How long does it take to charge an electric car

New electric cars in 2023 usually get delivered with a single 'type 2' cable. This is used to connect the EV to a dedicated EV charger, whether at home, at work at a destination. You end to keep this with the EV on your travels and it supplies a Fast charge (see below).

Historically some electric cars were also provided with a 3-pin plug charging cable, meaning your EV could be charged from a standard domestic socket. The 3-pin plug cable will charge your car at a maximum speed of 3kW, this is also sometimes called ‘slow charging’. Using this cable a Nissan LEAF with a 40kWh battery would take just over 13 hours to charge from flat to full.

We recommend that a 3-pin plug cable should only be used when no other charging option is practicable, given the length of time to charge an EV. They are handy for topping up your charge when visiting friends and family who don’t have a home charger installed.

We don’t recommend using a 3-pin cable as a long-term charging solution.

‘Fast charging’ refers to chargers that can deliver between 7 and 22kW of charge per hour. 7kW fast charging can take place at home on an electric vehicle charge point and on some public charging units too.

Installing an electric car charge point at home that offers 7kW of power will cut your charging time by half or more compared to using the 3-pin plug charging cable for a ‘slow charge’. A home charger will restore your 40kWh Nissan LEAF’s battery from empty to full in around 5 hours. This type of charging is ideal for plugging in overnight and is suitable for homes with off-street parking, 50% of the UK are fortunate enough to have off street-parking.

Meanwhile, higher-powered 22kW chargers can be found out and about in supermarket and shopping centre car parks and can typically provide a full charge in 2 hours for a Nissan LEAF, although this can be longer depending on battery capacity.

If home charging isn’t an option or you’re travelling a bit further afield and need a boost ‘rapid chargers’ are what you need. Unlike other public charging points you won’t need your own cable to connect to a rapid charger, they are hardwired in, and due to the amount of power, the charging units require you won’t find a rapid charger in a domestic setting.

At a rapid charger, you can top up your car from empty to 80% full in just 30 minutes. In the UK most rapid chargers operate at 50kW, however, there are a growing number of rapid chargers capable of delivering 125kW of power and even higher. Just remember that each vehicle model will have a maximum level of charge that it can accept, our website contains a Max Fastcharge data point when lets you know.

As with any rule, there are always exceptions, so if you are a Tesla driver you’ll have access to Tesla’s faster ‘supercharging’ network. Superchargers can charge a car at up to 250kW, delivering 200 miles of charge in just half an hour. Oh, and Tesla just added Netflix to their cars’ infotainment screens – so you can watch your favourite shows while you charge.

If you’re driving for business and attending a meeting or delivering a sales presentation, rapid or superchargers should give you more than enough juice to continue your journey back home or onto your next pitch, without impacting your day or eating into your schedule.

It’s worth noting that rapid charging is more expensive than charging at home. You pay for the convenience of the service, like buying your lunch rather than making it at home. This said, even when rapid charging you are still making significant fuel savings compared to filling up in a petrol or diesel car.

We recommend finding a network or two to use that have good coverage in your area or along the route you’re travelling. Remember to check the type, speed and number of chargers in each location you're planning to use. At DriveElectric we're big fans of Osprey and Instavolt networks, but there's now lots of choice.

By downloading charging apps and creating logins in advance of longer journeys to save time when you are travelling.

Take a look at which service stations are the best for EVs - maybe one of the top 10 is along your travel route.

For your own peace of mind it’s also a good idea to have a practice on a public charger before you start your first long-distance journey. You won't be surprised to know that the first time you use a public charging network it is natural to feel anxious about it.

Plan your charging stops, it’s sensible to stopping for a charge before you desperately need one – topping up along the way means that if there’s a queue at the first charger you stop at, you’ll still have plenty of miles left to carry on to the next charger along your route. It is also worth having a Plan B as well in case of problems with your preferred charger.