How much time is taken to charge an electric vehicle?

India is witnessing a large shift from ICE vehicles to sustainable electric vehicles.Consumers have started accepting the change because of the advantages of electric vehicles such as lower running costs, their positive impact on the environment, and economic opportunities.Still many future EV owners are willing to know more about charging time taken to charge EV.This article will focus on the how much time EV takes to charge.

What is electric vehicle charging

Electric vehicles (EVs) store energy in the form of charge in their battery packs. The process of EV charging is basically a transfer of energy from an electrical energy source to the battery pack of a vehicle.

Home EV charging

Home EV charging involves plugging your vehicle into an electrical outlet to charge the battery. The charging process can take several hours, depending on the size of the battery and the charger used. There are two main types of charging for EVs: Level 1 and Level 2.

Level 1-This is a slow charging option.Level 1 charging uses a standard household power outlet and a charging cable that comes with your EV. This type of charging can take up to 20 hours to fully charge a battery, which is why it's best suited for overnight charging.

Level 2-Level 2 charging option requires a 240-volt outlet and a Level 2 charging station.This is a faster charging option.This charging station can be installed in your home and can charge your EV up to six times faster than Level 1 charging. Level 2 charging can fully charge an EV battery in four to eight hours.

How long does it take to charge electric car

One can charge their EV at home. With Type 1 AC charger, you can charge from an AC socket, but at 3 kWh it is too slow.

A typical battery of 60 kWh in an EV takes about 8 hours for a 0 to 100 percent charge using a charging point of 7 kW.

Using a 50 kW fast charger, you can top up the EV range by 160 km in about 35 minutes of charging.

Factors that affect charging speeds

Battery Size: Bigger battery capacity will take longer to charge.

Battery Status (empty vs. full): Charging from empty will take longer than charging from half-full.

Maximum charging rate of vehicle: Charging speed is limited by the vehicle’s maximum charging rate, so you won’t charge any faster even on a charging point with a higher charging rate.

Maximum charging rate of chargepoint: Charging speed is also limited by the maximum charging rate of your chargepoint. Charging at a charging point with a charging rate lower than that of your vehicle is not recommended.

Weather: It tends to take longer to charge at a lower temperature, particularly when using a rapid charger. Also, your car is less efficient at a lower temperature; so you cannot add much to the travel distance per time charging.

How frequently one must charge EV

The battery capacity of your car decides how often you need to plug in the charger. The batteries with lower capacity discharge faster than high-capacity EV batteries.

The charging frequency depends a lot on how often you use your vehicle every day. The more you drive, the more frequently you will have to charge the battery pack for your next journey.

EV batteries lose their charge faster during cold weather. Thus, you may have to charge them more frequently when driving in cold climate conditions.

Summing Up

With a home EV charger, you can control when you want to charge your vehicle. You don’t need to go all the way to a public charging station and wait in line to charge your EV. The charging time will depend on several factors, such as the type of EV, the size of its battery, and the charging speed of your equipment. On average, Level 2 charging can take 3-8 hours, while Level 1 charging can take up to 15-20 hours.