How Long Does It Take to Charge an Electric Car?

Electric car charging times will vary for drivers, because there are a lot of options when it comes to charging your EV. There are different plugs and ports, adapters, and stations available for drivers to utilize. So, drivers have a variety of options that will affect their electric car charging times.

Different EVs utilize different battery packs that have varying charging times, so there’s a lot of variability in EV charging times. But there are three main types of EV charging available to drivers: domestic charging, rapid domestic charging, and public charging. Each have varying charging times that will affect your EV. Read on below to learn more about electric car charging time.

EV Charging Options

1. Domestic Outlet Home Charging (Level 1 Charging): A three-pronged 110V/120V charging outlet (Level 1 Charging) has a slower charging speed, but it’s good for adding some charge to your vehicle overnight. It usually takes 24 hours or more to fully charge your EV. From a low charge, it would take days to charge your vehicle.
2. Installed Brand-Approved Domestic Charging (Level 2 Charging): Level 2 Charging are usually professionally installed and are brand-specific to your EV. They’re usually 240+ volt chargers and are significantly faster than Level 1 Charging. Your electric car charging time can generally take hours compared to days. It’s possible to obtain an 80% charge in an hour or less with Level 2 Charging, but the last 20% usually take longer since there’s a diminishing rate of charging speed.
3. Public Charging: Many places like parking garages, hotels, malls, and even workspaces can provide charging stations for your EV. You’ll likely find charging stations at larger national stores. Charging stations are becoming more and more common each day as well as EVs become more and more accessible. Charging speed may vary, but they often provide Level 2 Charging for the sake of convenience.

Electric Car Charging Time: At Home

Again, expect different charging times domestically depending on your Charge Level:

• Level 1 Charging: Days to fully charge from a low battery. Level 1 Charging is better for topping off your vehicle or if it’s going to be sitting for awhile.
• Level 2 Charging: Hours to fully charge from a low battery. Generally, your car will finish charging after a night of charging.
• Level 3 Charging: Most Evs will take an hour or less to charge. If most aren’t fully charged, most will gain a significant amount of charge.

Unfortunately, Level 3 Charging is only offered at public locations for the most part, but it remains the fastest option. Many drivers rely on Level 2 Charging at home and Level 3 Charging when out and about for that reason. Remember that’s it’s also important to keep your EV in good shape, especially its battery.

If you own a plug-in hybrid, your charging times are probably lower. Usually, a plug-in hybrid will take around 1-4 hours to fully charge, because they don’t rely totally on electricity to function. If you’re driving shorter distances daily, you’ll likely only use electric power and save yourself money on gas.

Electric Car Charging Time: In Public

For the most part, home chargers have 3.7 kW or 7 kW charging rates. Public stations generally offer 22 kW charging, 43-50 kW rapid charging, and 150 kW rapid charging. Again, you can generally get a fully charge in an hour or so. In other situations, it could also be 4, 6, or 11 hours.

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