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Charging times

How long does it take to charge my electric car?

This depends on many different factors, such as battery size, vehicle charging capacity, type of charging station etc.

Factors affecting the time to charge


The time it takes to charge your electric car will depend on many different factors, such as battery size, vehicle charging capacity, type of charging station, state of charge, and even weather conditions. Below, we cover each of these factors in a little more detail.

Battery size: just like the size of a fuel tank, the size of an electric car's battery determines how much energy a vehicle can hold. Measured in kilowatt hours (kWh)—the electric equivalent of litres of fuel—the bigger the battery, the longer it will take to charge.

Charging capacity of the vehicle: some vehicles can receive a higher input of power than others. Those electric cars that support higher inputs of power, coupled with a compatible charging station, will be able to charge faster.

Charging capacity of the charging station: similarly to the charging capacity of the vehicle, different types of charging stations can output higher amounts of power than others. There are different levels of charging, and generally speaking, the higher the level, the higher the power, and therefore the faster it can charge your vehicle. If you would like to find out more about the different charging levels then head on over to our blog article here.

State of charge (SoC): similar to the fuel gauge in a petrol or diesel vehicle, the state of charge refers to how much energy your electric car currently holds. And like smartphones and laptops, EVs use lithium-ion batteries which degrade faster when drained to zero then fully charged. To counter this, manufacturers put systems in place to limit charging and prevent batteries degrading—typically above 80 percent and below 20 percent. This means charging between these SoC could take longer.

Weather conditions: environmental conditions also play a role in how fast you can charge your electric car. Batteries operate most efficiently when temperatures are between 20°C and 25°C. If the temperature gets too low or too high, the vehicle’s battery management system (BMS) reduces power to protect the battery, and therefore it can take slightly longer to charge.

Approximate time to charge

We have made the following table to give you an approximate idea of how long it takes to charge an electric car from 20 percent to 80 percent SoC, depending on the battery size of an electric car and the power output of a charging station.

Type of EV

Small EV

Medium EV

Large EV

Light Commercial

Battery size (right)

Power output (below)

25 kWh

50 kWh

75 kWh

100 kWh

2.3 kW

10h30m

24h30m

32h45m

43h30m

7.4 kW

3h45m

7h45m

10h00m

13h30m

11 kW

2h00m

5h15m

6h45m

9h00m

22 kW

1h00m

3h00m

4h30m

6h00m

50 kW

36 min

53 min

1h20m

1h48m

120 kW

11 min

22 min

33 min

44 min

150 kW

10 min

18 min

27 min

36 min

240 kW

6 min

12 min

17 min

22 min


For illustrative purposes only: does not reflect exact charging times, some vehicles will not be able to handle certain power inputs and/or do not support fast charging.

If you would like to read more about how long it takes to charge your electric car, then head on over to our blog that covers the subject in more detail here.

Still have questions?

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about electric driving and charging.

Where can I charge my electric car?

You can charge your electric car anywhere you find an accessible charging station.

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How much does it cost to charge my electric car?

It is usually cheaper to charge an electric car than to fill up with petrol or diesel.

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What are the incentives for buying an electric car?

In recent years, both the UK and Ireland have implemented incentives to make it more favourable to buy and own electric cars.

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