Which Electric Vehicles Charge the Fastest?

Charging an electric vehicle isn't the same as filling up a gas tank. It does take longer to recharge an EV battery and charging times differ considerably among vehicles.

Historically, there has been no industry standard for measuring charging speeds. Auto manufacturers have been able to pick and choose charging data to highlight the best attributes of their vehicles without scrutiny. The Edmunds EV Charging Test establishes a new standard, based on real-world testing and empirical data. It's the first independent measure of how quickly a car can add range to its battery at a fast charger.

Put simply, it's a measure of how long you'll be stopped to refill on a family road trip. Edmunds describes this as the average miles per charging hour, and to provide some additional context, the findings also quote the average time it takes to add 100 miles of charge.

Edmunds claims its EV Charging Test independently determines the amount of time it takes an individual model to charge via a fast-charger. It says the evaluation combines Level 3 charging measurements – Level 3 being the fastest charging type – with data from its own efficiency test to arrive at “a new industry standard for electric vehicle charging speeds,” according to a report in Auto Dealer Today.

The company said it tested more than 40 EV models in the inaugural round to arrive at a ranking based on charging speed, putting the Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan at the top with an average speed of 868 miles per charging hour, or the equivalent of 100 miles of charge in just under seven minutes, ADT reported. At the bottom of the list is the Chevrolet Bolt EUV at 172 miles per charging hour.

"For too long, automakers have been able to pick and choose, without scrutiny, charging data in order to highlight the best attributes of their vehicles," said Editor-in-Chief Alistair Weaver, who in a press release called the test, “an industry benchmark that allows car shoppers to compare charging speeds based on real-world testing and empirical data."

Here are the results: