The RAC wants to ‘set the record straight’ for motorists who think ‘Electric vehicles (EVs) take forever to charge.’ EVs are increasingly popular, with data suggesting there are over 1.75 million fully electric cars on UK roads.
The RAC points out that EVs typically have higher purchase costs but lower running costs. Many drivers might be making the switch in the coming years, given no new pure petrol or diesel cars will be sold from 2035 – all new cars and vans will need to be 100% zero emission.
While EVs are becoming more popular, the RAC says there are myths surrounding their usage. For example, motorists may believe ‘EVs take forever to charge’, but the motoring company says otherwise, reports the Mirror.
Taking to Facebook, the RAC shared a video featuring James, Business Director at Zapmap, to ‘bust this myth and set the record straight.’ James told viewers: “Most EVs charge whilst their owners are sleeping, meaning it actually takes less time for the owner to plug and unplug their car than it does for say a petrol engine driver to go to a petrol station and wait whilst their vehicle fills up.
“If you have to charge your car whilst out on the road with an ultra-rapid charger, some of those can fill in as little as twenty minutes. So by the time you’ve gone into the service station, grabbed a coffee, gone to the loo, and come back outside to send that final WhatsApp message, your car is already charged.”
How long does it take to charge an EV?
According to the RAC website: “The time it takes to charge an electric car depends on the size of the battery and the power the charger is putting out.” Sharing an example, the advice explains: “In theory, that means a Renault Zoe with a 52kWh battery will take just over an hour to charge using a 50kW rapid charger.
“Whereas a newer, more expensive electric car like a Kia EV6 will take around half an hour to charge using a 350kW ultra-rapid charger. However, that’s unlikely to happen in practice because there are two key variables here: the average speed of the charge throughout the session, and the charging speed the car can actually accept.”
The guidance continues: “Officially, the Renault Zoe will accept a maximum of 46kW, while a Kia EV6 will accept a much higher maximum of 233kW. But both cars will likely only sustain that speed for 70% of the charge time, tailing off as the battery fills up.
“This is why car manufacturers tend to quote a 10-80% charge time for their electric cars. In the Renault, that figure is 56 minutes, while the Kia manages a 10-80% charge in just 16 minutes.”
The RAC added that the easiest and most cost-effective method is to charge an EV at home. The experts said: “Stick the EV on charge when you arrive home from work and you’ll wake up to a fully charged car in the morning.”