All-Electric Car Peak DC Fast Charging Comparison
Peak DC fast charging power increased from less than 50 kW eight years ago to 150 or even 250 kW today.
Fast charging of all-electric cars is a very important feature because of the energy can be replenished in 30-60 minutes (at least up to 80%), which increases the practicality and usability of the vehicle.
Today, almost all BEVs on the market are equipped with DC fast charging (from external chargers) as standard or as an option.
In the U.S., DC fast charging can be done using one of three standards (Tesla proprietary standard in Superchargers, CHAdeMO or CCS Combo 1/J1772 Combo).
The speed of replenishing range (state-of-charge) depends on charging power, which is directly related to charger power and the car’s ability to accept high power in particular conditions (mostly battery temperature).
Below we present a chart with maximum DC fast charging power of all-electric cars available in the U.S., although we must note that the values are pretty rough estimates – some come from manufacturers, other are estimated or registered during charging sessions. It’s just for a brief comparison and the numbers are not to live by.
In general, the base level is 40-50 kW. South Korean brands Kia and Hyundai are able to take between 70-80 kW of power, while the new Nissan LEAF e+ and Jaguar I-PACE should be able to accept around 100 kW. Tesla is increasing its charging power to 150 kW, which matches the Audi e-tron, while the top model seems to be Tesla Model 3 with 250 kW peak.
The chart is just illustrative as the most important thing is not the maximum charging power in some conditions, but rather typical charging power available for wide state-of-charge.
For example, the Audi e-tron is able to charge long at around 150 kW, which is one of the strongest points of the German SUV. Nissan LEAF e+ can continuously get 70 kW, according to the manufacturer. The example of Tesla shows also that the improvement from 120 to 150 kW can save up to a few minutes, which is good but not groundbreaking.
