Electric car charging times

Charging Times on an Electric Car-Your Definitive Guide

In our recent guide to electric car charging we raised a key point which has been consistently ignored, or missed, by much of the recent media opinion on EVs - the charging speed/capability of the vehicle is AS important, if not MORE important than range. For some this might feel slightly contrarian, or controversial, as the UK has so far used a wholesale sales approach of adopting the WLTP overall “range” as the key metric.

Many manufacturers, dealerships and leasing brokers lead with the distance a vehicle can travel on a full charge on any promotions or adverts. But are they wrong for doing so? Is this really an issue? As our previous guide sets out fairly clearly, how we show range of an electric car is fundamentally wrong in the UK’s automotive industry but why we do it is clearly correct and with a good intention. The fact that we do ignore charging capabilities and times is a little more worrying perhaps.

How long will my electric car take to charge?

This is a fairly rudimentary but important submission from any personal or business leasing customer. Without a doubt this is something which should be asked of your electric vehicle provider as this is where so many of the complaints do arise - in particular the charge point queues and delays which were reported from the Christmas period.

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Can my EV use any public rapid charge point?

With regards to the charging of an EV, each customer needs to identify the AC and DC capabilities on their vehicle. As e-car lease set out on all of our leasing deals, the charge power is highlighted to the customer with a small tooltip available to explain why this is important. What many UK customers are not probably aware of is that the AC and DC facets are not even across the various manufacturers and brands, so a one size fits all approach has not been adopted.

The AC capability of an EV is generally about slower and more methodical solutions, which are used at domestic or work premises. In terms of a charge point installation cost, these are far more cost-effective solutions than the Rapid Charge solutions available at service stations and dedicated charging hubs.

For most of our homes, some form of 7 kW dedicated charging point will be used. The only variable configuration will be the compatibility with solar charging and the tethered/untethered cable solutions. For more information on charge points at home, please head to Rightcharge to see the various options for your domicile.

At business premises, because some have a 3-phase configuration, quicker AC solutions may be adopted i.e. 11 kW or 22 kW. But why is this important? As an EV driver, you need to understand the charging capability of your EV so you select the right charge point to connect to.

For example, some EVs can charge at 7, 11 or 22 kW AC at a maximum; in truth the majority will have a 7 kW or 11 kW onboard charger, with 22 kW being far more limited at present. Once you understand the capability, you can then work out the charging times you can expect. As set out on our EV EPC© you will see that we highlight this on AC as a 0 - 100% analysis on the AC facet. The reason for this is that you would never usually rapid charge beyond 80/85%, whereas slower and overnight AC solutions are more likely to be from a low battery to a full battery.

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But if your EV has 11 kW or 22 kW capability, wouldn’t you want to know so that you charge in nearly half of the time?

And for a commercial property landlord or employer, should you be made aware of this so you can make a sensible investment decision on charge points?

As our expert website and EV EPC© will set out, there are some considerable time differences between the various solutions. And if we are to ensure limited delays at charge points and more convenient experiences for BEV drivers, then we need to be more cognisant of these facts. As a real example, the Audi e-Tron GT performance shown can charge at 11 kW so if connected to a 3-phase 22 kW charge point this allows for 9 hour 0 - 100% times. In contrast, the 7 kW would allow the charge in 13 hours and 30 minutes, which is a considerable gap.

When the hard facts and figures are presented to drivers, employers, fleet managers etc there can be more educated solutions put in place. And also consider that charging speed is only improving, with solid-state battery technology and onboard charger improvements - we may see 40-50 kW AC solutions available more quickly than expected.

How a dealership or broker should explain charge times to an EV customer (credit - Rob King)

The DC capability of an EV is more about intermediary charging sessions at key destinations, service stations and charging hubs. Unlike an AC charge point, these are far more expensive for a developer, employer or landlord to put in place. Luckily the e-car lease team operates with one of the UK’s leading commercial charge point companies, Raw Charging , who are able to provide wholesale solutions for landlords, hospitality, property agents and developers.

For example, their latest technology can allow for 300 kW / 1000V charge points to ensure the “quick charge” session is possible. But not unlike AC, each EV will have a maximum capability on the DC element and a driver must understand what this is particularly if they are planning to use top-up charging sessions on a regular basis.

Our website, and EV EPC©, will set this out to you along with a corresponding charging time. As a real example, the Audi e-Tron GT performance shown can charge up to 268 kW, which translates as a 17 minute charging session for 10 - 80%. With rapid charging functions, your EV will taper off at 80 / 85% to protect the battery.

So if you want to be fully charged, you have to swap to an AC point. Using Audi’s electric sports car, if you connect this to a more common 50 kW DC charge point, this would take 1 hour and 15 minutes to achieve the same 10 - 80%. Even a quick 150 kW DC point would be 26 minutes.

The problem is that many customers are not being educated on this and therefore may not make a decision based on charging efficiency, when this should be paramount. For a business customer covering high-mileage, would a 40 - 60 minute rapid charge session really be a convenient use of your time?

The definitive list of the quickest charging EVs in the UK for 2023

So the conclusion is that customers do need to be made aware of what their charging speeds are but, more importantly, why they are important. We suggest that all of our customers utilise Zap Map which can be downloaded to any Android or Apple device.

This will use Google Maps to find you a convenient charging infrastructure on your journey, not only by location but by speed as well.

For the latest electric cars with 200 kW DC+ charging capabilities, you will be directed to some of the quickest charging points available. However, as these facilities tend to charge you more (shown as pence per kWh), this is to be used by those with the suitable EVs only i.e. if your EV can only charge at 50 kW DC, then you should not connect to these points as: 1) you are stopping another EV charging with that capability from charging; and 2) you are likely to pay more for the same speed of charge. Make sense? If not, speak to the UKs most trusted and expert electric vehicle team!

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In terms of the car shown, the Audi E-TRON GT SALOON 390kW Quattro 93kWh 4dr Auto [C+S] (Pure Electric Vehicle), this is based on the following configuration:

Mythos Black Metallic paint
Twin leather – Black
20" aluminium alloy wheels in a 5 twin spoke design in gloss black
Type 2 charging cable (Suitable for Public charging and home wallbox charger – Fast charging)
E-tron sport sound
Radiator grille painted in body colour
Comfort & Sound Package