What is the Fastest Charging Electric Car?

October 7th, 2022 by

The fastest charging electric car in terms of Level 3 charging rate is the 2022 Lucid Air, at 20 miles per minute. The Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model 3 are the second and third fastest respectively.

Luxury Electric Vehicle chargingIn the electric car industry, no single technology is evolving faster than EV batteries. Just a few years ago, most batteries struggled to give their electric cars 100 miles of range. Today, nearly every fully electric vehicle on the market easily exceeds that benchmark. But the charge range is not the only metric to pay attention to when it comes to batteries. Charging time is also critically important for many drivers.

Charging an electric car takes time. Many electric vehicle owners charge their cars overnight at home using Level 2 chargers. The fastest electric car charger is a Level 3, or DC Fast charger. While most modern electric cars can charge in under an hour using a Level 3 charger, times are not all consistent. Some cars charge faster than others. So, what is the fastest charging electric car?

Electric Car Charging Speeds

There are a few problems to deal with when identifying the fastest-charging electric cars.

First, conditions affect charging speeds. Things like temperature, charger quality, and the quality of the battery itself can all impact how quickly a battery will charge. 

Second, there is no official authority to confirm charging speeds. Manufacturers make claims about their vehicles’ charging speeds, but there is no governing body checking on them. This may change in the future as electric cars become more mainstream, however.

Third, it must be determined what metric is being used. Are we measuring charging speeds with a Level 2 charger, or a Level 3 (for practical reasons, Level 1 charging speeds do not need to be considered)? Two vehicles might share similar Level 3 charging speeds but differ when using a Level 2 charger.

Top 3 Fastest Charging Electric Cars

To truly measure the “fastest charging electric cars”, Level 3 charging times seem the most practical. This is because Level 3 chargers are the fastest available, and thus reflect the peak when it comes to overall charging times. 

One last factor to note here is that manufacturers all differ in how they present their charging speeds. Some provide charging times for 0-100% battery life. Others opt for 5-80% or 20-80%. Additionally, all batteries have different capacities. 0-80% for a battery with 300 miles of range is a greater volume than 0-80% for a battery with 150 miles of range.

A consistent metric must be established to accurately compare charging times. As such, charging miles per minute using a Level 3 charger will be the default measurement here.

Here are the three fastest charging electric cars using Level 3 charging in 2022:

#3: Tesla Model 3

The Tesla Model 3 can charge at a rate of 15 miles per minute using a Level 3, or DC Fast charger. With a range of 315 miles, the Model S can go from 0 to 100% charge in under 30 minutes.

#2: Porsche Taycan Porsche Taycan Turbo Luxury Electric Vehicle

The 2022 Porsche Taycan has a Level 3 charging speed of 15.5 miles per minute, just slightly edging out the Model 3. The Taycan’s 212-mile range is slightly less than that of the Model 3. This means it has a much faster overall time to full charge, but it also needs to stop somewhat more frequently.

View Porsche Taycan Inventory

#1: Lucid Air

The 2022 Lucid Air is the fastest-charging electric car on the road today. With a peak charging speed of 20 miles per minute, the Lucid Air beats out all other EV models at this time, although it is a rarer and more niche vehicle. With a range of 520 miles, the Lucid Air is also one of the longest-lasting EVs available.

Ray Catena is the NY and NJ area’s top source for drivers’ LEV needs. Learn more about where to charge an EV or contact us today.

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Posted in Luxury Electric Vehicles