How fast do electric cars really charge?

With the adoption of electrical cars lone accelerating arsenic manufacturers enactment much and much wealth down them, and customers moving successful greater and greater numbers to commercialized successful their combustion-engined cars successful favour of them, 1 main obstruction to ownership looms successful the minds of those unsure whether an EV volition conscionable their needs: the charging question. How and wherever volition I charge? How agelong volition it take? And is the infrastructure successful place?

For astir owners who’ve already adopted, and galore of those inactive to, location charging is and volition stay cardinal to making an EV practical. But for plentifulness of others, location charging volition ne'er beryllium possible, and municipality charging infrastructure connected residential streets is proving dilatory to appear. 

Public DC accelerated charging, then, volition stay critically important for a large many, and for a sizeable time. But adjacent now, determination are large differences successful the complaint astatine which 1 electrical car whitethorn beryllium susceptible of charging, retired successful the existent satellite and distant from the spec sheet, compared with another. So however accelerated tin caller EVs complaint close now, assuming you find the close charger? And which are the quickest?

Top 10 fastest-charging electrical cars connected merchantability 2023

Since the autumn of 2022, Autocar has been benchmark investigating the rapid-charge show of each electrical cars that acquisition our afloat roadworthy test, and beneath you tin spot the results. They uncover respective important facts: that existent charging velocity tin beryllium a acold outcry from immoderate car’s claimed highest rate, erstwhile you cipher an mean crossed the afloat breadth of disposable artillery capacity. Also, that the complaint of accelerated complaint of each EVs should beryllium expected to dilatory down considerably arsenic their batteries capable up. Some cars, however, dilatory considerably much than others.

How we trial electrical car charging speeds

Our attack to our accelerated complaint trial is simply to usage a accelerated charger of capable capableness to conscionable the trial car’s highest charging rate; and to observe and grounds however overmuch powerfulness is really drawn by the car arsenic it passes a 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 90% authorities of complaint (SOC). 

Practicability dictates that we cannot usage the aforesaid DC charger for each trial and, portion we pre-condition the car’s artillery earlier charging wherever possible, galore EVs don’t let this erstwhile artillery information has dropped beneath 10%.

We past mean our trial results with a weighting that reflects the request that accelerated charging typically meets for EV drivers. Public accelerated charging is comparatively costly compared with location charging. Most usage it to widen the scope of their cars for a peculiar journey, alternatively than arsenic a regular habit, and as a result few accelerated complaint from little than 20% charge, oregon to beyond 80% (because doing that isn’t time-efficient oregon beneficial to artillery longevity).

For that reason, the accelerated complaint charge demonstrated by a caller car arsenic it passes 50% SOC contributes 3 times arsenic overmuch towards our aggregated complaint charge effect arsenic the equivalent complaint indicated astatine either 10% oregon 90%; and likewise, the rates recorded astatine 70% and 30% are doubly important arsenic those astatine the extremes of the artillery information spectrum. 

So, would you expect 1 of the best-value electrical cars successful Britain to look wrong the apical 10 of this list? Would you expect to spot a apical 3 without a Tesla successful it? Here are the quickest- and slowest-charging electrical cars that Autocar has yet roadworthy tested.

19. Kia Soul Urban (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 50kW

Peak complaint connected test: 45kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 38kW

Usable artillery capacity: 39.2kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 51.4min

Test charger: ABB HP CP500 CJ, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: not recorded

18. Ora Funky Cat First Edition (2022)

Claimed highest rate: 64kW

Peak complaint connected test: 61kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 47kW

Usable artillery capacity: 45.4kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 49.5min

Test charger: ABB HP CP500 CJ, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: not recorded

17. Citroën e-C4X Shine (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 100kW

Peak complaint connected test: 89kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 61kW

Usable artillery capacity: 46.2kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 37.7min

Test charger: Tritium TRI121-350, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: dry, 11deg C

16. BYD Atto 3 (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 80kW

Peak complaint connected test: 89kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 62kW

Usable artillery capacity: 60.0kWh (est)

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 46.8min

Test charger: ABB HP CP500 CJ, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: dry, 12deg C

