How long does it take to charge an electric car?
Quick answer
Home charger (7kW)
About 5 hours
Rapid (50kW)
About 45 min
3-pin plug
About 16 hours
It depends on two things: how much energy you're adding, and how fast the charger can deliver it. For a typical car with a 60 kWh battery, charging from 20% to 80% adds 36 kWh. That takes about five hours on a 7kW home charger, around 45 minutes on a 50kW rapid charger, and roughly 16 hours from a 3-pin plug.
The times in the box above are for that 20% to 80% charge on a 60 kWh battery.
Charging times by charger type
| Charger | Typical power | 20% to 80% (36 kWh) | Empty to full (60 kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-pin plug | 2.3kW | About 16 hours | About 26 hours |
| Home charger | 7kW | About 5 hours | About 9 hours |
| Fast public charger | 22kW (most cars take 7 to 11kW) | About 3 to 5 hours | About 6 to 9 hours |
| Rapid charger | 50kW | About 45 minutes | Not recommended above 80% |
| Ultra-rapid charger | 150kW and above | About 15 to 30 minutes, if your car can take it | Not recommended above 80% |
Worked out as energy added divided by charger power, then rounded. Real times vary with your car, the weather and the battery's temperature.
Why your car might charge slower than the charger
Your car sets a limit too. Every EV has a maximum charging speed. On AC chargers like home and 22kW public chargers, many cars are limited to 7kW or 11kW. So a 22kW charger won't charge them any faster than that. On rapid chargers, each car has its own DC limit, and many can't use the full power of a 150kW or 350kW charger.
Charging slows down near full. To protect the battery, cars charge quickly up to around 80%, then slow sharply. That's why rapid charging times are usually quoted to 80%, and why it's often quicker to stop at 80% and carry on driving.
Cold weather slows it too. A cold battery charges more slowly, especially on rapid chargers. Many cars can warm the battery on the way to a charger if you set it as your destination in the satnav.
How long does it take to charge at home?
Most drivers charge overnight on a 7kW home charger, which adds about 25 miles of range an hour. In the six or seven cheap hours of an EV tariff, that's 40 to 50 kWh, or roughly 150 miles. That covers most people's daily driving several times over. See our guide to the best home EV chargers.
Common questions
How long does it take to fully charge an electric car at home?
On a 7kW home charger, a car with a 60 kWh battery takes about nine hours from empty to full. Most people top up overnight rather than charging from empty.
How long does an electric car take to charge on a rapid charger?
Typically about 45 minutes from 20% to 80% on a 50kW charger, or 15 to 30 minutes on an ultra-rapid charger if your car can charge that fast.
How long does it take to charge an electric car from a 3-pin plug?
About 16 hours to add 36 kWh, or more than a day for a full charge of a 60 kWh battery. A 3-pin plug adds roughly 8 miles of range an hour.
Why does charging slow down after 80%?
Cars slow charging as the battery fills to protect it, so the last 20% can take as long as the first 80% on a rapid charger.
Sources
Charging times calculated by Motormaths from charger power and battery size. 3-pin power of about 2.3kW and range per hour as reported by Electric Car Scheme. Rates and schemes change, so check with the supplier or GOV.UK before you rely on them.