Electric car charging times

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

Considering the variety of electric cars and charging stations out there, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that the time involved in EV charging can vary too. Overall charging time will depend on your electric vehicle specification and the charging mode you use. The period of time an electric car’s battery will take to recharge is determined by how many kilowatts (kW) the charging station can provide and how many your car can accept. The higher the battery capacity (kWh), the longer your electric vehicle will take to be charged up.

Once you have determined which charging types your electric vehicle offers, you can then choose between them – depending e.g. whether you have plenty of time on your hands or are in a hurry and just need a quick battery top-up.

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

Pick your speed to suit you

There are two different charging modes (and corresponding charging rates):

NORMAL

Below 22 kW

Typical charging time: Up to 100% charged in 8-24 hours for pure EV, or 2-5 hours for PHEV

FAST

Above 22 kW

Typical charging time: 20- 80% charged in less than 60 minutes

Charging rate

Typcial charging time

Here’s how long it takes on average to charge Kia fully electric vehicles

Depending on the particular charging mode, the average time it takes to charge your EV’s battery can range from “within the hour” fast to “overnight” slow.

eu-common-user-input-table
Charging Time/Cable	Mid Range		Long Range
	Up to 80%	~ 6h	Up to 80%	~ 9h
AC CHARGING HOUSEHOLD WALLBOX (7.2kW)	-	-	-	-
DC FAST CHARGING (100kW)	~ 35m	~ 55m

A closer look: charging modes & speeds compared

Standard Charging (AC) can be done at home or at a public charging station.
- The majority of home charging points provide a charging rate of 3.6 to 7.2 kWh.
- The standard public chargers in Ireland are usually rated at 22kWh.
- Depending on the battery capacity, it generally takes 6 to 9 hours to completely charge a full Kia EV battery (ideal for overnight home charging). Kia PHEVs can take less then 3 hours to fully charge.
- Home charging equipment provides charging through your normal 220 volt alternating-current (AC) supply and requires a dedicated circuit and mounted charging unit. Kia have partnered with Wallbox, so visit wallbox.com for more info on the type of charging units available.
- For this mode of charging you will receive a Type 2 charging cable when you acquire your Kia electric vehicle. This can be used with the home or public charger.
- As a rule of thumb you can work out the best AC charging duration for any EV by doing the following. Simply divide the battery capacity by the vehicles OBC (On Board Charger) rating. The vehicles OBC (On Board Charger) is an electrical unit located in the vehicle that converts AC (Alternating current) to DC (Direct Current). EG. A Kia e-Niro 64kWh battery with an 7.2kWh OBC will take approx. 9 hours to charge from 0% to 100% (assuming you are using a home or on-street charger in excess of the 7.2kWh OBC rating).