EV Charging Time Calculator: How Long to Charge?

Quick answer

Charging a 60 kWh battery from 20 to 80 percent takes about 29 hours on a Level 1 wall outlet (1.4 kW), 5 hours 20 minutes on a 7.7 kW Level 2 charger, 3 hours 30 minutes at 11.5 kW, about an hour on a 50 kW DC charger and 20 to 30 minutes on a 150 kW or faster DC charger. An 80 kWh battery takes roughly a third longer on each. The formula is hours = kWh needed ÷ (charging power × efficiency), with the catch that your car's onboard charger caps AC speed and DC charging slows sharply above 80 percent.

Charging time by charger type, 20 to 80 percent

These figures come from the same model the calculator uses: 88 percent efficiency on AC, a car with an 11.5 kW onboard charger and a 150 kW DC limit (250 kW for the 80 kWh column). Real sessions vary with temperature and the car's own charging curve.

The formula and a worked example

Worked example. A 75 kWh Tesla Model Y at 20 percent, charging to 80 percent on a 32 A Level 2 charger (7.7 kW). Energy needed: 75 × 0.60 = 45 kWh. The car's onboard charger accepts 11.5 kW, so the wall box's 7.7 kW is the limit. At 88 percent efficiency the battery gains 6.8 kW per hour, so the session takes 45 ÷ 6.8 = 6.6 hours, about 6 hours 40 minutes, and draws 51 kWh from the grid: $9.20 at 18 cents. On a 250 kW Supercharger the same 45 kWh takes about 17 minutes, because all of it sits below the 80 percent taper. Push the target to 100 percent and the last 15 kWh alone takes another 14 minutes on DC.

Why your car charges slower than the charger's rating

Three things cap the speed, and the slowest one wins. The onboard charger. AC charging goes through a converter inside the car rated at 7.2, 9.6, 11 or 11.5 kW on most models, 19.2 kW on some trucks. A 19.2 kW wall box on a 7.2 kW car charges at 7.2 kW. The circuit. A Level 2 charger draws 80 percent of its circuit rating continuously: a 40 A circuit gives 32 A, 7.7 kW; a 60 A circuit gives 48 A, 11.5 kW. If the installer set the charger to a lower amperage to fit the panel, that is your ceiling. The battery. On DC, the battery management system lowers the rate as the pack fills and when it is cold. A 250 kW station might deliver 250 kW for a few minutes at 10 percent, 120 kW at 60 percent, and 40 kW at 90 percent.

Charging losses add on top. AC charging loses 10 to 15 percent in the converter, cables and battery heating, so a 40 kWh top-up pulls 45 to 47 kWh through your meter. DC losses are smaller on the car side (about 5 percent) because the converter is in the station.

Installing a home Level 2 charger

The decision that matters is the circuit size, and it is a trade between speed, panel capacity and cost. A 40 A circuit (32 A charging, 7.7 kW) adds about 25 miles of range per hour, enough to refill a typical day's driving in two hours. A 60 A circuit (48 A, 11.5 kW) is faster but needs heavier wire and often a panel with spare capacity. Run the electrical load calculator first to see whether your panel can take the extra continuous load, then the breaker size calculator and wire size calculator for the run. Long runs to a detached garage usually need a size up for voltage drop; the voltage drop calculator shows when.

Charging overnight on a 7.7 kW charger is enough for almost every household. Faster home charging mostly matters if two EVs share one charger or you regularly arrive near empty and leave within a few hours.

Charging to 80 percent or 100 percent?

For daily driving, 80 percent. It is faster on DC, gentler on the battery, and leaves room for regenerative braking at the top of a hill. Charge to 100 percent before a trip, and on a home Level 2 charger where the taper barely applies. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, used in the standard-range Tesla Model 3 and Y and several Chinese-built EVs, are the exception: manufacturers recommend charging those to 100 percent regularly so the battery gauge stays calibrated.

Approximate battery sizes and charging limits, 2026 models

Usable capacity by trim for the presets in the calculator. Manufacturers quote gross and usable figures inconsistently, so treat these as within 5 percent and check your owner's manual or the car's energy screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators