Considering switching to an electric vehicle but worried about sitting at the roadside for hours while your car charges? Fear not.
In recent months we’ve already looked at average charge times for electric vehicles, as well as the ins and outs of charging them with our in-depth guide on the subject. All to give you a good idea of what the act of charging an EV might mean for you when you decide to make the switch.
We’ve also looked at some of the best EVs for range, so you can get the most from your overnight charge without needing to stop along your journey.
But if you want to know specifically what are the very best EV cars with fast charging capabilities, and how long they take to fill up – this is the post for you.
Five of the Fastest-Charging Electric Cars
It has to be said that charging an EV is not an exact science. The weather, the battery’s capacity and being able to find the fastest possible charging station can all affect the time it takes to get an EV from 0% to the recommended mobile charging amount of 80%.
However, our research into manufacturer literature indicates that these are amongst the top five EV cars for quick charging…
1. Lucid Air
Image credit: Lucid Motors
This is first in our list of five top EVs for charge time for a very good reason. The newest high-end EV on the block, Lucid Motors’ website refers to the Air’s ‘Wunderbox’ as “an absolute beast of a battery charger” and claims it’s “the fastest EV charging system available, able to fill up to 300 miles of charge in about 22 minutes.”
It’s also very promising that the Air is compatible with “nearly every public charging station” – so you’ll be able to use it at the ever-growing number of charge points up and down the UK.
Currently retailing in the US for the equivalent of around £62,000, we’re excited to offer the Lucid Air for lease just as soon as it becomes available on UK shores.
2. Porsche Taycan
Image credit: Porsche
Porsche’s website calls the Taycan “quick, comfortable, intelligent and universal” – though with a ticket price of £75,000 (and leasing terms in line with that), it may not be the EV for everyone.
Still, if it’s fast charging times you want, the Taycan is up there as one of the very best EV cars with fast charging. Porsche claims the performance battery can charge to 80% in 22.5 minutes on a 225kW DC charger, and get 100kms (around 62 miles) of charge in just five minutes. Which we’re sure you’ll agree, is incredibly impressive!
3. Tesla Model 3
Image credit: Tesla
Back in September 2020 Tesla made headlines when the Model 3 became the Guinness World Record holder for the fastest-charging electric vehicle. Indeed, it saw two friends set that record when they drove clear across the UK, stopping just three times to charge up for a little over half an hour each time.
Of course, EV technology has moved on a little since then and the model 3 might not be the very best EV car with fast charging, but it’s still undoubtedly one of them. With up to 200 miles in just 15 minutes of charge doable on a Tesla Supercharger, and around 22-25 minutes the average for a charge to 80%, the Model 3 is still a force to be reckoned with.
4. Kia EV6
Image credit: Kia
We’ve put the Kia EV6 at number four in our list of five top EVs for charge time but to be honest, it could actually be number three. We’ve based this placement on the fact that Kia’s literature gives an 18-minute charge time not from 0-80%, but from 10-80% on a 150kW charger. We’re willing to bet that extra 10% might make it just a little slower to charge than the Tesla. But honestly, there’s not much in it – and these are, after all, numbers calculated under absolutely ideal conditions.
What might be more relevant for typical UK drivers is the average ticket cost of the car itself. At £43,495 it’s not the most expensive EV out there, and more affordable than Tesla’s model, which starts at around £48,490. And with leasing terms in line with that price, it might be more attractive for businesses via a monthly leasing payment, too.
5. Hyundai Ioniq 5
Image credit: Hyundai
The last of our top five EV cars for quick charging, the Ioniq is actually a lot like Kia’s EV6 in size, style and charge time. Like the Kia EV6, the website for Hyundai’s Ioniq gives its charge time in 10-80%. Also like the, EV6, it claims a charge time of just 18 minutes – albeit on a 350kW DC charging station for the 58kWh battery. However, at a much more common 50kW station, you’re looking at nearer 46 minutes.
Curiously, Hyundai claims the 77.4kWh battery also takes around 18 minutes at a 350kW station. We can’t help but think that’s an honest mistake, and we’d estimate the charge time for that to be nearer 30 minutes, which is still very respectable. (On a 50kW station you’re looking at nearer 56-62 minutes).
Given that the Ioniq’s ticket price is actually slightly less than the EV6, we’d say there’s not an awful lot to choose between them. Which one would you pick?
Thinking of switching to an electric car?
Whether your business needs one of the very best EV cars with fast charging, or simply a very reasonably-priced run-around with good battery range and charging efficiency, our team of experienced leasing experts can help you find the perfect EV – even in a tricky vehicle climate.
Take a look at the blogs below to learn more, then get in touch with us today to talk about your first (or next!) EV lease.
