Top speed is no longer the holy grail when it comes to electric cars. It’s the speed at which you can recharge the battery that’s much more important.
Consider this then, the ultimate version of speed dating. How quickly can you plug into one of our High Power chargers and hit the road again with your battery replenished?
To make sense of the rankings we need to first explain some science. I know, worst date ever, right? But bear with us, first impressions aren’t everything…
You’ll see many cars claim 150kW+ charging capability while some of the latest top-end models are now capable of achieving over 300kW. However, this maximum is a peak and not a constant.
You’ll only ever achieve this advertised top rate for a short period, usually at around 50% State of Charge (SoC). Think of it like sprinting, it takes a bit of time to get going out the blocks, then you’re like Usain Bolt, but you can only keep going for a short while before you need to ease off.
This is what’s known as the charging curve.
Each car has a different charging curve, and some models are able to sustain their peaks for longer, which means the average power across a whole charge is higher – and for you, that means a quicker charge.
See, we told you it was good pillow talk. The charging curve is the same reason that once you get above 80% the car will slow the maximum charging power to avoid the cell voltages exceeding their limit.
And that takes us onto our speed dating scoreboard. As we’ve explained above, just quoting the maximum power capability is not enough to really tell which car is fastest at charging. Instead, we’re using figures from ev-database.org, which has calculated a “miles per hour” charging figure.
This takes the average power of a car across a 10 to 80% charge and calculates how many miles it would add over the course of an hour. We’ve also quoted the time it’ll take in real-world terms to achieve that 10-80% top up – this is of course dependent on battery size as well as charging capability (a bigger battery, and therefore more range, means more cells to charge).
The top 5 fastest charging electric cars
Hyundai IONIQ 6
Charging Rate: 770mph | Max. charging power: 223kW | 10-80%: 16 minutes
The face of the next generation of electric cars is the Hyundai IONIQ 6. A sleek design to optimise aerodynamics for added range combines with a comfortable and practical interior. Add in class-leading charging capability and this is a seriously impressive EV.
Porsche Taycan
Charging Rate: 720mph | Max. charging power: 268kW | 10-80%: 17 minutes
If you look up any ‘best-ofs’ list (whether they’re EV-only or not) then the Porsche Taycan will invariably be there. It takes everything that’s great about Porsche sportscars and makes it even better. Stylish, great to drive and with incredible performance. The charging speeds mean you’ll have even more time out on the open road enjoying the Taycan.
Kia EV6
Charging Rate: 660mph | Max. charging power: 233kW | 10-80%: 16 minutes
The Kia EV6 really is love at first headlight for us. It ticks every box and more. Not only is it practical and stylish, but it can also be one of the fastest accelerating or longest range EVs out there, depending on how you spec it. And naturally, charging capability is one of the best on the market.
Audi e-tron GT
Charging Rate: 640mph | Max. charging power: 268kW | 10-80%: 17 minutes
The Audi e-tron GT is a serious machine. Power, precision, performance and the closest you’ll get to matching the Porsche Taycan. Now we know looks aren’t everything and love is blind, but we also can’t ignore that the e-tron GT is also one of the best-looking Audis of recent years.
Lotus Eletre
Charging Rate: 640mph | Max. charging power: 350kW | 10-80%: 20 minutes
Think Lotus just does crazy track cars or impractical sports cars? Think again. The new Lotus Eletre offers luxury and space like we’ve never seen before from the brand, while delivering performance and driver appeal you wouldn’t expect from a whopping great SUV. What’s more, it’ll charge up almost as quickly as it accelerates.
