EV Charging Time Explained — How Long Does It Take to Charge an Electric Car?

The basic formula for charging time is straightforward: divide the amount of energy needed by the charging power.

Energy to add (kWh) ÷ Charging power (kW) = Charging time (hours)

The energy to add depends on the battery size and the charge window. For example, charging a 100 kWh battery from 10% to 80% requires 70 kWh of energy. At 7 kW, that takes 10 hours. At 50 kW, it takes about 1.4 hours. At 150 kW, it takes under 30 minutes.

In practice, charging is not perfectly linear — it slows down as the battery gets fuller — but this formula gives a useful estimate for planning purposes. If you select your vehicle in the My EV panel, the charging time tables on this page and the charging calculators across the site update to show estimates based on your vehicle's battery size and efficiency.

EV chargers fall into two broad categories: AC (alternating current) chargers used mainly for home and destination charging, and DC (direct current) chargers used for fast and ultra rapid public charging.

Portable charger — 2.3 kW

A portable charger plugs into a standard household power outlet and delivers around 2.3 kW. This is the slowest option and adds roughly 10 to 15 km of range per hour. It is best suited for occasional top-ups or as a backup rather than everyday charging.

AC wall charger — 7 kW

A dedicated wall charger on a single-phase connection is the most common home charging setup in Australia. At 7 kW, it adds around 35 to 45 km of range per hour and can charge most EVs from 10% to 80% overnight. For most drivers, this is more than enough to cover daily driving.

3-phase AC charger — 11 to 22 kW

Homes with a three-phase electricity supply can install an 11 kW or 22 kW AC charger, which charges significantly faster than a single-phase wall charger. An 11 kW unit charges roughly 50% faster than a 7 kW wall charger, while a 22 kW unit is faster still. Three-phase AC chargers at 22 kW are also commonly found at workplaces and destination charging locations. Not all EVs can accept the full 22 kW — the actual speed depends on the vehicle's onboard charger.

DC fast charger — 50 kW

A 50 kW DC fast charger bypasses the vehicle's onboard charger and delivers power directly to the battery. It can add roughly 200 to 300 km of range per hour and is the most common type of public fast charger on Australian roads. A 10% to 80% charge on a 100 kWh battery takes about 1.4 hours.

DC rapid charger — 150 kW

At 150 kW, rapid chargers can add significant range in a short time — typically getting from 10% to 80% in around 28 minutes for a 100 kWh battery. These chargers are increasingly common along major highways and in urban charging hubs.

Ultra rapid charger — 250 kW

Ultra rapid chargers at 250 kW or higher are the fastest publicly available chargers. Vehicles that support these speeds can add 200 to 300 km of range in under 20 minutes. Not all EVs can accept this power level — the actual speed is limited by the vehicle's maximum DC charging rate.

EV batteries do not charge at a constant speed from 0% to 100%. Instead, they follow a charging curve — charging fastest at lower and mid states of charge and slowing down as the battery approaches full.

This slowdown is deliberate. As the battery fills, the charging system reduces power to manage heat and protect the battery. The result is that the final portion of a charge — typically from 80% to 100% — takes disproportionately longer than the first portion.

This is why most EV owners charge to around 80% for everyday driving and only charge to 100% when they need the extra range for a longer trip. The time saved by stopping at 80% is significant, especially on DC fast chargers.

Vehicle charging limits

Every EV has a maximum AC and DC charging rate set by its onboard hardware. A charger can only deliver power up to the vehicle's limit, regardless of how powerful the charger is. For example, a vehicle with a maximum DC rate of 100 kW will only charge at 100 kW even when plugged into a 250 kW ultra rapid charger.

Battery state of charge

As explained above, charging is fastest at lower battery levels and slows as it approaches full. The 10% to 80% window is where most fast charging happens at close to peak speed.

Temperature

Cold batteries charge more slowly until they warm up. Many modern EVs use battery preconditioning — warming or cooling the battery before charging — to bring it to an optimal temperature. This is particularly helpful before DC fast charging sessions. In very hot conditions, the charging system may also reduce power to protect the battery from overheating.

Charger availability and shared power

Some public charging stations share power across multiple stalls. If multiple vehicles are charging at the same time, each vehicle may receive less than the charger's advertised maximum power.

Another way to think about charging speed is how many kilometres of range each charger type adds per hour. This depends on the charger power and the vehicle's efficiency.

Home charging and public fast charging serve different purposes. Understanding the trade-off between speed, cost and convenience helps explain why most EV owners use both.

Most EV owners do the majority of their charging at home and use public fast chargers mainly for long distance travel or when home charging is not available. This combination keeps costs low while ensuring range is available when needed.

Battery preconditioning is when an EV warms or cools the battery before charging or driving so it reaches an optimal operating temperature. This helps improve charging performance and efficiency, especially before high power DC fast charging.

Many EVs automatically precondition the battery when navigating to a fast charger. This means the battery is at its ideal temperature by the time you arrive, which allows the charger to deliver higher power from the start of the session. If you regularly use DC fast charging, using the vehicle's navigation to route to the charger can make a meaningful difference to charging speed.