How Long Does It Take to Charge Your Electric Vehicle?
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By | 02 May 2022

How Long Does It Take to Charge Your Electric Vehicle?

Today's Article covers How long does a dc fast charger take? Most non-electric car drivers believe that charging takes an eternity. However, because power is ubiquitous, some drivers may charge their cars mostly at home or at work, where they can "load up" while sitting all day or all night. Furthermore, most non-EV drivers are unaware of DC fast charging, which allows vehicles to charge in 15-60 minutes.

What Is DC Fast Charging?

An electric automobile may be charged at three different levels: Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast Charging (sometimes called Level 3). At each level, an electric vehicle (EV) is charged at a different pace. The slowest is Level 1, while the quickest is DC Fast Charging (DCFC). 

AC Level 1

Level 1 charging occurs when a motorist puts their automobile onto a conventional wall socket. It's the most fundamental kind of charge. It's also the slowest. Level 1 charging is a practical way to charge for folks who don't drive a lot each day and can charge at home because it doesn't require installing an AC Level 2 charger.

AC Level 2

A 208–240-volt circuit is utilized for Level 2 charging (like the kind used for electric dryers). They charge in roughly 5-6 hours instead of 20+ hours like Level 1 chargers. Level 2 chargers are most commonly seen in areas where vehicles are parked for an extended period and charge speed is less important (like at home or work). Level 2 charging outlets can also be found in public places like malls and shopping centers.

Read more: How to charge EV car dc charging? Is Charging EV easy?

DC Fast Charging

If AC Level 1 and Level 2 chargers are analogous to dial-up Broadband, DC Fast Charging is analogous to fiber internet. To recharge the battery, electric vehicles transform AC power from the grid to DC electricity while charging on Level 1 or 2. How long does a DC fast charger take? DC Fast Chargers do this conversion internally and supply DC power straight to the car, resulting in a considerably quicker and more powerful charge.

EV battery sizes have grown as the industry has progressed, allowing for a better driving range. Fast chargers have grown and improved in power to fill these batteries in the shortest period feasible. Fast chargers for passenger electric vehicles range from 25kW to 350kW, with even higher-powered chargers available for heavy-duty electric vehicles such as semi-trucks. For the greatest charging experience, know the maximum power at which your EV can be charged as well as the power of the charger you plug into.

Explanation of DC Fast Charging

·         AC charging is the most accessible type of charging — outlets can be found practically anywhere, and almost all EV chargers found in homes, shopping malls, and offices are Level 2 AC chargers. An AC charger supplies power to the vehicle's onboard charger, which converts the AC electricity to DC before entering the battery. The onboard charger's acceptance rate varies per brand, although it is limited due to cost, space, and weight considerations. This implies that depending on your car, charging at Level 2 can take anywhere from four to five hours to more than twelve hours.

·         Bypassing all the constraints of the onboard charger and the associated conversion, how long does a DC fast charger take? DC Fast Charging provides DC power straight to the battery, allowing charging speed to be considerably enhanced. Charging periods vary depending on the battery size, dispenser output, and other factors, but most DC fast chargers can provide an 80 percent charge in roughly or under an hour.

·         High mileage/long-distance travel and big fleets require DC rapid charging. The rapid turnaround allows drivers to recharge throughout the day or during a short stop rather than having to plug in overnight or for several hours to get a full charge.

·         Older vehicles were limited to charging at 50kW on DC units (if they could charge at all), but newer vehicles are now available that can accept up to 270kW. Because battery size has risen dramatically since the first EVs were introduced, DC chargers have gotten ever larger outputs to keep up, with some being capable of up to 350kW.

·         CHAdeMO, Combined Charging System (CCS), and Tesla Supercharger are the three forms of DC fast charging currently available in North America.

Why do some EVs charge to 80% in 20 minutes while others take 60 minutes?

How long does a DC fast charger take? The DCFC duration, as previously stated, varies greatly. One BEV can charge in 20 minutes using DC Fast Charging, while the other can take three times as long. Because of the amount of electricity each car can manage during charging, this is the case. 

The maximum DCFC rate in most basic EVs today is roughly 70 kW. The Chevy Bolt, Hyundai Kona EV, and Kia Niro EV are among these automobiles. Premium EVs, like the Tesla Model 3, Audi E-Tron, or Ford Mustang Mach-E, on the other side, can charge at up to 150-250 kW. As far as the batteries are roughly the same size, the EV that can charge quicker will have a shorter charging time. 

It's crucial to remember, though, that this is only true if the EV is charging at a DCFC station capable of charging at the highest pace the EV can handle. For example, if the Tesla Model Y is plugged into a 100 kW DCFC station, the Model Y will only charge at that rate, even though the car is capable of charging at a greater rate.

Why is 80 percent DC fast charging expressed in minutes?

A charging curve is something that all BEVs have. To safeguard the battery's health, this reduces the amount of electricity flowing into it. The amount of power the car can tolerate is quite high when the battery power is low.

How long does a DC fast charger take? The quantity of power available decreases as the battery charges. To project the battery's long-term life, all manufacturers have built the automobile to drastically lower the amount of electricity flowing into the battery once it reaches 80 percent. 

As a result, merely charging 80% during DCFC is ideal for the car and the driver's time. Because the power level is so much lower, this charge curve rule does not apply to Level 1 or Level 2 charging. 

 Top-up charging?

Most electric vehicle owners plug in to charge anytime they park, whether it's at home overnight or at the grocery, gym, or job during the day. This is referred to as top-up pricing.

  • Rather than letting the battery run down and waiting for it to fully recharge, drivers take advantage of the time their car is parked (which is around 95 percent of the time).
  • Charging ports in public and workplaces generally vary from 7kW to 22kW, making them perfect for top-up charging. In this guide, we'll show you how to get public charging.
  • Keeping your electric car charged and ready to go is as simple as combining daytime top-up charging with overnight charging at home.

Charger speed is influenced by several factors.

How long does a DC fast charger take? The time taken to charge an electric vehicle is influenced by five key elements.

  • Battery Size: The larger the battery life capacity (measured in kWh) of your car, the longer it will take to charge.
  • Battery Status Charging from a dead battery will take longer than charging from a half-charged battery.
  • Max charging rate: You can only charge EV's battery at the car's maximum charging rate. If your vehicle's maximum charge rate is 7kW, utilizing a 22kW ChargePoint won't make it any faster.
  • Max charging rate of ChargePoint: The maximum charging rate of the ChargePoint you're using will also restrict the amount of time it takes to charge. On a 7kW ChargePoint, for example, even though your car can charge at 11kW, it will only charge at 7kW.
  • Factors influenced by the environment: When utilizing a quick charger, a cooler ambient temperature might make charging take a little longer. Because automobiles are less efficient in colder conditions, fewer miles are added every time charging.

Conclusion

Electric vehicle charging is a challenging topic. There are several nuances and exceptions, as proven. Each EV motorist will eventually understand the ins and outs of charging. It might take as little as 30 minutes or as long as 12 hours to charge an electric automobile. This is dependent on the battery's size and the DC charging stations pace. From empty to full, a typical electric car (60kWh battery) takes a little under 8 hours to charge at a 7kW charging station. Most drivers prefer to top up their batteries rather than wait both emit to recharge from empty to full. With a 50kW quick charger, you can add up to 100 miles of range to many electric cars in under 35 minutes. The longer it takes to charge from empty to full, the larger your car's battery is and the slower the EV charging station is.

Efficiency: DC charging stations are increasingly integrated with renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, enhancing the sustainability of EV charging.