Understanding EV charging
AC vs DC: what is the difference?
AC (alternating current) charging is slower and typical of home wallboxes and destination chargers, usually 3–22 kW. DC (direct current) rapid charging bypasses your car's onboard converter and delivers far more power: commonly 50 kW up to 350 kW, which is what you want on a road trip. A charger's speed is only useful up to the maximum your specific car can accept, so a 350 kW post won't charge a car capped at 100 kW any faster than a 100 kW one.
What do the kW numbers mean for charging time?
Roughly, kilowatts tell you how fast energy flows in. A 50 kW charger adds far less range per minute than a 150 kW one, but real speed also depends on your battery's state of charge and temperature: charging slows down as the battery fills past about 80%, which is why rapid stops are most efficient in the 10–80% window rather than topping right up to 100%.
Which connector does my car use?
In Europe most modern EVs use Type 2 for AC and CCS for DC rapid charging. Older Japanese models may use CHAdeMO. Tesla vehicles use CCS in Europe (and increasingly NACS in North America). Filtering the map to your connector avoids the classic dead end, arriving at a working charger you physically cannot plug into.
How do I avoid a dead charger?
The most common trip-killer is driving to a charger that is broken, occupied or the wrong type. Check the connector and recent status before you commit, have a backup site in mind, and don't run the battery to the last few percent. Refuelia shows connector types and power from open map data and, where available, recent working status from drivers, so you set off for a charger that actually fits your car.