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How fast does my electric car really charge?
Tank empty? You drive to the nearest petrol station, fill up in five minutes, and you’re ready for your next trip. Simple.
Charging an electric car is just as easy — even if it sometimes seems a bit more complex. Once you know the basics, charging becomes as simple as refuelling.
But what’s the difference between a 25-minute charge and one that takes 8 hours? And how can you make the best choices for your charging sessions?
Let’s clear things up!
The basics: kWh and kW — what do they mean?
You’ve probably noticed: electric cars don’t use litres, they use kWh (kilowatt-hours) — that’s the amount of energy your battery can store and use to power your drives.
How fast your battery charges depends on three factors:
The size of your battery – how many kWh can it hold?
Your car’s charging capacity – how many kW (kilowatts) can it receive per hour?
The power of the charging infrastructure – how many kW can the charging point deliver?
Other elements also play a role, such as battery temperature and weather conditions. Some cars can preheat their batteries (preconditioning), which helps charging go faster in cold weather.
AC and DC: what’s the difference?
You’ll come across two main types of chargers: regular (AC) and fast (DC).
AC (Alternating Current) chargers: that’s the same current you have at home. Your car converts it into DC (Direct Current), since EV batteries only work with direct current. This conversion happens inside your car via its onboard charger.
DC (Direct Current) fast chargers: these provide DC power directly to your car, skipping the conversion step — meaning much faster charging.
Regular vs fast chargers — which should you choose?
Regular chargers (AC): found at home, at work or at public charging points. Usually charge up to 22 kW. Slower, but cheaper and perfect when your car will be parked for a while.
Fast chargers (DC): located along motorways, supermarket car parks, and at service stations. Deliver much higher power — from 50 kW to even 400 kW — allowing you to charge a large part of your battery in about half an hour.
What determines your EV’s charging time?
Your charging time depends on:
Battery capacity: how many kWh it can hold.
Charger power output: how many kW it provides.
Car’s maximum charging capacity: how many kW it can receive.
Battery level: empty batteries charge faster than nearly full ones.
How to estimate charging time
A simple rule:
Charging time (hours) = Battery capacity (kWh) ÷ Charging power (kW)
Example: a 60 kWh battery charged at an 11 kW point → 60 ÷ 11 ≈ 5.5 hours for a full charge.
In reality, it’ll take a bit longer because charging speed slows down once your battery reaches about 70%.
With the Q8 electric app, you can always see the power (kW) of each charger and its cost per kWh — giving you a transparent overview of your charging time and expenses.
A few smart charging tips
Charge up to 80%. The final 20% takes longer as your car protects the battery from overheating.
Watch the temperature. Batteries charge best between 20 °C and 25 °C. Preheating (preconditioning) helps in cold weather.
Plan your trips. Use apps to find chargers and see how fast they are.
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