Are you considering switching your fuel-powered vehicle in exchange for an electric or hybrid car? If you are not, you may want to start considering it. This is due to the UK Government’s plan to eliminate the manufacture and sale of petrol and diesel cars by the year 2030. Switching to EV will provide a lot of questions as the concept is in its infancy, even in 2021.
Here at Elite Vehicle Charging, we pride ourselves on being able to settle any EV vehicle owner’s queries and provide a solution to frequently asked questions. This article will explore the time it takes to restore an electric car’s battery supply, the factors that impact charging time and the idea behind top-up charging.
How Long Does Electrical Vehicle Charging Take?
The time it takes to charge an electric vehicle can vary from as little as 30 minutes to over 12 hours. This depends on two variables, the size of the battery and the performance of the charging unit. A typical electric car with a 60 kilowatt (kWh) battery takes just under 8 hours to fully charge the vehicle’s battery life whilst using a 7kW charging point. Vehicles with a different battery size will charge at a different rate. This can also vary depending on the quality of the charging station.
Top-Up Charging; What is it?
Top-up charging is effectively similar to pay as you go on your mobile phone. This method of charging utilises the time spent whilst parked somewhere. For example, whilst you are at the gym, instead of letting your battery life deplete, you can charge the vehicle’s battery supply.
The pod points typically found in public places, offices and supermarkets for example, usually range between 7kW and 22kW voltages. This ensures that the charging stations are sufficient enough to ensure fast charging is available to the public.
What Impacts Charging Time?
From cold weather to charging velocity, there are a handful of factors that can impact the service stations, electricity supply and public charging points.
Battery Size
The size of your battery will define the length of the charging time. Typically, the bigger the battery size, the longer it will take to charge. This is due to the battery’s capacity. The bigger the battery, the more energy it can store, the longer the charging duration.
Battery Capacity
You may want to check to see what your current battery capacity is. The lower the capacity, the longer it will take to charge.
Maximum Charging Rate of Vehicle
Each electric vehicle is provided with a maximum charge rate. If your vehicle has a charge rate of 7kW then that is the fastest rate at which it can charge; using a higher-powered charger won’t make it charge at a faster speed.
The same law applies to the charging rate of the EV charging station.
The Environment
Environmental changes such as weather can affect the performance of EV charging. Colder temperatures can cause charging rates to drop drastically, especially if you are using a rapid charging adapter.
EV Charging Services
Here at Elite Vehicle Charging we take all of the aforementioned factors into consideration when providing our customers with EV charging services. Whether your business needs to add to its existing infrastructure or you have a large organised event that needs a power supply for its vehicles, we’ve got a solution to suit your needs. Get in touch with us for a quote today.
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