How long do EVs take to charge? (Explained!)
Electric vehicles have become more and more common on Canadian roads, but many things need to be clarified about the time to charge an EV. It can take anywhere from a half hour to overnight to charge an electric car as it depends entirely on the size of the vehicle's battery pack and the speed of the charging point.
The larger your electric vehicle's battery pack, the longer it will take to charge, especially with slow charging points fully. An electric car with a 60kWh battery will take 15 hours to charge from empty to full at the bottom end Level 2 charge point.
Most EV owners find it more convenient to top up their charge rather than waiting for the battery to become completely flat and then charge it to full. Using a Level 3 Charging Station can add around 120 km range with one-hour charging for the average electric vehicle.
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How long do EVs take to does it take to charge an electric car fully?
So, how long do EVs take to charge? Here are some examples using vehicles available from Myers.
| Vehicle | Charging Time from Empty to Full | |||||
| Model | Battery | Range | Level 1
1.4-1.9kW |
Level 2
7kW (Typical) |
Level 2
19.2kW (Top End) |
Level 3
50kW (Typical) |
| 2018 Nissan Leaf | 40kWh | 240km | 29 hrs | 8 hrs | 2 hrs | 1 hr |
| 2019 Hyundai Ioniq | 58kWh | 140km | 42 hrs | 8 hrs | 3 hrs | 1 hr |
| 2023 Hyundai Kona | 64kWh | 415km | 46 hrs | 9 hrs | 3,5 hrs | 1,5 hrs |
Points to Note:
Electric vehicles can charge at any point, but they will only charge at their maximum charge rate. The Range is affected by personal driving style, conditions, temperature, accessories, etc.
Top-Up Charging
Most drivers of electric cars tend to plug in whenever they park if there is the infrastructure to support this. This is called top-up charging and can take place anywhere the vehicle is parked.
What Range Will You Get From an Hour of Top-Up Charging?
It is advantageous for electric car drivers to understand how far they can go on a quick top-up.
| Level 1
1.4 |
Level 2
3.9kW - 19.2kW |
Level 3
50kW |
| ± 4-8km from a 60-minute charge | ± 19-128km from a 60-minute charge | ± 5-60 km per minute of charge |
What Affects Charging Speed?
Several factors affect your charging speed. The first is the size of the battery pack. The larger the battery pack, the longer it will take to charge. If the battery pack is flat, it will take longer to charge than if, for example, it is half full.
Every electric vehicle has a maximum charging rate. While you can connect at any charging point, your car will not charge faster than its maximum charging rate. This rate can be found in your owner's manual.
Lastly, environmental factors will affect this rate. The colder the air temperature, the longer the vehicle will take to charge. Colder temperatures also slightly affect the distance you can travel on a full or top-up charge.
Conclusion
The world is rapidly moving toward electric vehicles, and installing a Level 2 Charging Station at home is not a complex procedure. Myers has fantastic electric cars available in our showroom, so come in a take a test drive.