.” Simply put, it’s the percentage of your EV’s battery charge relative to its total capacity at a given moment.

Due to battery chemistry, a battery with a low SoC can accept a much higher power input than one with a high SoC. As shown in the chart below, charging speed gradually decreases as the EV’s battery approaches full capacity.

This is why an electric vehicle charges from 0% to 80% much faster than from 80% to 100%.

Charts showing AC and DC charging curves.

3. Vehicle Charging Capacity
   A larger battery can store more power, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it charges faster, as some vehicles can handle higher power inputs than others. For example, the Tesla Model 3 has a fast-charging capacity of 250 kW, while the smaller Peugeot e-208 is compatible with a maximum fast-charging rate of 101 kW. This makes a significant difference in charging time. So:

• Charging a Peugeot e-208 on a 240 kW charging station means it will charge at a maximum of 101 kW, as that’s its limit.
• Charging a Tesla Model 3 on the same 240 kW station means it will charge at a maximum of 240 kW (even though it can handle up to 250 kW), as that’s the station’s maximum output.

Thus, a smaller battery doesn’t always mean faster charging. Although the Tesla’s battery is larger than the Peugeot’s, it will still charge faster with a fast-charging station.

4. Weather Conditions
   Environmental conditions, particularly temperature, play a significant role in an EV’s charging speed. Batteries perform optimally at temperatures between 20°C and 25°C. If temperatures drop too low or rise too high, charging time may increase slightly, especially with fast-charging stations. This is because the battery management system (BMS) reduces charging power to protect the battery when temperatures are too high or too low.
5. Output Power
   There are different charging levels, and generally, the higher the level, the faster your vehicle charges. Let’s compare them to learn more.

Electric Vehicle Charging Times for All EV Charging Levels

Level 1 Charging
What is Level 1 charging?
Level 1 charging refers to plugging your EV’s charging cable into a standard household outlet.

EV charging time with Level 1 charging
Charging via a household outlet is the slowest way to charge an EV. Standard household outlets provide up to 2.4 kW (10 A), equivalent to about 6 to 8 kilometers of range per hour. For example, fully charging a 50 kWh Peugeot e-208 with Level 1 charging would take about 24 hours and 30 minutes. This method is not only slow but can also be unsafe, as it offers no protection against overloads. Learn why we discourage this charging method.

Level 2 Charging
What is Level 2 charging?
Level 2 refers to charging your EV using a dedicated charging station installed at home or connected to a building’s power supply. Due to their cost and charging speed, Level 2 stations are commonly found in residential and commercial areas.

EV charging time with Level 2 charging
Depending on the output power and vehicle type, a Level 2 charging station charges 5 to 15 times faster than a standard outlet.

Level 2 charging stations come with a wide range of charging capacities. One hour of charging provides approximately 40 kilometers of range with a 7.4 kW station, about 60 kilometers with an 11 kW station, and about 120 kilometers with a 22 kW station. These calculations are estimates based on an average battery consumption of 18 kWh per 100 kilometers.

For perspective, fully charging a 101 kW Peugeot e-208 on an 11 kW Level 2 charging station would take just 5 hours and 15 minutes, much faster than the Level 1 charging example above.

Level 3 Charging
What is a Level 3 charging station?
Also known as DC fast charging, Level 3 charging uses direct current (DC) to charge a vehicle. In short, Level 3 stations deliver more power, faster, making them ideal for locations where parking time is short, such as gas stations and commercial vehicle depots. With higher voltage, DC stations are significantly more powerful than Level 1 and 2 stations.

EV charging time with Level 3 charging
As the name suggests, DC fast charging is the quickest way to charge an EV, taking just minutes instead of hours for most vehicles. Level 3 charging stations come in various forms, sizes, and charging capacities. These differences, combined with the variety of vehicles and batteries, mean that charging speeds and times can vary significantly.

The Future of EV Charging
Electric vehicle technology is constantly evolving, and it won’t be long before EV charging becomes even faster. New battery technologies and improvements in fast-charging standards are continuously increasing EV charging speeds. With EVBox’s new DC charging station already offering up to 400 kW output, a range of 100 km can be achieved in just three minutes of charging.

For the future, many scientists and engineers are already working to further accelerate charging times. A team of Harvard researchers recently designed a lithium-ion battery prototype that, in laboratory conditions, can charge over 50% of its total capacity in just three minutes and repeat the process thousands of times without significant performance degradation. According to the researchers, this could pave the way for batteries capable of fully charging even faster.

Learn More About EV Charging
There’s no simple answer to the question of how long it takes to charge an electric vehicle, but we hope this overview has given you a better understanding by explaining the various factors (vehicle type, battery, charging station used, and weather conditions).

If you’d like to learn more about electric vehicle charging or are considering buying an EV for the first time, check out our comprehensive EV charging guide to discover everything you need to know on the subject