Electric vehicles have many positives. They're exceptionally affordable to run, emit zero emissions, have loads of torque and power to play with, run near silent and are easy to drive. It's not all sunshine and roses though as there are a few downsides to the electric vehicle (EV) approach - not that these should dissuade you from trying one out. Amongst those, is the length of time it takes to recharge. While it may be more convenient to be able to replenish the energy source at home, charging still takes longer than your average fuel stop.
Related: Different ways to charge an electric car
While we haven't quite managed to crack the 15-minute recharge, recharging times have decreased drastically over the last few years as technology improves and charging infrastructure becomes more powerful. Still, you may be wanting to find out which EV can charge the quickest. We've listed five of the fastest-charging EVs on sale in South Africa below but before we get into that, it's important to know what contributes to fast charging.
Charging and batteries
While they all work in roughly the same way, each manufacturer has a slightly different approach to their creations. Some will prioritise range over charging time while others will favour power output over range. Unfortunately, there isn't a single solution that can give you all of these things just yet. The larger the battery system, the more range you get. The higher the voltage, the more power you get and the faster you can charge it but at the cost of range. Manufacturers have to find a balance.
It would be quite easy for us to take the models with the smallest batteries and say that they charge the fastest, as the 'vessel' you're trying to fill is a lot smaller but the lack of any sort of significant range negates the fast charging. Fast charging is also only possible if the battery architecture supports it. Most EVs will only accept a maximum of 11 kW AC charge or 200 kW DC charge meaning that plugging a 300 kW fast charger into the average EV will still only see it charge at a rate of 200 kW.
Top 5 fastest-charging EVs
1. Porsche Taycan GTS
| Max range | 630 km |
| Battery size | 93.4 kWh |
| Max voltage | 800 V |
| Max DC charge | 268 kW |
| DC charge time (10-80%) | 17 min |
| Max AC charge | 22 kW (opt) |
| AC charge time (0-100%) | 4h35min |
* several Porsche Taycan derivatives feature in the top percentage of fast-charging EVs.
2. Audi e-tron GT quattro
| Max range | 590 km |
| Battery size | 93.4 kWh |
| Max voltage | 800 V |
| Max DC charge | 286 kW |
| DC charge time (10-80%) | 17 min |
| Max AC charge | 22 kW (opt) |
| AC charge time (0-100%) | 4h45min |
*Audi RS e-tron GT quattro also features in the top percentage of fast-charging EVs.
3. Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+
| Max range | 895 km |
| Battery size | 120 kWh |
| Max voltage | 400 V |
| Max DC charge | 207 kW |
| DC charge time (10-80%) | 28 min |
| Max AC charge | 11 kW |
| AC charge time (0-100%) | 11h45min |
*Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 and 580 also feature in the top percentage of fast-charging EVs
4. Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4Matic+
| Max range |
785 km |
| Battery size | 120 kWh |
| Max voltage | 400 V |
| Max DC charge | 207 kW |
| DC charge time (10-80%) | 28 min |
| Max AC charge | 11 kW |
| AC charge time (0-100%) | 11h45min |
5. BMW i7 xDrive60
| Max range | 715 km |
| Battery size | 105 kWh |
| Max voltage | 400 V |
| Max DC charge | 200 kW |
| DC charge time (10-80%) | 28 min |
| Max AC charge | 11 kW |
| AC charge time (0-100%) | 11hrs |
