Now that aid has been approved to buy more efficient vehicles, it is quite common for users to start considering the purchase of an electrified vehicle. One of the keys they have made for this approach, and which is increasingly being seen as a point to take into account for the coming years, are the times to charge our electric car.
There is no single time to charge the electric car
In this regard, it is known that there are different types of charging posts that we can use to regain their autonomy. However, you may wonder how long does it take to complete that course. It is true that recharging is a very simple process, but also that, depending on our choices and preferences, we will know how to choose one or the other to charge our electric car.
In this sense, this same process can be carried out in different ways and in different places. Of it its price will depend and also the duration of the recharging session. Logically, it is not the same to recharge it at home than to do it in a charging station.
We cannot speak of a single recharge time for electric car batteries. This means that there are several factors that influence how long you will need to plug in the vehicle to fully restore it. This, for its part, will be directly subject to the type of load to which the user has access. It should be noted that the most widespread currently is the cable-plug, which in turn offers three charging speeds depending on the power of the source: slow, semi-fast and fast. But let’s go in parts.
Dependent factors
From this, we find that there is a factor series Dependents that they will do because later, before the different types and modes of load, our time is shorter or longer depending on them. Nowadays, and also thanks to the continuous and diverse advances of manufacturers and brands, this is mainly located in the battery density of the vehicle, his capacity, and later on the potential of the charging point.
Here other keys will enter fully that will mark its duration. These are the type of charger used (AC or DC) and the capacity of the vehicle’s inverter if it is recharged on an AC pole. And it is that, no matter how much the pole can supply, if this component only works at 7 kWh, only that supply will reach the battery.
Unlike combustion vehicles, which all fill their tank at the same speed, electric cars have multiple situations to effect the disposal. In addition, an electric van or an electric SUV will not have the same battery capacity as an electric urban vehicle, for example, so its time will not only depend on the type of charger, but on the bodywork and battery of the vehicle in question. .
- Batteries and energy density. A high energy density in a battery will allow it to accumulate much greater charge per unit of weight and volume. Lithium batteries, the most used in modern cars, have a higher energy density than the rest of the batteries available. This type of battery solves problems such as memory effect or recycling.
- Battery capacity. It is important to know the battery capacity of an electric car. Battery capacity is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh), a unit of energy measure equivalent to 1 kilowatt (1 kW) of sustained power for 1 hour. The higher the number of kWh, the larger the battery, and the more energy it can store. Currently, this capacity ranges from 35 kWh for small cars to 95-100 kWh for larger models.
- Load power. It will be the one that will tell us how fast the car can be recharged: at the same battery capacity, the higher the charging power, the less time it takes to recharge it.
- Charger power. It is measured in kW, and for battery-powered vehicles there are two types: one for alternating current and the other for direct or direct current. The first is the one that makes conventional charges, to the domestic charging point, for example. The second is for ultra-fast recharges in superchargers.
Approximate time according to types
The evolution foreseen for these charging systems has different and interesting aspects. One of them is electromagnetic induction, or wireless charging. Or what is the same; park the electric car in a place designed for it and the vehicle recharges. Another is recharging underway, on roads designed for this purpose, such as those that happened with the first prototypes seen for electrified trucks. However, this is still in its early stages of development.
Until that time arrives and depending on the place chosen to charge the electric car batteries, three different types of charge can be identified: slow speed charging (also known as standard), semi-fast charging and fast charging. Are three modes that have been growing in recent times in which they have granted an increasingly shorter duration, especially with regard to the last two.
At the same time, and as something well to highlight, is that the power of the charging point that we have mentioned is especially important. This will be the one that will determine, finally, what is the duration to charge our electric car.
Slow or standard charge
This is the most basic charging mode and the one that offers performance and lower powers. It is the one that is used the most, at the same time, for which are the points in the home. Domestic charging points are considered that provide charging with single-phase alternating current with a maximum power of 3.7 or 7.4 kW, at 230 V and 16 A or 32 A respectively.
The charging time of an electric car that uses a type of trickle charge generally ranges from 5 until 20 hours. In this way, and with this station within easy reach, the vehicle can be connected to a conventional socket like the ones we have at home. Its connector is called Schuko.
Another form of slow charging are domestic type wall chargers, which can charge at 230 V and up to 32. In this same segment there are two more modes: charge 2, where it will never exceed 16 A of current, and mode 3 , which allows to increase the useful life of the batteries, is comfortable and simple. Its duration is the longest, so its use at home at night is recommended.
Semi-fast loading
Semi-fast charging cuts the time to charge the electric car in half compared to slow charging. This is because it is a type of which the current is doubled and uses a power of 7.4kW, that is, it has a full charge in 3 or 4 hours.
In his case, public chargers are used more, which use a technology that reaches up to 22kW. It is also true that not all vehicles accept this type of charge, so they cannot be charged at a higher speed despite being connected to a semi-fast charger.
Both cars and chargers are capable of identifying their maximum recharging speed and the vehicle will be charged at the maximum speed common to the vehicle and charger, in complete safety. Up to 7.4kW connectors can be used both Type 1 and type 2 (Yazaki and Mennekes), while between 11kW and 22kW only the type 2 connector can be used, since it is the only one capable of providing three-phase current to the vehicle.
Fast charge
These recharges, in turn, are made as ideal for those who are traveling and make longer journeys. Unlike slow or semi-fast charging, in this we will be able to take into account 30 minutes 80% of the load. At the same time, their chargers will supply the vehicle with direct (DC) or alternating (AC) current from a recharging device.
At the end of the cable you can find different types of connectors: CHAdeMO, CCS / Combo 9-pin or type 2 (Mennekes). The power of these chargers is usually 50kW and therefore a charge of 80% is achieved in half an hour. As with semi-fast charging, not all electric vehicles can use a fast charger. This is the charging system that most closely resembles the refueling concept that many drivers are used to.
As a general rule, electric cars carry two tickets: one for domestic charging and one for fast recharging. The latter goes directly to the battery and has a battery controller that makes sure to adjust the power of the load to the parameters supported by the vehicle.