Knowledge base › Explainer
How long does it take to charge an EV?
The honest answer is: it depends on three things. The charger's power, your vehicle's maximum charge rate, and how full the battery already is.
Charger power
Chargers are rated in kilowatts. A 7kW AC charger at a resort delivers about 40km of range per hour. A DC fast charger can deliver several hundred kilometres of range in the time it takes to have a coffee. The network page lists power for every site.
Your vehicle's limit
Every EV has a maximum rate it can accept. Plugging a car that tops out at 50kW into a 150kW charger gives you 50kW. This is normal, and it is why two cars on identical chargers can take very different times.
The 80 percent rule
Charging is fastest when the battery is low and slows sharply above 80 percent, because the battery management system protects the cells as they fill. The last 20 percent can take as long as the first 80.
On a fast charger, charge to 80 percent and move on. It is faster for you and fairer to the driver waiting.
Rough guide
- DC ultra-fast, 120 to 200kW: 20 to 40 minutes to 80 percent
- DC fast, 80kW: 30 to 60 minutes to 80 percent
- AC destination, 7 to 22kW: 4 to 8 hours, suits overnight
Your BulaCharge session page shows live progress on your phone, so you can see exactly where you are rather than guessing.