EV charging time calculator
How long your car takes to charge on a wall outlet, a Level 2 charger and a DC fast charger, and why the last stretch of a fast charge crawls.
| Charger | Time | Miles per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 wall outlet (1.9 kW) | 31 h 14 min | 6 |
| Level 2 (7.2 kW) | 8 h 14 min | 22 |
| DC fast (150 kW peak) | 27 min | varies |
AC times assume ~90% charging efficiency. Level 2 speed is capped by the car's onboard charger (often 7–11.5 kW), so a 19.2 kW unit may not charge faster. DC times follow a typical taper, not your car's exact curve.
Explainer: why the last 20% takes so long
Drag the start and end charge. The shaded area is the energy you add; the power line is what the car accepts. As the battery fills, the car lowers the current to protect the cells, so power falls away after roughly half full and drops hard above 80%.
A typical curve shape, not any one car's. The U.S. DOE notes a fast charge to 80% "can take 30 min"; real curves depend on the car, battery temperature and the charger.
The three charging levels
The U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center describes them like this:
- Level 1 (120 V outlet, about 1.9 kW): roughly 5 miles of range per hour. Eight hours overnight adds about 40 miles, enough for many commutes.
- Level 2 (240 V, 2.9–19.2 kW): roughly 25 miles per hour. Most home units run at 30 amps and 7.2 kW on a 40-amp circuit.
- DC fast (up to 500 kW at the station): roughly 100–200+ miles in 30 minutes, depending on the car and how full the battery is.
On a road trip, charging time is mostly about staying in the fast part of the curve. The EV trip planner does that automatically: it charges only enough to reach the next stop with your buffer.
Questions drivers ask
How long does it take to charge an electric car?
From a household outlet (Level 1, about 1.9 kW) it can take days to fill a big battery; the DOE puts it at about 5 miles of range per hour. A home Level 2 charger (commonly 7.2 kW) fills most EVs overnight, adding about 25 miles per hour. A DC fast charger typically takes 20–40 minutes from 10% to 80%.
Why is fast charging slower above 80%?
As a lithium-ion battery fills, the car reduces current to protect the cells from heat and wear. Power tapers after roughly half full and drops sharply above 80%, so the last 20% can take about as long as the 10–80% before it.
What size home charger do I need?
Most residential Level 2 chargers run at up to 30 amps and deliver 7.2 kW on a dedicated 40-amp circuit, per the DOE. That adds roughly 20–30 miles per hour, enough to refill a typical day’s driving in a couple of hours.
Does cold weather slow charging?
Yes. A cold battery accepts much less power at a fast charger. Preconditioning (navigating to the charger in the car so it warms the pack on the way) helps a lot.
What does the EPA 240V charge time mean?
fueleconomy.gov lists how many hours each EV takes to charge on a 240-volt (Level 2) supply. It is shown on this page next to our estimate for comparison.