Charging rates

Charging rate

Charging rate describes how quickly an electric vehicle receives energy, usually expressed as charging power in kilowatts or as range added per hour. The actual rate during a session is limited by the charge point, the vehicle and current battery conditions. During AC charging, the vehicle's onboard charger sets an important upper limit. During DC charging, the onboard AC charger is bypassed and the vehicle communicates the power it can accept from the DC charge point. Charging rate is rarely constant from empty to full. Battery temperature and state of charge affect the charging curve, so a 150 kW charge point does not mean the vehicle will take 150 kW throughout the session.