How long does it take to charge an electric car
battery?
Many factors, including climate change and our urgent
desire to preserve our planet from the exhaust of ordinary vehicles, have
promoted the spread of electric cars, and their popularity has begun to rise
day by day. Like any new thing that appears on the scene, questions began to
surround it from all sides. How much is the price? What are the “brands” of
these cars? What about the advantages and disadvantages? But perhaps the most
pressing question that we're here for today is: Since these cars run on
electricity, how long do they need to be charged?
Well, below we explain the answer in detail to satisfy your curiosity!
Fortunately, owning electric cars is easier than ever.
Being an area in which auto giants compete, their abundance has led to a
decrease in their price according to the law of supply and demand that applies
to all commodities, and electric vehicles in general are no exception. The
spread of electric charging stations and their availability in many gas
stations, shopping centers, and public places also facilitated the matter.
Governments themselves are urging their citizens to
buy electric cars. The US federal government even cut taxes as a tax incentive
ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 for the purchase of an electric car. The two
problems that may face many countries are shipping and harsh weather conditions
in which temperatures reach below zero, which may damage these cars.
How long does it take to charge your electric car?
There is no straight answer, as it depends on a lot of
factors. You can charge your electric car in half an hour, and it can take you
days. If you are charging the vehicle with a standard Type 1 Charging Station,
which is the standard type, it can take days to fully charge the battery. As
with smartphones, there are charging stations that support Type 3 DC Fast-charging
Stations. If used, you will only need half an hour to fill the car battery. In
general, because factors vary and constantly change, it is impossible to
determine a certain fixed amount of time that you need to charge the car.
Factors affecting shipping time
1- Battery size: The first-level outlets for batteries
or Type 1 Charging Stations, as indicated, require the longest time and the
slowest rate of charging, and the larger the battery size, the longer it takes
to charge. This applies especially to fully electric cars where the battery is
the only power source, but in hybrid cars (semi-electric) the matter is
different. These vehicles mostly use gas to generate power, while also
containing a small battery that is used when needed to provide fuel. This means
that the charging time of a hybrid car is much less than that of a fully
charged electric vehicle such as the Tesla or Nissan Leaf.
2- Battery capacity and efficiency: It is important to
know that the batteries used in electric cars have a specific charging capacity
that cannot be exceeded in any way. Also, charging stations have a fixed rate
for the maximum charging capacity that batteries can be supplied with. Hence
the charge capacity of the battery here plays an important role in the time it
takes to charge, if you connect the car to a charging station that has a
maximum charge rate less than the charge capacity of the battery, it will slow
down the charging time because the station is only supplying the maximum amount
of power it can support. In short, the more efficiently the battery can hold a
charge, the shorter the charging time. The capacity of the battery is fixed and
does not change with time and the quality of the charging station will not
affect it.
3- The quality of the source (the charger): an
emphasis on the second point, and in order to see the picture from the other
perspective; Even if your battery capacity is very strong, it will not affect
the quality of the source; In the sense that if the source is poor and the
battery is strong, the charging speed will depend on the strength of the source
only, and the battery will not help it in anything.
4- Weather: The weather really affects the charging
time and may cause the battery to drain faster than you might expect, for
example, a drop in temperature speeds up the battery drain and extends its
charging time even if you use a fast charger, and the reason for this is due to
the chemical reactions that occur inside the battery. As for the high
temperature, it can damage the battery and affect its efficiency and is a
strong test for its resistance, so mild weather conditions are the best time to
charge the electric vehicle.
5 Battery Status (Full/Empty): The last and most
obvious factor, the power level the battery has at the time it is connected to
the charging station has a role in the time it takes for the battery to fully
charge. For example, if the power level was 80%, the charging time would be
much shorter than if the level was 15%.
And let's not forget that the batteries used in
electric cars adopt almost the same composition as the batteries for phones.
This means that the charging time depends on the state of the battery before
connecting it to the charger. -Charging The battery will be charged in several
stages to maintain its life, which takes longer.
The future of electric vehicle charging
With the high demand for this type of car, we find
clear interest from developers and engineers at all levels. We must see
interest in all aspects, the most important of which is the shipping aspect.
Which you can't live electric car without. According to Forbes magazine, this
year is supposed to witness a radical change in the field of electric cars,
especially with regard to charging and batteries, and thanks to companies such
as General Motors and their relentless pursuit of faster charging options, such
as Ultium Charge 360 technology, users of these cars will find what
they like.
In the coming years, the electric vehicle charging
market is expected to expand 5-7 times. In 2020, the value of this market
reached $5 billion, and it is expected to jump to $35 billion by 2026. The
Chinese market dominates this field, then the European and American markets.
Each of them aims to reduce time and cost. A problem such as the high price of
copper may be a hindrance, but the solution is not difficult to achieve,
especially with the improvement of infrastructure in many parts of the world.
In conclusion: It is natural to see a greater spread of electric cars in the coming period, especially with the facilitation of governments that stimulate and add new regulations in order to move to this type of vehicle. Also, the European Union's programs aimed at harmonizing climate and energy policies force the option of electric cars, and the improvement of charging methods heralds a promising future for these cars.