EV Charging Time Calculator
Enter a battery size, charger power, and a start/end charge range to estimate how long a charging session will take.
Charging time
Matching the charger to the trip
The same 36 kWh top-up takes roughly 24 hours on a standard household outlet, about 5 hours on a 7.4 kW Level 2 charger, and well under an hour on a DC fast charger — the same energy, three very different waits. Knowing roughly how long a charge will take is what actually makes overnight home charging, workplace charging, or a fast-charging stop on a road trip practical to plan around.
Pair this with the EV Range Calculator to work out both how far a charge will take you and how long it takes to get there, and the Trip Fuel & Energy Cost Calculator to estimate what that charge actually costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is charging time calculated?
Energy needed (kWh) is the battery capacity times the percentage-point gap you're charging across. Divide that by the charger's effective power (its rated kW times a charging-efficiency factor) to get hours: energy added ÷ (charger kW × efficiency). A 60 kWh battery going from 20% to 80% needs 36 kWh, so a 7.4 kW Level 2 charger at 90% efficiency takes roughly 5.4 hours.
Why include a charging-efficiency percentage?
Not all the power drawn from the wall or the charger ends up in the battery — some is lost to heat and to AC-DC conversion (most home and Level 2 charging is AC, converted on-board). 85–95% is a typical real-world range, which is why this tool defaults to 90% rather than assuming a perfect 100%.
Why does DC fast charging feel so much faster in real life, beyond just higher kW?
This calculator assumes a constant charging rate for simplicity, which is a reasonable approximation for AC (home/Level 2) charging. Real DC fast charging follows a charging curve: it's fastest in the lower-to-mid state of charge and tapers significantly above roughly 80%, which is why fast-charging stops are usually planned to top up to about 80% rather than 100%.
Does charger power always match what my car actually draws?
No — charging speed is capped by whichever is lower: the charger's maximum output or the vehicle's onboard charger/battery limit. Entering the charger's rated kW gives an upper-bound estimate; check your vehicle's specifications if you want the number capped to what it can actually accept.
Educational estimate assuming a constant charging rate. Real DC fast-charging speed tapers as the battery fills, so treat fast-charging estimates above ~80% as conservative.