How long it takes to charge an electric car
How long it takes to charge an electric car
Updated August 2026 with current grant amounts, prices and regulations.
Going green is a wonderful reason to move to electric cars. However, all of us are highly pragmatic. How long does it take to charge an electric car in the UK? This is the question many people bear in their minds. And this is the question that worries them and makes them hesitate whether to buy a petrol car or an electric vehicle - even now that a third of new cars sold in the UK in 2026 must be zero-emission under the ZEV mandate and the sale of new pure petrol and diesel cars ends in 2030. Therefore, knowing the EV charging time is of great importance. For example, this enables an EV owner to plan the day and include his charging needs coverage in his schedule.
In this post, you will, at least, find the most accurate and detailed answer to this important question.
How to calculate EV charging time
To estimate the EV charging time, the following data are of great use:
- Car battery size,
- EV charger power (output capabilities),
- On-board charger power (input capabilities).
To make things easy to understand, we will illustrate the importance of these parameters with an example. So, let’s suppose you need to fill a bottle with water (kind of EV charging). What parameters and options do you have then?
- First, it is bottle volume (kind of EV battery size). To clarify, this determines how much water you need to pour into the bottle to make it full. For example, it can be 1 litre, 2 litres, etc.
- Second, it is the way you fill a bottle (kind of EV charger power). To clarify, this determines how much water (water flow speed) comes out of a vessel where you initially store it. In other words, this is water output capabilities.
- Third, it is bottleneck throughput (kind of on-board charger power). To clarify, this determines how much water can really come into a bottle during a specified period. For example, its diameter may be 1 inch, 10 inches, etc. In other words, this is water input capabilities.
Now, let’s assume the water flow speed and bottleneck throughput are constant. Given this, you need a certain amount of time to fill a 1-litre bottle and twice as much time to fill a 2-litre bottle.
Then, let’s assume the bottle volume to be constant but other factors vary. For example, you want to pour water from a bucket into a 1-inch neck bottle. Yes, it takes just a few seconds to pour all the water out of the bucket. However, as a bottleneck diameter is smaller than a bucket one, bottle input capabilities are less than bucket output capabilities. Thus, you need to thin a water stream to adjust output capabilities to input ones. Or you use a simple dropper to fill a bottle. In this case, it takes hours to fill the bottle but the size of its bottleneck throughput is not to blame for this. Such a long filling time is the result of slow and small output a dropper has.
The same is true when it comes to charging an electric car. However, filling an electric car battery is a bit more complicated as it has certain specifics. First, to use DC fast charging stations, your car needs a DC charge port (CCS on virtually every new EV sold in the UK today; the older CHAdeMO socket found on the first two generations of Nissan Leaf is being phased out). Second, most electric cars have lithium-ion batteries under their floors. This battery type does not like complete discharge. Besides, charging speed is not the same during the whole cycle. That is to say, as soon as the battery is 80% filled, the speed gets slower.
Thus, to calculate the EV charging time in the first run, use the following algorithm:
- Find out your car battery size, on-board charger limits (maximum power your car can accept), and the charger power (maximum power that station provides).
- Compare your on-board charger limits and the station power. Choose the lowest of these two characteristics to use in your estimations.
- Divide your car battery size (in kWh) by the figure you have got in the previous step (in kW) and you get the time you require in your particular case, in hours.
However, the real-world practice shows that this algorithm works well for the first 80% state-of-charge. Filling the remaining 20% of the battery takes around an additional 30% of the time.
How exactly long it takes to charge an electric car at different charging stations
Now, let’s get closer to the real numbers about the time you need to feed your EV. Generally, you have three options here – slow, fast, and rapid charging (with the fastest rapid units, 150 kW and above, now usually called ultra-rapid).
To provide you with detailed examples, we turn to battery electric cars that are popular in the UK. The five cars in the first table were the best-sellers when this article was first written; several of them are no longer sold new but remain very common on the used market, so we have kept them. Further down you will also find figures for four of the UK’s best-selling EVs of 2026 - the Renault 5 E-Tech, Tesla Model Y, Kia EV3 and Kia EV6.
