EV Charging Time Calculator
Find how long it takes to charge an EV battery.
Default 100%
Default 90%
Results update as you type.
How it works
Knowing how long an electric vehicle takes to charge helps you plan trips and daily routines, and this calculator estimates it. You enter the battery capacity, the charger's power, and the start and target charge percentages, along with a charging efficiency, and it returns the charging time in hours and minutes plus the energy added. The estimate works by finding the energy you need to add, the battery capacity times the percentage gap you are filling, then dividing by the charger's power output. Because charging is not perfectly efficient, some energy is lost as heat, so the calculator applies an efficiency factor, defaulting to 90 percent, which lengthens the time slightly compared to the ideal. Charging speed depends enormously on the charger type: a standard home outlet delivers only about 1 to 2 kilowatts and takes many hours, a home Level 2 charger delivers around 7 to 11 kilowatts and charges overnight, and a DC fast charger can deliver 50 to 350 kilowatts for a partial charge in tens of minutes. Note that real-world fast charging slows down as the battery fills, especially above 80 percent, so charging from 20 to 80 percent is often the practical fast-charging window and the most useful to calculate. This estimate assumes a roughly constant charge rate, so it is most accurate for Level 1 and Level 2 charging. Enter your battery, charger, and charge window to estimate the charging time.
Time = battery × (target − start)% / (charger power × efficiency)
The energy needed is the battery capacity times the percentage of charge you are adding. Dividing that by the charger's power output, adjusted for charging efficiency (some energy is lost as heat), gives the charging time in hours. A bigger battery or lower charger power means a longer charge.
Source:EV charging
We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.
Worked example
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your values
Enter battery capacity and charger power.
- 2
Adjust the options
Adjust start charge, target charge and charging efficiency if they apply — sensible defaults are already set.
- 3
Read your result
Charging time updates instantly as you type — no button to press.
Frequently asked questions
How is EV charging time calculated?
Multiply the battery capacity by the percentage of charge you are adding to get the energy needed, then divide by the charger's power output adjusted for efficiency. For example, adding 36 kilowatt-hours on an 11-kilowatt charger at 90 percent efficiency takes about 3.6 hours. The calculator does this from your inputs.
Why does charging efficiency matter?
Charging is not perfectly efficient; some energy is lost as heat in the charger, cables, and battery, typically around 10 percent. This means the charger must deliver more energy than the battery gains, lengthening the charge time. Applying an efficiency factor, defaulting to 90 percent, makes the estimate more realistic than assuming zero loss.
What are the different EV charging levels?
Level 1 uses a standard household outlet at about 1 to 2 kilowatts and is slow, adding a few miles of range per hour. Level 2 uses a 240-volt circuit at around 7 to 11 kilowatts and charges most EVs overnight. DC fast charging delivers 50 to 350 kilowatts and can add substantial range in tens of minutes.
Why is fast charging usually calculated to 80 percent?
To protect the battery, EVs slow their charging rate as the battery fills, especially above 80 percent, so the last 20 percent can take as long as the first 60. Because of this, drivers typically fast-charge from about 20 to 80 percent for efficiency, which is why that window is the most useful to estimate.
How accurate is this estimate?
It is most accurate for Level 1 and Level 2 charging, where the rate is fairly constant. For DC fast charging, the real rate varies with battery level, temperature, and the charger's power sharing, so actual times can differ. Use the estimate as a planning guide and expect fast charging to slow as the battery approaches full.