If previously, charging time was an obstacle to the purchase of an electric car, this is no longer the case. With the development of electric mobility, manufacturers are offering increasingly powerful and efficient charging stations that allow you to fill up the battery in just a few hours, or even minutes. How long does it take to charge your electric vehicle? Explanations.
What does the charging time of my electric car depend on?
Recharging your electric car battery is not as easy as refueling. The Charging time for your electric car in fact varies according to several factors:
- The electric car model
Each vehicle model has a battery with a different capacity, expressed in kWh (kilowatt hours). The latter generally varies between 15 and 100 kWh. The larger the capacity, the longer it will take to fully charge the car.
- The charging power tolerated by the vehicle
Each car model accepts a limited charging power, expressed in kW. A Tesla Model 3 only accepts 11 kW AC (alternating current), while the Renault Zoé R110 (latest version) tolerates a power of 22 kW AC for example.
- The power of the charging solution
To recharge your car, several devices with different power levels exist. This can range from the reinforced 2.3 kW (kilowatt) AC outlet to the 350 kW (kilowatt) high-power public charging station. - The state of charge
When recharging, a battery is rarely empty. The closer the load level is to 0%, the longer it is necessary to wait to fill up completely.
- The charging cable
To recharge your vehicle optimally, your cable must accept the same power as that delivered by the terminal. If it is connected to a 7 kW wallbox but only tolerates a power of 3 kW, for example, the recharge will then be limited to 3 kW. To make the right choice, there are two types of cables on the market: the single-phase cable supporting a maximum power of 7.4 kW, and the three-phase cable designed to adapt to powers of up to 22 kW.
Also to read: How to choose your electric car charging cable?
Some examples of recharge times
Depending on the power of the charging point, an electric car can take long hours as well as just a few minutes to reach 100% capacity. To better understand, here are four detailed examples.
- The Tesla Supercharger
This Supercharger delivers unprecedented powers of up to 250 kW. This station, accessible only to manufacturer vehicles at the moment, is ideal for long trips or when you need additional charging before getting back on the road. For a Tesla Model S car, this power makes it possible to recover nearly 322 kilometers in 15 minutes.
- High-power charging stations open to the public
Equipped with power levels ranging from 50 kW to 350 kW, these public terminals operate with direct current. With this type of charger, an empty battery can regain up to 80% of its capacity in under 30 minutes. However, like Tesla Superchargers, it is advisable to limit their use to once or twice a week. This type of device can in fact exert excessive pressure on the battery.
- High-power charging stations open to the public
Equipped with power levels ranging from 50 kW to 350 kW, these public terminals operate with direct current. With this type of charger, an empty battery can regain up to 80% of its capacity in under 30 minutes. However, like Tesla Superchargers, it is advisable to limit their use to once or twice a week. This type of device can in fact exert excessive pressure on the battery.
- The fast charging station
Also called “wallbox”, this terminal is intended for individuals, condominiums and businesses. Some powerful solutions offer a power of 22 kW in three phases and a fast charging mode. For a car equipped with a 50 kW battery, this allows you to take advantage of a full charge in 2 hours and 30 minutes and to recover a range of 30 km in just 15 minutes.
- The reinforced domestic socket, the slowest option
On a reinforced outlet, the current oscillates between 10 and 14A depending on the cords. For a car equipped with a 50 kW battery, the time for a full recharge will be the longest and corresponds to 15 hours for a 14A power source.
The best solution? Use a charging station with a maximum power of 7.4 kW in single-phase (single-phase homes) and 22 kW in three-phase (condominiums and businesses) as Qovoltis. This smart charging method offers the choice between a quick charge carried out in a few hours (or minutes) and an optimized recharge to save energy.
