Long charging times and a lack of charging infrastructure used to be the prime reasons for not investing in an electric vehicle (EV). However, in recent years, things have changed. Today, you’ll find electric car charging stations all over the country and manufacturers have significantly cut the time that it takes to charge an electric car. And with plenty of EV charging points all over the country, as well as the option of home or business installation, it’s simple and fast for anyone to top up and drive.

Different types of charging points

There are three main types of electric car charging points: slow, fast and rapid.

• Slow electric car charger – this wall plug charger is the most common type of charging point for at-home charging and is, as the name suggests, the slowest. A typical EV will charge in 6 to 12 hours with a slow electric car charger.
• Fast electric car charger – the dedicated charging station is a swift option for electric vehicles, although there isn’t a definitive answer to questions like “how long does a Tesla take to charge?” or “how long to charge a Nissan Leaf”, as the charging time will depend on the model in question.
• Rapid DC charger – although rapid charging points are the fastest option for refuelling an electric car, they are only available for vehicles with rapid-charging capabilities.

Electric car charging times overview

EV charging time depends on the car itself, as well as the power supply that you have. Other factors should also be taken into consideration, such as how empty the battery is, and the temperature of the battery before charging. The best option for more specific questions on each EV model – e.g. Nissan Leaf charge time, Renault Zoë charge time, or Tesla charge time - is to examine the features of the individual vehicles.

Although your business is providing employees and guests with convenience and power, this doesn’t have to come at a cost. Automatic Reimbursement, which is one of the services included in Shell Recharge’s online user portal for electric car charging services, ensures that your business is reimbursed for the entire cost of the charging session so you don’t bear any of this yourself.

The cars with a two hour charging window are some of the fastest, while the Tesla models tend to be some of the slowest due to their large battery capacity. Discover what exact charger and benefits you can have depending on their specific EV model by browsing the electric car range.

Shell Recharge charge points and charge times

The comparison between wall socket charging vs the Shell Recharge Home charging solutions shows just how much of a difference the right charger can make to the speed at which an EV can be charged. Shell Recharge offers charging stations and packages for both residential and business use with a range of prices and performances available. The Home Fast, for example, is the best choice for electric car owners with a high speed charging ability, easy to use and simple to install. The Business Pro package has been specifically designed for business use with Dynamic Load Balancing capabilities, ideal for paving the way for a future-proof charging infrastructure.

Many aspects of EV charging have evolved over the past couple of years, from cost efficiency to charging speed. It’s now far more convenient and much less expensive to have a charging facility on site, whether at home or at work.