This is how much power fast charging stations for electric cars have
A Statista survey from 2022 shows that, in addition to the purchase price, the range and charging time for long distances are also decisive criteria against buying an electric car. There is great concern about being forced to take unnecessarily long breaks on a long-distance journey . But what about the charging time? We'll show you what options are already available so that you can always get to your destination safely with your electric car.
What does fast charging actually mean in an electric car?
At a fast charging station, you can charge your e-car much faster than at a normal charging station.
While you charge your electric car with alternating current (AC) with a charging capacity of up to 22 kilowatts (kW) at normal charging stations, up to 400 kW are possible at fast charging stations with direct current (DC ). As soon as the charging station has an output of at least 50 kW, it is a fast charging station. This is because the additional power has an effect on the charging time.
How fast do I charge at a fast charging station?
On average, the battery of your electric car needs two to four hours at a simple AC charging station to be fully charged. This is much faster at a DC fast charging station: In practice, this means that you can fully recharge your electric car in 30 to 60 minutes. However, the actual charging time also depends on factors such as the current battery level, weather conditions and the charging power of the respective vehicle model. Nevertheless, the idle time at a fast charging point is much shorter.
Charging in the dark is no problem: Charging is always safe thanks to comprehensive lighting and video surveillance on site.
How does fast charging work?
Electric cars require direct current (DC = Direct Current) to charge, but our power grid supplies alternating current (AC = Alternating Current). During normal charging of an electric car, the electricity is converted via the converter in the vehicle – but this results in a longer charging time.
However, most e-car models are also suitable for fast charging. During this charging process, the conversion from alternating current to direct current takes place in the charging station and not in the vehicle itself. This bypasses the mains converter in the electric car and the direct current flows directly into the battery, reducing the charging time.
However, not every electric car automatically charges quickly at a fast charging station, because not every battery can also absorb the full power of the charging station. Some batteries consume up to 350 kW, others only 50 kW.
The battery management system in the vehicle optimally controls the charging process and power and specifies exactly what charging power it should provide. If, for example, the temperature drops in winter, the system reduces the charging speed to save the battery. By the way, the e-car charges best at an outside temperature of 20 to 30 °C. The charging speed also varies during the charging process: As the battery is filled, the speed of charging decreases.
Not all electric cars are suitable for fast charging. These include, for example, the Renault Twingo Electric or the smart EQ forfour, which do not have to travel long distances as city runabouts.
Does fast charging damage the battery?
How quickly an electric vehicle charges depends on the manufacturer and the integrated battery management system. In most cases, the battery is charged up to 80 percent quickly. The output power is then throttled so that the performance of the battery is not permanently impaired.
Studies are looking at the long-term impact of fast charging on batteries. Most recently, it was found that intelligent operating management systems can prevent premature aging of batteries, including during fast charging. You can read the background to this in the article "Is fast charging really harmful for e-cars?".
What connection does my electric car need for fast charging?
In addition to the basic charging power, the plug with which you connect your electric car to the charging station is also decisive. Because for fast charging, you need the CCS or CHAdeMO standard. We have discussed what the respective plug types look like in our article "What plug types are there?".
What does High Power Charging mean at EnBW?
Fast charging is not fast enough for you? Then this technology could be of interest to you: In Europe, High Power Chargers (HPC) with a charging capacity of 150 kW to 400 kW are being built. There you can charge your electric vehicle for a range of up to 100 km in just five minutes. The charging stations are equipped with CCS plugs. You can therefore use the HPC station if your vehicle is capable of DC charging and has a CCS connection. However, so far there are no electric cars that can charge with the full 4.00 kW [as of June 2024]. The current front-runner is the Lucid Air, which manages a charging power of up to 304 kW. But battery technology is constantly developing and will certainly catch up in the near future.
When charging, the vehicle communicates continuously with the charging station and specifies the required voltage and current. If your electric car cannot absorb the full 400 kW, the vehicle sends this information to the station, which then adjusts the power accordingly. During the charging process, the display of the EnBW fast-charging stations also shows a charging curve that can be used to track the charging power achieved and how it increases at the beginning and usually flattens out at 80%.
