A charger's kW rating is a speed limit, not a promise. Here's how to read it and estimate how long you'll actually wait.
kW is a rate, kWh is an amount
Two numbers matter and people confuse them. kWh is how much energy your battery holds (and how much you're adding). kW is how fast energy flows in. Roughly: energy added (kWh) ÷ charging rate (kW) = hours. A 50 kWh top-up at 100 kW takes about half an hour; the same top-up at 7 kW takes about seven hours.
Why you rarely get the full rating
The kW on the sign is the charger's maximum. Your actual rate is the lowest of several limits:
- Your car's maximum accept rate — a hard ceiling regardless of the charger.
- State of charge — charging is fast in the 10–80% band and slows sharply above it.
- Battery temperature — cold batteries charge slower until they warm up.
- Shared power — some sites split capacity when several cars charge at once.
Quick estimate: to add about 150 km of range, a typical EV needs ~25–30 kWh. At 50 kW that's ~30–35 min; at 150 kW (and if your car accepts it, below 80%) it can be ~10–15 min.
Reading a charger listing
On the map, each charger shows its rated power and connector. Use the power figure to sort your options: if you need a fast turnaround, filter out slow AC units; if you're stopping for a meal anyway, a mid-power charger is fine and often cheaper. Recent reports will sometimes note the real-world speed drivers got, which is more honest than the rating alone.
Plan around the 80% cliff
Because the last 20% is slow, seasoned EV drivers plan shorter, more frequent DC stops in the fast band rather than one long charge to 100%. It feels counterintuitive, but two 15-minute stops to 80% often beat one 45-minute stop to full.
Ready to use it? Open the live map to find real stations and chargers near you, check their current status, and add what you see for the next driver.