Charging Some of These Popular Electric Cars Takes Longer Than You Think

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A list all EV shoppers need to see reveals which are the fastest- and slowest-charging EVs in public and in your home, as calculated by experts at Consumer Reports; Including the Toyota model that is the slowest.

Being always in a hurry and not having time to stand around and wait for anything is not an affectation. It is a reality many of us at least feel, if not experience.

According to a Pew research report titled "How Americans feel about the satisfactions and stresses of modern life," technology and information overload are making life more demanding for many.

" Over a third of employed Americans (39%) say technology has generally made their work more demanding, while 29% say it has made their work less demanding, according to a 2017 survey. The speed and volume of information may be playing a role in the demands of modern life: Three in ten Americans said in 2016 that they're often stressed by the amount of information they need to consider when making important decisions, and 16% said they frequently don't have enough time to gather all of the information they need when doing so."

So why let the technology that you can control (to some extent) with the EV you buy and drive, take away some of those precious hours out of every week?!

"Some Evs Take Twice As Long As Others To Add The Same Number Of Miles," says Consumer Reports

According to a recent Consumer Reports' study, some EV models take twice as long to charge as others which translates into lost time depending on when and where you do your charging, and which EV you own.

"Whether you plug in at a 240-volt Level 2 charger at home or work, or plan to use a public DC fast charger (DCFC), how long it takes to charge depends on how fast a charger is and also how fast a charge your vehicle can handle—otherwise known as its "acceptance rate." The differences can be stark: Some cars can add 200 miles of range in 20 minutes, while others might take more than an hour to do the same."

CR analysts added that it is difficult for EV shoppers to compare vehicles based on how quickly models charge and the range you can expect following the charge. All EVs differ, and you should take automaker marketing claims with a grain of salt about how quickly their EVs can charge from almost empty to 80 percent full, which does not always match real-world driving.

"Because EVs have such different ranges and efficiencies, percentages tell you nothing about how many miles you can actually drive."

"Unfortunately, there's no standard measurement for reporting how quickly an EV can charge or add miles of range," says Alex Knizek, Associate Director of Auto Test Development at CR. "That makes it difficult for consumers to compare vehicles when shopping for a new EV."

The Least You Need to Understand About EV Charging Time

The basics of EV charging times comes down to:

  • The charging speed of the charger 50-350 Kilowatts (kW) makes a difference―The higher the kW, the faster the charge.
  • The EV's capacity and how fast it can take in that charge also makes a difference. Think of it as pouring water from a bucket into a line of bottles with varying cap sizes. The bigger the cap hole, the faster the bottle can take in the water, i.e., "charge."
  • Charging time spent at a public charger is typically faster than charging at home because the home charger is less likely to be powered with the highest circuit box panel amperage conducive for faster charging at higher kW rates. In fact, needing to upgrade your home's circuit box can cut into the fuel savings of owning an EV.

Related article: The Hidden Costs Of Electric Cars No One Is Telling You About Update

CR analysts provide two examples:

  1. The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5, for example, has a maximum acceptance rate of 240 kW and can add up to 11.6 miles of range per minute of charging at a 350 kW DC fast charger. But the 2017 Chevy Bolt has only a 50-kW acceptance rate. That means it can add only about 2.9 miles of range per minute whether it's plugged into a 50-kW charger or a 350 kW charger.
  2. The same goes for home charging: Many 2017 and earlier Nissan Leaf models only have a 3.3 kW onboard charger, which means they can take more than twice as long as other EVs to charge fully on a typical 40-amp home charger.

THE FASTEST- AND SLOWEST CHARGING EVs IN PUBLIC AND IN YOUR HOME

To make life easier when comparing EV models based on how they differ when it comes to time spent charging, the good folks at Consumer Reports did the number crunching for you with this list of the fastest charging EVs per the manufacturer under an ideal scenario along with their listed models rated by real-world calculated estimates with both public charging and home charging.

EVs That Add 10 Miles per Minute (potentially 600 miles in an hour) or More at a Public DC Fast Charger Based on Manufacturer Estimates

• Audi E-Tron GT

• Chevrolet Silverado EV

• Genesis Electrified GV70

• Genesis Electrified G80

• Genesis GV60

• GMC Sierra E

• Hyundai Ioniq 5

• Hyundai Ioniq 6

• Kia EV6

• Lucid Air

• Porsche Taycan

• Tesla Model 3

• Tesla Model S

• Tesla Model X

• Tesla Model Y

EVs That Add 5 Miles per Minute (potentially 300 miles in an hour) or Fewer at a DC Charger Based on CR Calculations Using a 350 kW charger

• Fiat 500e

• Jaguar I-Pace

• Kia Niro Electric

• Mercedes-Benz EQB

• Nissan Leaf

• Subaru Solterra

• Toyota bZ4X

EVs That Add 30 Miles or More per Hour at a 240-Volt Level 2 Charger

• Fiat 500e

• Hyundai Kona Electric

• Kia EV6

• Kia Niro Electric

• Lucid Air

• Tesla Model 3

• Tesla Model S

• Tesla Model Y

EVs That Add 20 Miles per Hour or Fewer at a 240-Volt Level 2 Charger

• Chevrolet Silverado EV*

• Ford F-150 Lightning*

• GMC Sierra EV*

• Nissan Ariya

• Subaru Solterra

• Toyota bZ4X

For additional EV ownership-related articles, be sure to check out these three for more examples and warnings to learn from:

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair." for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

COMING UP NEXT: "But It's A Toyota, Why Would I Open The Hood?"

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