How long does it take to charge an electric car and what does it depend on?
Ecology
10 March 2023
There has been a lot of talk about electric cars recently, with most car brands encouraging people to switch to using electrics. However, the way to use such a vehicle is different to an internal combustion car - especially in terms of charging. Refuelling a car takes a few minutes, whereas charging a car depends on several factors. From this article, you will find out how long it takes to charge an electric car and what affects it.
How long does it take to charge an electric car at home?
The long charging time of an electric car is an argument of opponents of this type of vehicle. This is particularly troublesome when travelling long distances, for which a single charge is certainly not enough. The prospect of spending several hours at a charging station does not look very tempting, so in this article we will confront perceptions with reality.
The question of how long an electric car takes to charge can only be answered in one way: it depends. On what? On the capacity of the battery, for example, and on the type of energy we charge the vehicle with. We can choose to charge with alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). The time taken to charge an electric car with AC will be considerably longer, but you can do this in your own home.
An ordinary socket carries a current of 230 volts and 16 amperes. This current is capable of charging 2 to 2.3 kW per hour, so an electric car with a 40 kWh battery will take an average of 20 hours to charge. Charging at home is a long, but by far the cheapest process. In terms of cost, this is a definite saving. If you have the time to do so, it is best to charge your electric car overnight.
How long it takes to charge an electric car depends on the type of electricity and also the device you use. In a domestic environment, instead of a normal socket, you can use a Wallbox, which is a wall-mounted charger that acts as a home charging station. It is capable of charging up to 22 kW in one hour. In theory, therefore, it is possible to charge an electric car much faster with it, but in practice it depends on how much power the car's battery is able to absorb (it can take up to several hours).
How long does it take to charge an electric car at a special station?
Wondering how to charge your electric car in the shortest possible time? Charging stations, which are more and more numerous on the map of Poland every year, can help. These are special places equipped with chargers. You can drive up to them at any time and charge your electric car (as well as a plug-in hybrid), which is an extremely comfortable solution. How long you charge your car at the station depends on which type of electricity you opt for. Stations are increasingly opting for fast DC charging, but there is also the option of charging up to 22 kW per hour. As mentioned earlier, AC charging can take anywhere from a few hours to up to several tens of hours, whereas with DC and fast chargers, the charging time for an electric car can be reduced to as little as 30 minutes. 
What is the difference in charging length for an electric car between a regular charger and a fast charger?
Before we go on to compare how much an electric car charges with a regular charger and how much through a fast charger, let us explain what the difference between charging sockets is. In the case of AC, the Type 2 socket is the standard on the European market, a type that allows charging of up to 22 kW per hour, with the added advantage of being compatible with the CSS standard. In turn, this means that a DC charger can also be connected to the Type 2 socket.
If you are keen to charge your electric car quickly, bet on DC charging. It is available on special charging stations not only with the CSS plug, but also the popular CHAdeMO model. The power of such a charger reaches up to 150 kW, so (depending on the battery capacity) you can charge your electric car in as little as 30 minutes. This will not be a full charge, but up to 80%, but it will be enough to continue on the road.
How often do you need to charge your electric car?
It is worth bearing in mind that both the charging time of an electric car and the charging frequency itself depend on a number of factors. These include, of course, the previously mentioned battery capacity or type of current (AC or DC), but that is not all. Each model also has a maximum charging speed specified by the manufacturer. This means that even if the power of the charger is high, you will still not be able to use it if the parameters of your vehicle do not allow you to do so.
The final charging time also depends on the air temperature - moderate is best, as batteries are harmed by both too cold and hot environments. The total or at least approximate charging time, which depends on all factors, can be checked in a special calculator.
What about the frequency of charging? This is also dependent on the capacity of the battery. Lithium ion batteries, which are most commonly used in electric cars, have a wide range of capacities: from 20 kWh to even 100 kWh (or more). It is assumed that electrics with a range of 200 to 300 kilometres can be charged up to once a week. However, it all depends on how often you use the car. Importantly, such a vehicle does not need, and should not even need, to be fully discharged. Similarly for charging: charging to 100% is sometimes not even advisable. When fully discharging, the efficiency of the battery decreases, so it is best to start 'refuelling' an electric when it has around 40% battery and finish at 80%.
The charging time for an electric car depends on the current used and the capacity of the battery, as well as several other factors. You can choose to charge at home or at a special station.
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