We all know that refuelling a car with a combustion engine does not take long: drive to the petrol station, insert the nozzle and a few minutes later the tank is full. It’s not quite that fast with an electric car – but it’s still fast enough to make electric driving absolutely suitable for everyday use.
There is no universal answer to the question of how long it takes to charge an electric car. Sometimes it takes less than 30 minutes, sometimes several hours until the battery is fully charged. This is due to various factors that influence the charging time.
What does the charging time of an electric car depend on?
The built-in charger
The charging time of electric cars differs depending on the model or the capacity of the built-in charger.This converts alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC), as the battery of an electric car can only store direct current.
You may be wondering right now what AC and DC are all about? Then turbocharge your reading and get started with our article “Charging stations for electric car: the difference between AC and DC. “.
The charging station
Household socket, wall box or (fast) charging station? Depending on where an electric car is charged, the charging process takes more or less time. Charging at a fast charging station (also called DC/HPC or direct current charging station) requires the least amount of time as it has up to 300 kW charging capacity.
Household socket
The electric vehicle is connected to an ordinary socket (safety outlet) by a charging cable.
Charging power: 2.3 kW
Charging time: approx. 8 to 14 hours
Please note: we do not recommend charging from a household socket. The household grid is not designed for this kind of permanent high load.
Wall box
The electric vehicle is charged at home via a wall box – a special wall-mounted charging station for electric cars.
Charging power: 11 kW
Charging time: Depending on SOC (state of charge of the battery)
approx. 2 to 6 hours
AC charging station (alternating current)
The electric vehicle is charged at a public AC charging station.
Charging power: 11 kW
Charging time: Depending on SOC (state of charge of the battery)
approx. 2 to 6 hours
HPC/ DC charging station (direct current).
The electric vehicle is charged at a fast charging station with direct current.
Charging power: 22 to 300 kW
Charging time:
- HPC approx. 30 min. to 80%
- DC approx. 1 hour to 80%
Note: Charging capacity and duration vary depending on the car model, capacity and power of the battery.
The battery of the electric car
Not only the battery capacity has an influence on the charging time, but also the current state of charge: the emptier the battery, the faster the charging process. And temperature also influences the charging time: if the battery is cold before charging, it charges more slowly.
At a state of charge (SOC) of 80 percent, the charging capacity is gradually reduced to prevent the battery from overheating and to avoid permanent damage to the battery.
Calculate the charging time of an electric car electric car
To find out how long a particular electric car or model will charge, you can apply a very simple formula:
battery capacity (kWh) / charging power (kW) = charging time (h)
For example, if an electric car is charged with 60 kWh at an AC charging station with 11 kW capacity, the charging time takes approx. 5 hours and 30 minutes.
How to make the most of your charging stops
Waiting for your car to charge can be quite relaxed. You just need to know how. Our article “Charging stops with an electric car: they really can be that easy” shares the best tips with you for laid-back charging stops. Get started now!
Test an
electric car?
It’s never been easier to test an electric car! Clyde is the most flexible car subscription in Switzerland. Simply choose the car that suits you best and select a term between 3 and 48 months and a mileage package between 250 and 4000 kilometres. You pay a fixed monthly rate that covers all the costs for electric cars – even charging.