Electric cars popular in the UK and their features
| Make, model | Battery capacity, kWh | Onboard charger power accepted (max), kW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC charge port | DC charge port | ||
| Volkswagen e-Golf | 35.8 | 7.2 | 40 |
| Nissan Leaf | 40.0 | 6.6 | 46 |
| BMW i3 | 42.2 | 11 | 49 |
| Renault Zoe | 54.7 | 22 | 46 |
| Tesla Model S | 100.0 | 16.5 | 200 |
Sources: gov.uk, ev-database
Slow charging
Slow charging refers to facilities that provide power of less than 7 kW. Common options in the UK are:
- 3-pin domestic socket, 2.3 kW,
- 3 kW stations,
- 4-5 kW stations.
Typically, electric vehicles have two cables for AC charging. The first cable is a Type 2 cable to plug a car into a station. The second cable is a cable with a regular plug you can use to feed your car by just plugging it into your domestic wall socket.
We do not recommend you to use 3-pin charging as your everyday option. First, it is too slow even for the most patient persons and takes too much time to charge a car. Second, plugging in the 3-pin cable, you create an additional load on your home electrical network that doesn’t do it any good in the long run. Thus, the 3-pin cable is a good option when you have to stay in a place with no station installed but have an urgent need to top up the battery. If you regularly find yourself in that situation, a portable EV charger (from £399 at Auto E) that plugs into a 16 A or 32 A commando socket is a safer and quicker alternative.
Slow charging indicators
| Make, model | Battery capacity, kWh | Charger power, kW | Real-world charging time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen e-Golf | 35.8 | 2.3 | 16h30m |
| 3.7 | 10h15m | ||
| Nissan Leaf | 40.0 | 2.3 | 18h30m |
| 3.7 | 11h30m | ||
| BMW i3 | 42.2 | 2.3 | 19h30m |
| 3.7 | 12h15m | ||
| Renault Zoe | 54.7 | 2.3 | 26h45m |
| 3.7 | 16h45m | ||
| Tesla Model S | 100.0 | 2.3 | 48h45m |
| 3.7 | 30h15m |
Sources: ev-database
Fast charging
When it comes to EV solutions with a power output of 7-22 kW, it is EV fast charging stations we talk about. Typically, 7 kW stations are widely used at home (22 kW needs a three-phase supply, which most UK homes don’t have). The perfect solution is to feed your vehicle overnight. First, this is the time when you are sleeping and do not have any deals to ride out and about. Second, if you have an off-peak EV tariff, you can enjoy much lower electricity prices - typically 7-10p per kWh overnight in 2026, against roughly 26p per kWh on a standard tariff under the July 2026 price cap. Thus, you can reduce your EV driving expenses considerably: a full 7 kW overnight charge of a 60 kWh battery costs about £5 off-peak, compared with £45-50 for the same energy at a public rapid charger.
Since June 2022, every new home charge point sold in the UK must be a smart unit under the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, so it can automatically charge in the cheap hours, and the installer must notify your network operator (UK Power Networks in London). A typical 7 kW home installation in London costs £900-1,200 in 2026, or £1,300-1,800 where a new consumer unit, earthing or a long cable run is needed. The £500-per-socket EV chargepoint grant is available only to renters, flat owners and households with on-street parking; if you own a freehold house with a driveway you pay the full price - see our 2026 grant guide.
EVSE you find in public places are usually 7, 11 or 22 kW. Under the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, public units of 8 kW and above must offer contactless payment and display their price per kWh; public fast AC charging typically costs 40-60p per kWh in 2026, subject to 20% VAT rather than the 5% you pay at home.
Fast charging indicators
| Charger power, kW | Power accepted, kW | Real-world charging time |
|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen e-Golf (35.8 kWh) | ||
| 7/ 11 /22 | 7.2 | 5h15m |
| Nissan Leaf (40.0 kWh) | ||
| 7 / 11 / 22 | 6.6 | 6h30m |
| BMW i3 (42.2 kWh) | ||
| 7 | 7 | 6h15m |
| 11 / 22 | 11 kW | 4h15m |
| Renault Zoe (54.7 kWh) | ||
| 7 | 7 | 8h30m |
| 11 | 11 | 5h45m |
| 22 | 22 | 3 hours |
| Tesla Model S (100.0 kWh) | ||
| 7 | 7 | 15h15m |
| 11 | 11 | 10h15m |
| 22 | 16.5 kW | 7 hours |
Sources: ev-database
Fast charging stations are more favourable than slow ones. To clarify, even the slowest in the range cuts the charging time at least twice when compared to 3-pin charging. However, limited by their maximum energy input capabilities, not each car can take full advantage of more powerful solutions.
