Estimate how long your electric car takes to charge at home, from any starting percentage, on a standard wall outlet or a Level 2 charger.
Your car's onboard charger caps the speed: a 48A charger won't charge faster than the car accepts. Charging also slows above roughly 90%.
The charging time formula
Hours = energy needed (kWh) ÷ charging power reaching the battery (kW).
Energy needed is your battery size multiplied by the percentage you’re adding. Charging power is the charger’s output, minus losses. Level 2 power depends on the circuit:
| Setup | Circuit | Charging current | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (standard outlet) | 120V, 15A | 12A | about 1.4 kW |
| Level 2 | 240V, 40A | 32A | about 7.7 kW |
| Level 2 (NEMA 14-50) | 240V, 50A | 40A | about 9.6 kW |
| Level 2 (hardwired) | 240V, 60A | 48A | about 11.5 kW |
EV charging counts as a continuous load, so the charger can draw at most 80% of the circuit’s rating. That’s why a 50-amp circuit supports 40 amps of charging.
Example: adding 60% to a 79 kWh battery means 47.4 kWh. On a 9.6 kW charger at about 90% efficiency, that takes roughly 47.4 ÷ 8.6 ≈ 5.5 hours, easily done overnight. On a standard outlet it would take about 40 hours.
Why real charging can be slower
- Your car’s onboard charger sets the limit. If your car accepts 11 kW, a bigger charger won’t help. Check your trim’s maximum AC charging rate.
- The last 10–20% is slower. Cars taper charging near full to protect the battery.
- Cold batteries charge more slowly and may spend energy warming up first.
- Shared circuits and load managers can reduce the current your charger is allowed to draw.
Related
Not sure you need Level 2 at all? Read Level 1 vs. Level 2 charging, or see charging times for popular EVs.