Average public EV charging times are not so fast, study finds

The data come from a study conducted by energy consulting firm Energetics, which examined 2.4 million charging sessions between June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2023. The study excluded charging sessions at Tesla’s
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Supercharger stations.

Chargers come in three speeds

Understanding EVs, at this early point in the electric transition, requires learning a whole glossary of terms.

There’s only one type of gas pump, but there are three levels of EV charger:

Level 1 charging

The simplest form, Level 1 charging means plugging your EV into a standard wall outlet using the charging cord that comes with an electric car. It’s slow — some EVs can take an entire day or longer to get a full charge from a normal outlet. Level 1 charging is convenient and inexpensive and will get many Americans through their daily commute and errands. But it’s useless on longer trips.

The high-performance Kia EV6 GT, for instance, takes 68 hours to fully charge using Level 1.

Level 2 charging

A Level 2 charger is a small appliance some EV owners install at home. It uses a 240-volt outlet like many electric stoves or clothes dryers require. It charges most EVs overnight. Level 2 chargers are often found in public at shopping centers, restaurants, or other places where drivers might spend several hours. Some are free to use.

The EV6 GT will recharge in under 7 hours connected to a Level 2 unit.

Learn more: If you’re thinking of a new electric car, take a serious look at the 2023 Kia EV6

Level 3 charging (DC fast charge)

Large devices found at highway rest stops, gas stations, and some other public places, DC fast chargers are the fastest form of charging. Many automakers report that their EVs can charge in 30 minutes or less when connected to one of these, though they require high-voltage electricity and are limited to public spaces.

Kia
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says the EV6 GT can recharge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes at a Level 3 charger. Many manufacturers recommend that EV owners not charge batteries above 80% unless on a long trip to lengthen the battery’s lifespan.

See: These are the fastest-charging EVs

Charging tends to slow as it approaches 100%. Kia says that EV6 GT will get to 100% in about 73 minutes.

Also see: Electric vehicle drivers want fast charging, and truck stops see the opportunity

Manufacturer numbers are best-case scenarios

So, if even a high-performance model with a large battery can theoretically reach a useful charge in 18 minutes, why is the average charging session 42?

Because manufacturers tend to use best-case scenario math in their calculations. Plugging into a new charger requires a long communication period when the charger’s software and the car’s software negotiate the energy flow the car can accept. Users often need to sign up for a new payment system to use a public charger.

And studies show that many public chargers are broken or slower than advertised.

This will get better

These are the early days of electric cars. Buying one now is more akin to buying a gas-powered car in 1910 than to buying a recent internal combustion powered car.

Both EV technology and the infrastructure to support it will improve.

Last year, almost every manufacturer finally agreed on a single standard charging port. Tellingly, it’s the one Tesla uses — the one excluded from these results.

Tesla will open its Supercharger network for use by owners of non-Tesla cars this year. Most 2024 and older models will need an adapter to use Superchargers. But, starting in 2025, most rival automakers will build in the Tesla port.

The federal government has made funds available to build thousands more public chargers, and states are just beginning to use the money.

Finally, future EVs will likely have more efficient batteries. Many manufacturers are experimenting with solid-state batteries that may be able to charge much faster and travel further on a charge.

You might like: 18 new EVs to watch for in 2024

So, while charging an EV today can be a frustrating experience where even the “fast chargers” are slow, that may not be true a few years from now.

This story originally ran on KBB.com.