How long does it take to charge an electric car

One of the biggest questions around EV ownership is “how long does it take to charge an electric car?” You can refuel an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle in a matter of minutes. You may be surprised to learn that you can get a full charge in under an hour, with rapid chargers offering up to 90 miles of range per 30 minutes of charging.

Fully charging your EV takes the longest so most drivers charge from 20-80%. This also promotes long-term battery health

Find out how long it takes to charge an electric car with all types of chargers below and learn some charging tips along the way!

All numbers are estimates - real-world charging times may differ based on make, model, battery, weather conditions and location.

There’s no definitive answer to this as it depends on:

1. Your electric car’s battery size
2. Your electric car’s maximum charge rate
3. The type of charger you’re using

But as a rule of thumb:

Home charging gives 8 to 30 miles per hour of charging.

Public charging gives you 15 to 90 miles per hour of charging.

To make it easier to work out charge times, you can use this EV charge time calculation:

Battery size (kWh) ÷ charge power (kW) = charge time in hours.

E.g. an EV with a 52kWh battery at a 50kW charging point will take just over an hour to charge.

52kWh battery / 50kW charger = 1.04 hours.

The two biggest factors when it comes to charging your electric car are the charger type and battery size.

Charger types vary in power output so this affects how long it takes to charge your EV. The lowest power output offers around 8 miles per hour of charging, whilst the highest power output can complete a full charge in under one hour.

We go more into detail on charger types below.

The larger the battery, the longer it takes to charge. It’s quite simple really. Heavier batteries may even charge slower than smaller batteries when using the same charger type.

E.g. larger, heavier batteries can get around 20 miles of range per hour from a 7kW fast charger. Compared to efficient smaller EVs regaining around 30 miles of range per hour from the same charger.

We’ve based the below information on an average electric car with a 60kWh battery and a 200-mile range.

Charging your electric car at home can range from 8 to 24 hours depending on the charger type.

Charging at home offers the opportunity to regain 8 to 30 miles of range per hour, depending on the type of charger you use.

Standard wall socket charging at 2.3kW to 2.5kW offers around 8 miles of range per hour, fully charging a 60kWh battery with 200 miles of range in around 24 hours.

You can charge your electric car through a standard three-pin wall socket. You need to use a special cable but it’s a very simple process if you can reach a wall outlet.

Depending on battery size, a full charge through this type of outlet can take up to 24 hours. Please bear in mind that standard wall sockets aren’t built to handle constant electric car charging for long periods of time.

Slow wall box charging at 3.7kW offers around 15 miles of range per hour, fully charging a 60kWh battery with 200 miles of range in around 16 hours.

A wall box is the best way to charge your vehicle at home, as you typically get access to plenty of handy features via a companion app. And as wall boxes are built for heavy-duty electric car charging, you can rest assured everything is safe and secure. 

Fast wall box charging at 7kW offers around 30 miles of range per hour, fully charging a 60kWh battery with 200 miles of range in around 8 hours.

You can get wall boxes with higher maximum charging rates. Typically this will be a 7kW charger with anything larger costing a lot to install and use.

Charging your electric car at a charging station can range from 1 to 16 hours depending on the charger type.

Public chargers offer the quickest way to recharge your battery. This includes slower 3.7kW and 7kW chargers on top of faster 22kW and 50kW charging points.

Slow public charging at 3.7kW offers around 15 miles of range per hour, fully charging a 60kWh battery with 200 miles of range in around 16 hours.

This type of public charger offers the same speed as a slow wall box at home.

Standard public charging at 7kW offers around 30 miles of range per hour, fully charging a 60kWh battery with 200 miles of range in around 8 hours.

Standard public chargers offer the same level as a fast wall box at home, ideal if you have time to spare.

Fast public charging at 22kW offers around 90 miles of range per hour, fully charging a 60kWh battery with 200 miles of range in around 2.5 hours.

Fast chargers are your best bet when it comes to pairing speed with efficiency. Frequent use of high-capacity chargers can damage the battery, so a fast 22kW charger gives you a decent amount of range per hour with less risk.

Rapid public charging at 50kW offers around 90 miles of range per 30 minutes, fully charging a 60kWh battery with 200 miles of range in around 1.2 hours.

Rapid chargers are ideal if you’re in desperate need of a quick charge. With one of the highest maximum charging rates around, you can get the majority of your driving range back in just over 30 minutes.

Please bear in mind that frequent use of rapid chargers can damage battery capacity. Only use this type of charger if absolutely necessary.

Five main things affect your electric car’s charging speed. This includes:

The size of your battery directly affects charge time. Larger battery capacities mean longer charging times. A 300-mile range car will understandably take longer to charge than a 150-mile range vehicle.

Charging from empty takes the longest. Top-up charging prevents this, as you charge as and when you can rather than draining and recharging fully. Charging to 100% also takes the longest, so stopping at around 80% is your best bet for quick and efficient charging.

Your battery’s maximum charging rate limits what chargers you can use. An EV with an 11kW max charge rate won’t be able to benefit from the speed of a 22kW fast charger. Instead, the 22kW charger will match your battery’s 11kW limit.

It’s perfectly safe for a car with a lower rate to use a higher power charge point.

E.g. if your car’s rated to receive 50kW, you can use a 150 kW charge point but it will be capped at your car’s rate.

The other way around is true too - if your vehicle’s max charge rating is 11kW, it will only charge at 3.5kW via a 3.5kW charger.

Colder temperatures (anything below 4ºC) affect battery capacity and slightly increase charge times. This weather also makes your car less efficient so you’ll be charging more often.

Using the heating will reduce your range, so consider other ways of staying warm like using heated seats, or warming the cabin when it’s plugged in.

Explore our electric car weather guide for more information.

Below we detail our top electric car charging tips so you can get the most out of your driving range.

Charge from 20%-80%. Depleting the battery to below 10% not only increases the risk of running out of charge but also damages battery health.

Battery longevity is directly tied to how many charge cycles it undergoes. So if you regularly deplete and fully charge, battery capacity will be reduced in years to come.

Your battery will last longer if you regularly charge between 20% to 80% (or similar). This type of charging is also much quicker than waiting for a full charge.

But that’s not to say you should never fully charge - sometimes you need all the range you can get. Just don’t fully charge every day.

Charging at home is the most convenient option. Plug it in overnight and you’ll recuperate your desired amount of charge.

This is made even easier with the range of intuitive remote charging control apps provided by most manufacturers.

Charging at work is another convenient way to top up your battery. Some workplaces offer free charging, whilst some offer a flat rate to use them.

Plug in whilst at work to avoid any downtime or range anxiety.

Always think ahead. Especially if you’re off on a long drive. Plan the route, check for traffic or diversions and plot charging stations along the way.

Knowing where you can stop off will save you hassle later. Most EV smartphone apps offer this as a feature in the navigation functionality.

It may sound simple, but driving carefully and efficiently is another easy way to reduce charging times.

Smooth acceleration and considered braking go a long way, especially with regenerative braking and one-pedal driving systems recouping energy in the background.

Keep an eye ahead and take your foot off the accelerator when possible, and brake well in advance so you don’t lose your momentum.

Read our EV charging tips & best practices to learn more.

Contact your local Pentagon dealership to learn more about EV charging and ownership.