Maximum charge speed
Your maximum charge speed is defined by your vehicle. If your vehicle maximum speed is 50kW, you will never charge faster than 50kW, even on a charger able to deliver 300kW.
Influence on charge speed
Battery % (State of charge)
The graph underneath shows an example of a charge curve. It shows the charge speed (vertical axis, expressed in kW) depending on how full the battery is (horizontal axis).
In general: if a battery is charged up to around 80 % the charge speed will drop.
The charge curve of every vehicle is different and depends on the choices made by the vehicle manufacturer. Check out your vehicle's maximum charge speed and charge curve in the Fastned app.
Temperature
Another factor that have a significant influence on charge speed is the temperature of the battery.
A battery works optimally if the battery temperature is not too high and not too low. In practice, this is usually between 20 °C and 30 °C, although some cars function best with a battery around 40 °C.
In winter, a battery can get very cold, for example if the vehicle is parked outside. This can cause charging to be (much) slower. Conversely, a battery can become very warm during a hot summer day, and this can also cause charging to go slower. The influence of the temperature on the charge speed is different for each vehicle model.
For example, the charge curve below shows the impact on the charge speed according to the outside temperature for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and the Kia EV6.
Some models are equipped with a thermal management system for the battery, for example liquid cooling. This way the battery can be cooled or heated depending on the circumstances. Even with such system, heating or cooling your battery can take a while (an hour or more).
A battery works optimally if the battery temperature is not too high and not too low. In practice, this is usually between 20 °C and 30 °C, although some cars function best with a battery around 40 °C.
In winter, a battery can get very cold, for example if the vehicle is parked outside. This can cause charging to be (much) slower. Conversely, a battery can become very warm during a hot summer day, and this can also cause charging to go slower. The influence of the temperature on the charge speed is different for each vehicle model.
For example, the charge curve below shows the impact on the charge speed according to the outside temperature for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and the Kia EV6.
Some models are equipped with a thermal management system for the battery, for example liquid cooling. This way the battery can be cooled or heated depending on the circumstances. Even with such system, heating or cooling your battery can take a while (an hour or more).
What can I do to improve my charge speed?
- In general, the emptier the battery, the faster it charges.
- Driving itself has a minimal effect on battery temperature, and you probably won't notice the difference in your charge speed.
- Luckily, fast charging will heat up the battery more significantly, which will, in turn, improve the charge speed.
- Additionally, some cars offer the option to pre-heat the battery. This has the most impact on your charge speed, especially in the winter. Some cars automatically enable pre-heating when selecting a fast charger as a destination in the car navigation. To learn more about this function, contact your vehicle manufacturer or search online.