Electric car battery charging times are infamous for being extremely long and therefore cumbersome. However, is this true? In many cases, the time will be considerably shorter than you may think. Don't believe it? See how long it takes to charge an electric car and how much you can save by using an electric car!
Charging time for an electric car - what does it depend on?
The charging time of an electric car depends on four factors. The first three are the capacity of the car's battery, the technological constraints used to extend the life and ensure the safety of the battery's top-up, and the power of the charger used. How much an electric car charges is also dependent on the level of charge at the start of the energy top-up process.
Charging electric cars at home and at charging stations - where is faster?
The charging time for an electric car can range from half an hour to almost a day. The fastest way to recharge the battery is by using the fast chargers available at filling stations. The car's short top-up time is made possible by using direct current (DC). In addition, the "electric car" can also be recharged using chargers with lower power output. These use alternating current (AC), which means that charging takes several hours. Such devices can be used not only at stations. There are also wall chargers (wallboxes) for home use which can top up the battery at a comparable rate. The car can also be charged from a domestic socket - just like a smartphone, for example. How long does it take to charge an electric car in this case? Unfortunately, a long time. Depending on the vehicle model, it can be several hours or more.
Electric car charging times vs. individual electric car models
In tandem with the high power and range of an electric car, the capacity of its battery also increases, and thus the time to charge the battery increases. Furthermore, the maximum power of the charger is not always possible. How much an electric car actually charges can be seen from several vehicle models.
The battery capacity of the Renault Zoe electric car is 52 kWh. When this car is plugged into a socket with an average power output of 2.5 kW, it takes around 20 hours to charge the vehicle. When using a home wallbox or a 22 kWh public charger, this time is reduced to around 2.5 hours. It is not always possible to use the full potential of a given charger. For example, the Nissan Leaf is a car where the manufacturer has applied a charging power limitation of 6 kW. The charging time at the station or from the wallbox in this case is around 4 hours, and from the socket around 10-11 hours. However, this is possible because of the 24 kWh battery. Charging the car's battery can also be really short. An example of this would be the Audi e-tron, whose battery you charge with up to 150 kW. How long does it take to quickly charge an electric car with such capabilities? Just 45 minutes. At home, using a wall charger, the car can be charged in around 7 hours.
The examples given here to explain how long to charge an electric car refer to the situation of topping up the battery from 0% to 100%. In reality, the time required for charging would be shorter. The charging level recommended by car manufacturers is usually 20%-80%.
How much does it cost to charge electric cars?
The optimal way to charge the car is to use a wall charger in the garage for this purpose. The amount you have to charge in this case is the same as if you were charging your vehicle from a socket.
An example of this is the Škoda Enyaq iV. This car is powered by an 82 kWh battery, which translates into a range of up to 534 km. An average electricity rate of PLN 0.50 per kWh of electricity results in a cost of PLN 41 for a full charge of the car. This price can be reduced to zero when using photovoltaic panels.
Knowing how long it takes to charge an electric car at a station using a fast charger may encourage people to use this method. However, due to the price of such a service, it is better to do it only when needed. This is because it usually costs between PLN 1 and less than PLN 3 per kWh. The price depends on the power of the charger. Those that are faster will be a greater expense for the driver. In the case of the Škoda Enyaq iV, the cost of charging at 0.99 PLN/kWh will be 81.18 PLN.
The charging time for an electric car battery is not always as long as is sometimes thought. Modern batteries make it possible to reduce it to an acceptable period and enjoy a range comparable to that of combustion cars. What is more, charging an electric car can also be inexpensive - making these types of vehicles an interesting alternative to combustion counterparts.
