How Long Does It Take to Charge an Electric Car?

More and more automakers are engineering electric vehicles to meet customer demand for lower costs of ownership. No more oil changes, transmission fluid changes, radiator flushes, and other common auto maintenance that comes with internal combustion engines.

You’ll also never have to go to a gas station again. You’ve got several different options when it comes to charging your new electric vehicle in West Bloomfield. Each method uses various plugs and ports. However, with available charging adapters you won’t be tied to one charging method.

How long does it take to charge an electric car? It varies depending on which of these options you choose. How long your vehicle will take to charge also depends on what type, make, and model of EV you drive. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The team at Mercedes-Benz of Bloomfield Hills can help you learn more about the three main types of EV charging: domestic charging, rapid domestic charging, and public charging. We’ll also help you determine your electric car charging time. Read on to learn more!

What are My Electric Car Charging Options?

1. Domestic Outlet Home Charging (Regular Outlet): A normal, grounded (three-prong) 110V/120V charging outlet (Level 1 Charging) doesn’t offer a fast charging speed at home. However, it’s a relevant choice for topping off some of the charge you used to commute to work that day. Level 1 charging normally takes around 24 hours or more for a full charge if your electric vehicle is lower than 50%.
2. Installed Brand-Approved Domestic Charging Unit (Home Charging): Level 2 Charging requires a professionally installed unit at home in your garage or carport. Level 2 charging uses rapid (usually 240V+) chargers, most often made for your brand of car, and has significantly faster charging rates compared to a household outlet. You could charge your entire vehicle overnight as you sleep, even if the battery is down to 20%.
3. Public Charging (Level 3): You can charge on the go at parking garages, malls, hotels, and even apartment buildings when you find a public charging station. You’ll often find public charging stations at big-name national stores and retailers, auto dealerships, and other high-profile places. This is called Level 3 charging.

Typical Domestic Electric Car Charging Time

Domestic car charging times vary based on whether you choose Level 1 or Level 2 charging. Here’s more on that:

• Level 1 EV charging often takes an entire day to fully charge an electric car.
• Level 2 EV charging takes hours, sometimes up to eight hours, to fully charge an electric car. Generally speaking, a single night of Level 2 charging is sufficient to fully recharge an EV as you sleep.
• Level 3 EV charging can fully recharge most EVs in an hour or less, or add significant range in just ten minutes.

Which charging method is right for you? Level 3 EV charging is only offered in public, at select locations. However, it’s much faster than any other charging method. For this reason, most EV owners mix rapid charging and Level 2 at-home charging in their day-to-day lives and rely on rapid charging for road trips and long-distance drives. Level 3 charging takes a short time, but it makes your battery heat up. This extra heat could make your EV batteries wear out faster.

Typical Electric Car Charging Time for Public Stations

Most home chargers offer 3.7 or 7 kW charging. Public stations, on the other hand, offer 22 kW charging, 43 to 50 kW rapid charging, and 150 kW rapid charging. You could get a full charge (0-100%) in an hour or so for 80% charge in about 30 minutes. It depends on which level of charging you use.

Test Drive an Electric Vehicle Near Birmingham

Ready for the perfect EV for your unique needs? Contact us or call (248) 644-8400 to schedule a test drive. Then, apply for financing so you can take home the hybrid or electric vehicle of your dreams sometime soon! We’re happy to help in any way we can!