Which electric cars are suitable for fast charging?
Fast charging is on the rise, including here: There are over 600,000 charging points in the EnBW HyperNetwork. Our High Power Chargers provide up to 400 kW of green electricity for green driving pleasure. And some car manufacturers are also setting a fast pace when it comes to charging. There are now a whole range of electric cars that already enable a charging power of 150 to 350 kW. Here are some examples of fast-charging models:
- Lucid Air (charging power up to 304 kW)
- Tesla Model 3 (charging power 247 kW)
- Audi e-tron GT (charging power up to 270 kW)
- Porsche Taycan (charging power up to 270 kW)
- VW ID.3 (charging power up to 125 kW on some models)
- Ford Mach-E (charging power up to 150 kW)
- Polestar 2 (charging power up to 150 kW)
By the way, in our blog post on the topic of long-range e-cars, you will find an overview of which electric cars already have a very long range today.
Where can I find 300 kW charging stations?
The largest fast-charging park in the EnBW HyperNetz at Kamener Kreuz
Since 2021, there has already been a fast-charging park at the busiest traffic junction in Germany - the Kamener Kreuz. EnBW has opened its largest fast-charging park to date, where up to 52 vehicles can charge at the same time – and ultra-fast, with an output of up to 300 kW. The electricity for this comes partly from the charging park's own photovoltaic system. Here you can charge a range of up to 100 kilometres in 5 minutes.
In April 2024, the new EnBW NextLevel fast-charging park near Chemnitz was inaugurated. This offers 24 fast-charging points that can deliver up to 400 kilowatts of power. This means that a range of 400 kilometres can be charged within 15 minutes if the electric car is able to do so.
How fast can I charge at EnBW?
The EnBW HyperNetz is the largest charging network in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In addition, you can also charge in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the Czech Republic. EnBW mobility + offers you more than 600,000 charging points in Europe. With more than 1,000 EnBW fast-charging locations, you can already rely on a nationwide fast-charging network. Here you can charge up to 100 km range in just 5 minutes. And our fast-chargingnetwork continues to grow: around 30,000 fast-chargingpoints are planned by 2030.
Wir laden alles, was uns bewegt. Willkommen im EnBW HyperNetz!
- We load quickly: Charge up to 100 km range in 5 minutes in Germany's largest fast-charging network.
- We simply load: Find the nearest free charging station, charge your electric car, pay conveniently at transparent prices – it's easy with the EnBW mobility+ app.
- We charge everywhere: at over 600,000 charging points in Germany and Europe.
All fast-charging stations of EnBW and its partners in the EnBW HyperNetwork can be found via the EnBW mobility+ app. You can use this to navigate to the nearest charging station, park your electric car and pay for the charging process. In addition, you can also charge sustainably with us: because we supply our EnBW charging locations exclusively with 100 percent green electricity. E-mobility is that easy.
By the way: We want to improve the charging experience at charging stations and have started with our partner & Charge Challenges. Do you often charge your e-car at EnBW charging stations? Take part, use the free & Charge app to assess the condition of EnBW charging stations and collect kilometres. You can then convert these into EnBW charging credits, for example. More about this in our article on the &Charge.
Conclusion: Drive longer, charge faster
An important factor for the suitability of electric cars for everyday use is a fast charging process. This is especially true if you drive long distances and need to charge your electric car on the road.
The good news is that current e-car models are achieving ever greater ranges and the number of waiting times at the charging station is also decreasing. This is because manufacturers hardly offer any electric cars without a fast charging function and the vehicles have ever higher charging capacities.
In addition, the charging network operators are continuously improving the charging infrastructure. E-car fans can look forward to a higher density of charging points and also a larger range of fast charging points with output powers of up to 400 kW. This allows you to charge your electric car quickly and conveniently on the road – and you don't have to worry about the range as much.