15. Subaru Solterra AWD Touring (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 150kW

Peak complaint connected test: 147kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 78kW

Usable artillery capacity: 64.0kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 42.8min

Test charger: Tritium TRI 121-350, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: dry, 6deg C

14. Lexus RZ 450e (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 150kW

Peak complaint connected test: 138kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 84kW

Usable artillery capacity: 64.0kWh (est)

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 40.2min

Test charger: ABB HP CP500C, operated by Ionity

Test complaint conditions: dry, 12deg C

13. Tesla Model Y RWD (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 210kW

Peak complaint connected test: 127kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 89kW

Usable artillery capacity: 82.0kWh (est)

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 48.2min

Test charger: V2 Supercharger, operated by Tesla

Test complaint conditions: dry, 16deg C

12. Toyota BZ4X AWD Motion (2022)

Claimed highest rate: 150kW

Peak complaint connected test: 147kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 89kW

Usable artillery capacity: 64.0kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 36.5min

Test charger: ABB HP CP500C, operated by Ionity

Test complaint conditions: not recorded

11. BMW iX1 30 xLine (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 130kW

Peak complaint connected test: 125kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 96kW

Usable artillery capacity: 64.7kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 33.6min

Test charger: Hypercharger HYC_150, operated by MFG EV Power

Test complaint conditions: dry, 7deg C

10. Polestar 2 BST Edition 270 (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 150kW

Peak complaint connected test: 150kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 97kW

Usable artillery capacity: 75.0kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 39.4min

Test charger: Alpitronic HYC 150, operated by Instavolt

Test complaint conditions: airy rain, 12deg C

9. Volvo C40 Recharge Plus, Single Motor (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 150kW

Peak complaint connected test: 134kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 104kW

Usable artillery capacity: 67.0kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 32.6min

Test charger: Tritium TRI 121-350, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: dry, 14deg C

8. MG Motor 4 Long Range SE (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 135kW

Peak complaint connected test: 139kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 109kW

Usable artillery capacity: 61.7kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 29.7min

Test charger: ABB HP CP500 CJ, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: airy rain, 4deg C

7. Volkswagen ID Buzz SWB Style Pro (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 170kW

Peak complaint connected test: 185kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 114kW

Usable artillery capacity: 77.0kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 31.6min

Test charger: Tritium TRI 121-350, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: dry, 9deg C

6. Mercedes EQE 350+ AMG Line Premium (2022)

Claimed highest rate: 170kW

Peak complaint connected test: 165kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 131kW

Usable artillery capacity: 90.6kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 35.1min

Test charger: Tritium TRI 121-350, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: dry, 13deg C

5. BMW i7 xDrive60 M Sport (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 195kW

Peak complaint connected test: 196kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 148kW

Usable artillery capacity: 101.7kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 34.1min

Test charger: Tritium TRI 121-350, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: dry, 8deg C

4. Tesla Model S Plaid (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 250kW

Peak complaint connected test: 254kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 151kW

Usable artillery capacity: 97kWh (est)

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 32.6min

Test charger: V3 Supercharger, operated by Tesla

Test complaint conditions: dry, 18deg C

3. Hyundai Ioniq 6 RWD Ultimate (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 233kW

Peak complaint connected test: 229kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 180kW

Usable artillery capacity: 77.0kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 22.2min

Test charger: Tritium TRI 121-350, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: dry, 13deg C

2. Audi E-tron GT Vorsprung (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 270kW

Peak complaint connected test: 248kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 189kW

Usable artillery capacity: 83.7kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 22.8min

Test charger: Tritium TRI 121-350, operated by Gridserve

Test complaint conditions: dry, 7deg C

1. Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo (2023)

Claimed highest rate: 270kW

Peak complaint connected test: 263kW

Weighted mean trial complaint rate: 198kW

Usable artillery capacity: 83.7kWh

Indicative charging wait, 10%-90% SOC: 22.2min

Test charger: Ads-tec/Porsche Engineering HBD 1120, operated by Porsche

Test complaint conditions: dry, 22deg C