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Redirected from: electric vehicle charging
Definition: EV charging
(Electric Vehicle charging) Most EV owners charge their cars at home because charging an EV at a public station takes two to four times longer than pumping gas to go the same distance, and some EVs can take an hour for a full charge. Of course, when on the road there is no choice, and EV navigation systems generally locate the nearest station. However, Teslas show only Tesla stations, but apps like PlugShare show non-Tesla locations.
As of 2025, there are roughly 60,000 charging stations in the U.S. to accommodate more than three million EV cars and light trucks. In metropolitan areas, there is a higher density of stations, which means EV owners have to plan carefully when taking road trips in rural areas.
Level 3 - DC Fast Charging (DCFC)
Many charging stations are Level 3 "superchargers," supplying DC directly and bypassing the vehicle's AC-to-DC converter (see chart below). However, over time, high-speed Level 3 charging does reduce battery life more than slow AC charging.
Charge Per Minute
Charging times vary because batteries, stations and vehicles are different. It can take 20 minutes to charge enough to drive 200 miles with some vehicles, while it takes an hour for others. The March 2025 edition of Consumer Reports rated 17 EVs on "miles of range added per minute." Teslas came in first with the Model 3, S and Y at 16.1, 15.1 and 14.5 miles per minute respectively. The only EV that came close was the Lucid Air at 15 miles per minute. The bottom score was 2.7 miles per minute.
250 Miles in Five Minutes
In 2025, Chinese EV maker BYD announced new EV models that add 250 miles of range in five minutes, similar in time to filling a gas tank. BYD also plans building 4,000 new thousand-volt charging stations in China to support the quick charge.
More Stations Are Necessary
To accommodate a non-gas future, many more charging stations are required in the U.S. Although $5 billion was earmarked for more under the Biden administration, the second Trump administration froze about $2 billion, which had yet to be disbursed to the states (see NEVI). See J1772, NACS, EV batteries, electric vehicle and electric vehicle types.
Home Charging
Tesla DC Charging (J3400)
Non-Tesla AC Charging (J1772)
Level 3 - DC Fast Charging (DCFC)
Many charging stations are Level 3 "superchargers," supplying DC directly and bypassing the vehicle's AC-to-DC converter (see chart below). However, over time, high-speed Level 3 charging does reduce battery life more than slow AC charging.
Charge Per Minute
Charging times vary because batteries, stations and vehicles are different. It can take 20 minutes to charge enough to drive 200 miles with some vehicles, while it takes an hour for others. The March 2025 edition of Consumer Reports rated 17 EVs on "miles of range added per minute." Teslas came in first with the Model 3, S and Y at 16.1, 15.1 and 14.5 miles per minute respectively. The only EV that came close was the Lucid Air at 15 miles per minute. The bottom score was 2.7 miles per minute.
250 Miles in Five Minutes
In 2025, Chinese EV maker BYD announced new EV models that add 250 miles of range in five minutes, similar in time to filling a gas tank. BYD also plans building 4,000 new thousand-volt charging stations in China to support the quick charge.
More Stations Are Necessary
To accommodate a non-gas future, many more charging stations are required in the U.S. Although $5 billion was earmarked for more under the Biden administration, the second Trump administration froze about $2 billion, which had yet to be disbursed to the states (see NEVI). See J1772, NACS, EV batteries, electric vehicle and electric vehicle types.
NORTH AMERICAN SAE CHARGING TIMES
(from nearly uncharged to fully charged)
Level Venue Current Time
1 Home 120v AC 1 phase 24-40 hrs
2 Home 240v AC 2 phase 3-5 hrs
3 Public 480v DC 3 phase 30-50 min**
** = DCFC (DC Fast Charging)
Also called Tesla Supercharging
PHEVs may not support Level 3 (see PHEV)
This EvoCharge model is a 32-amp station. Adding EV charging to the home requires experienced electricians.
Tesla's DC Superchargers use the DC fast-charging interface (see NACS).
Looking less high tech, these AC-only non-Tesla chargers are strategically located. With two additional sockets, a variation of this SAE interface does support DC fast charging (see J1772).