So, as BMW i3 can accept maximum 11 kW, there is no difference in its charging time when using 11 kW or 22 kW stations.
Close to similar, we have Tesla Model S on-board charger limits. Its top input power is just 16.5 kW, it can’t take all advantages a 22 kW station provides. So, its charging time is just 7 hours instead of 5.2 hours you can expect this EVSE can deliver.
Remarkably, the lowest charging time Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen e-Golf can have with AC charging are, respectively, 6h30m and 5h15m. To clarify, their top-up speed doesn’t increase as the station output increases as their input capabilities are limited to, respectively, 6.6 kW and 7.2 kW.
Little has changed here in 2026: almost every new EV, from the Renault 5 to the Tesla Model Y and Kia EV6, has an 11 kW on-board charger, so a 7 kW home unit gives a full charge overnight and a 22 kW unit only helps if the car can take it (see the 2026 table below).
Rapid charging
Rapid charging deals with direct current (DC) charging and, thus, great power. Therefore, such solutions are almost always public stations (Auto E also builds DC "Charging Complex" units for businesses, from £21,000). They are the fastest solutions, specially designed and produced by their EV charging manufacturer to supply DC right into the car battery. Thus, the stations fill the battery from flat to 80% of its capacity in roughly half an hour - or well under 20 minutes for the newest 800-volt cars on an ultra-rapid unit. However, after 80% charge has been reached, the battery power input significantly lowers and the charging time greatly rises. Therefore, it is not rational to try filling the battery in full.
Generally, in the UK there are several types of rapid EVSE that differ with the power they supply. The classic 50 kW rapid charger is still widespread, but ultra-rapid units of 150-350 kW are now the norm at motorway services and charging hubs: at the end of June 2026 the UK had more than 121,000 public chargers, of which 13,996 were ultra-rapid devices delivering 150 kW or more (up 37% year on year), plus 1,034 hubs with eight or more rapid or ultra-rapid devices on one site (Zapmap). Tesla’s Supercharger network is one of them, and many UK Superchargers are now open to other brands. Very few cars can use the full 350 kW, but a growing number - Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Porsche Taycan and others - accept 200-270 kW.
Public rapid charging is convenient but expensive: pay-as-you-go rapid and ultra-rapid units cost around 80p per kWh on average in mid-2026 (65-85p is the usual range), roughly three times the standard home rate and ten times an off-peak EV tariff. Since the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, rapid networks must also offer contactless payment, show prices per kWh and keep their rapid units 99% reliable. Our guide to home vs public charging costs in 2026 works through the numbers.
In our original popular EV selection, all vehicles except Tesla accept DC power of less than 50 kW. Therefore, a 50 kW EVSE is all the owners of these cars need to top up their battery in no time.
Rapid charging (50 kW) indicators
| Make, model | Battery capacity, kWh | Power accepted (max), kW | Power accepted (avg), kW | Real-world charging time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen e-Golf | 35.8 | 40 kW | 39 kW | 36 min |
| Nissan Leaf | 40.0 | 46 kW | 40 kW | 40 min |
| BMW i3 | 42.2 | 49 kW | 47 kW | 36 min |
| Renault Zoe | 54.7 | 46 kW | 41 kW | 56 min |
Sources: ev-database
As you can see, it takes 36-40 minutes to charge Volkswagen e-Golf, Nissan Leaf, and BMW i3. The owners of Renault Zoe have to spend almost an hour to fill their battery from flat to 80% due to the larger battery size given with the same input capability.
Tesla stays apart from them and enjoys Superchargers and other high-powered stations.
