Free charging tool
Charging time calculator
How long until you are back on the road? Pick your car, choose how much to top up, and compare charge times from a 3-pin plug to a rapid DC charger.
AC time is energy divided by power. A bigger cable never charges faster than the car's onboard limit. Rapid (DC) times are quoted 10 to 80%, the way manufacturers do. Cold or nearly-full batteries charge slower.
How charging time works
Charging on AC is straightforward: the time is the energy you add divided by the power you charge at. The power is set by the lower of two things, your car's onboard charger and the supply feeding the charge point. A 60kWh car adding 70% of its battery takes on 42kWh; at 7.4kW that is just under six hours, an easy overnight charge.
Rapid DC charging is different. The rate is high but tapers as the battery fills, so it is always quoted over a 10% to 80% window. We use an average power across that window rather than the brief peak, which gives a realistic figure of roughly half an hour to an hour for most cars.
A bigger cable does not mean faster charging
This is worth repeating because it saves people money. A charging cable and charger can only deliver what the car is built to accept on AC. If your car's onboard charger is 7.4kW, then a 7.4kW cable and a 22kW cable charge it in exactly the same time. The 22kW cable only does something if the car can draw more than 7.4kW and you have a three-phase supply to feed it.
Most cars and most homes are single-phase, so 7.4kW is the normal home speed. A 22kW cable is really about future-proofing or three-phase public posts, not faster home charging. Our do I need a 22kW cable guide walks through when it is worth it, and 7.4kW vs 22kW compares the two directly.
Which charging method for which job
- 3-pin granny charger (about 2.3kW): a slow backstop for occasional use, fine for a small top-up but not an everyday solution.
- Home wallbox (7.4kW): the normal way to charge at home, comfortably refilling most cars overnight.
- Three-phase or 22kW: only faster on AC if the car and supply both support it, which is uncommon in UK homes.
- Rapid DC: for topping up quickly on longer journeys, quoted 10% to 80%.
Pick the right cable
For home and public AC charging you need a Type 2 cable rated for your car's speed. Buy the power your car can actually use, in a length that reaches comfortably. The cable length calculator helps with length, and you can shop cables matched to your car directly.
Common questions
- How long does it take to charge an electric car?
- On a 7.4kW home wallbox, a typical 60kWh car from 10% to 80% takes around 6 hours, which is an easy overnight charge. A 3-pin granny plug takes much longer, around 18 hours for the same top-up. A public rapid charger can do 10% to 80% in roughly 30 to 45 minutes. Enter your car above for its own figures.
- Does a more powerful cable charge my car faster?
- Only up to your car's onboard AC limit. If the car accepts 7.4kW, a 22kW cable charges at exactly the same speed. A bigger cable only helps a car that can actually draw more, and only on a supply that can deliver it. This is the single most misunderstood point about charging speed.
- Why is 7.4kW the usual home speed?
- Almost all UK homes have a single-phase electricity supply, which tops out around 7.4kW for charging. Three-phase supplies, needed for 11kW or 22kW AC, are rare in homes. So for most people 7.4kW is the real ceiling at home no matter what the car or cable can do.
- How are AC charging times worked out?
- AC time is simply the energy you add divided by the charging power. Add 42kWh at 7.4kW and it takes about 5.7 hours. We cap the power at whichever is lower, the car's onboard charger or the supply, so the time is honest.
- Why are rapid DC times shown only for 10 to 80%?
- Rapid charging slows down a lot above 80% to protect the battery, so a 0 to 100% figure would be misleading. Manufacturers quote 10 to 80% for the same reason, and we use an average power across that window rather than the peak, which you only see briefly.
- What slows charging down in the real world?
- A cold battery charges more slowly, especially on rapid DC, as does a battery that is already fairly full. Very hot conditions and a busy, shared charger can also reduce the rate. Treat the figures as a good estimate for normal conditions.
Keep reading
Default rates and assumptions as of October 2026. These are typical figures to get you started, not quotes. Every value is editable, so change them to your own tariff, car and driving for a result that fits you.