How long does it take to charge my Electric Vehicle (EV)?

The time it takes to charge your EV rental car depends on four factors:

1. The capacity of the charging station/source you're using

2. The maximum load capacity of your vehicle

3. The battery charge percentage

4. The temperature

Capacity of the charging source:

To roughly estimate charging time for your EV, you divide the battery capacity of your car by the capacity of the charging source you're using.

For example: a Tesla S100 has a battery capacity of 100 kWh. You are at a charging station with a capacity of 22 kW. This means it will take roughly (100/22) 4.5 hours to fully charge your car.

Maximum charge speed of your Electric Vehicle (EV):

For some EVs, the charging speed is limited. In this case you can still apply the same formula, however, for the charger capacity you use either the capacity of the charging station or the maximum charge capacity of the car, whichever is lower.

For example: you have an EV with a battery capacity of 100kWh. The charging speed capacity is limited to 50 kW. You are at a charging station with a capacity of 350 kW. Because your car is limited to 50 kW it will take roughly (100/50) 2 hours to charge your car.

Battery charge percentage:

As your battery reaches full capacity, charging efficiency goes down. The biggest drop happens when your battery is 80% full and above. Timewise it is more efficient to charge your car to 80% and allow for an extra charge stop rather than charging your car to 100% in one go.

Temperature:

At lower temperatures, charging efficiency will be reduced. To counteract the negative effects of lower temperatures:

- Find a place where the ambient temperature is relatively warm.

- Check if your EV rental has functionality to keep the battery warm. Not only will this improve charging efficiency at lower temperatures, but it will also maximise the range you get from a single charge at colder temperatures.

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