Rapid charging indicators for Tesla Model S with a 100.0 kWh battery
| Charger power, kW | Power accepted (max), kW | Power accepted (avg), kW | Real-world charging time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 kW | 150 kW | 95 kW | 65 min |
| 250 kW | 200 kW | 110 kW | 44 min |
Sources: ev-database
2026 update: charging times for today’s best-sellers
Batteries have grown and rapid charging has got much faster since this article was first written. Below are the same three figures - fast AC, 50 kW rapid and 150 kW+ ultra-rapid - for four of the UK’s best-selling electric cars in 2026. AC times are 0-100%, DC times are 10-80%.
Charging times for popular 2026 electric cars
| Make, model | Useable battery, kWh | 7.4 kW home charger | 11 kW (max AC) | 50 kW rapid (10-80%) | 150 kW+ ultra-rapid (10-80%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renault 5 E-Tech 52 kWh | 52.0 | 8h30m | 5h45m | 57 min | 31 min (max 101 kW) |
| Tesla Model Y RWD | 60.0 | 9h45m | 6h30m | 59 min | 24 min (max 175 kW) |
| Kia EV3 Long Range | 78.0 | 12h30m | 8h30m | 77 min | 33 min (max 135 kW) |
| Kia EV6 Long Range 2WD | 80.0 | 12h45m | 8h45m | 71 min | 17 min (max 263 kW) |
Sources: ev-database
Two things stand out. First, a 50 kW rapid charger is no longer "rapid" for a modern 60-80 kWh battery: an hour or more from 10 to 80%. Second, on an ultra-rapid unit the on-board limits matter more than ever - a Kia EV3 and a Kia EV6 have almost the same battery, but the 800-volt EV6 gets to 80% in half the time.
Instead of summary: charging speed in miles
To dig further, it is not extra kilowatts you are concerned about. It is extra miles to ride you want to get. Here, we have estimated how many miles you get after having a half-an-hour session.
Miles added with slow, fast, and rapid solutions
| Make, model | Battery size, kWh | Station type | Station power, kW | Miles added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen e-Golf | 35.8 | Slow | 2.3 / 3.7 | 3.5 /6 |
| Fast | 7 – 22 | 11.5 | ||
| Rapid | 50 | 70 | ||
| Nissan Leaf | 40.0 | Slow | 2.3 / 3.7 | 3.5 /6 |
| Fast | 7 – 22 | 10.5 | ||
| Rapid | 50 | 70 | ||
| BMW i3 | 42.2 | Slow | 2.3 / 3.7 | 3.5 /6 |
| Fast | 7 / 11 –22 | 11.5 / 17 | ||
| Rapid | 50 | 80 | ||
| Renault Zoe | 54.7 | Slow | 2.3 / 3.7 | 3.5 /6 |
| Fast | 7 /11 /22 | 11.5 / 17 / 33.5 | ||
| Rapid | 50 | 75 | ||
| Tesla Model S | 100.0 | Slow | 2.3 / 3.7 | 3.5 /6 |
| Fast | 7 /11 /22 | 11.5 / 17 / 23 | ||
| Rapid | 150 / 200 | 155 / 175 |
So, with slow charging the number of miles added per half an hour is so tiny that you can hardly ride from Buckingham Palace to Tower Bridge, no matter what car you drive. Fast charging provides you with a longer distance. For example, an 11 kW station gives you around 17 miles during just half an hour of charging, so you can take two round trips on the route Buckingham Palace – Tower Bridge. At last, after a rapid charging session of the same duration, you can ride from London to Birmingham if you are driving a Tesla. Or at least to Cambridge if you are in a Nissan Leaf or another similar car.
The 2026 cars follow the same pattern, only faster at the top end. A Renault 5 or Tesla Model Y adds roughly 12 miles per half hour on a 7 kW home charger and about 18 miles on 11 kW; on a 50 kW rapid unit they add 75-85 miles, and on a 150 kW+ ultra-rapid unit 140-180 miles. The Kia EV6 goes further still: in the 17 minutes it takes to get from 10 to 80% on a 350 kW charger it adds close to 200 miles of real-world range - enough for London to Manchester without stopping again. Bon voyage and have a nice trip!
Whether you want a 7 kW smart home charger installed in London, a 22 kW wall unit (from £1,449) or a rapid charger for your business, Auto E manufactures, installs and repairs charge points of any brand - message us for a quote.