In St. Lucia, electric mobility is appealing to more and more people, and even more so at a time when the price of fuel is rising steadily fuel prices continue to soar. The increasing presence of charging stations and the ease of installing them at home have also tipped the balance.
So how long does it take to recharge an electric car? Let’s unpack the question!

The different recharge times

The charging time of an electric vehicle depends on a number of factors, including the model of the vehicle, the battery capacity, the power of the charging station used, the capacity of its battery,  and also the state of charge of the battery.

The battery’s state of charge.

Currently, there are many options for optimising charging time: the reinforced socket or the ultra-fast charging point, which allows you to go from 5 to 80% of charge in less than half an hour on the most popular cars and
half an hour on the most modern cars.

The power of the charging point

The power of the charging point necessarily determines the charging time. The charging power varies from
2.3 to 250 Kw depending on the type of socket: domestic, wallbox, fast public charging point.

The charging cable

The charging cable must be compatible with the charging infrastructure: a cable that only tolerates
3.7 kWh on a 7 kWh charging station will therefore limit the charging power.

State of charge

With a fast DC charging station, you can charge your electric car more quickly. Of course, you need a vehicle that is compatible with this technology. You can go from 5 to 80% charge in half an hour for modern vehicles, but this depends on several parameters.

If your battery is charged to 60%, it will be impossible to achieve the same charging speed because this speed is only possible on a nearly empty battery and over a very short period of time.

The higher the level of charge, the lower the charging power (and therefore the faster the charge).

In order for a fast charge to be profitable very quickly, fast charging stations must be used with almost empty batteries. This fluctuation in charging power only applies to direct current fast charging. Reinforced sockets
or wallboxes benefit from constant power.

Another factor: the ambient temperature during charging

Did you know that the battery is designed to function optimally between 25 and 45° C?
This means that it works less well if it is too hot or too cold.
This is why during a heatwave, the electric range naturally decreases.
When it is cold, the chemical properties make the battery less efficient. The same applies when it is too hot: the
safety systems degrade this efficiency to prevent internal damage.