How long does it take to charge an EV in Singapore?
How long an EV takes to charge on a 7.4kW, 11kW or 22kW home charger and on DC, why your car sets the speed, and a calculator for your own car.
The short answer
On a 7.4kW home charger, a 60kWh battery charges from low to full in about 7–10 hours, which is overnight. An 11kW charger takes about 4–6 hours and a 22kW charger about 2–3, if the car accepts that power. A 30kW DC charger does it in about 1.5 to 2 hours. The car's own limit, and how full the battery already is, decide the rest.
- Charging time is the energy you add divided by the power the car actually takes.
- Your car can cap the speed: on AC, its onboard charger sets the limit, whatever the charger's rating.
- Charging is usually fastest between 20% and 80%; the last 10–15% takes longer.
- A 7.4kW charger adds about 53km of range an hour at 14kWh per 100km, so an overnight charge covers several days of typical driving.
- Use the calculator below with your own battery size, charger and car.
On this page (5 sections)
How long does each type of charger take?
LTA lists three things that decide charging speed: your car's onboard charger, the charger's power rating, and the battery's state of charge, meaning how full it already is. The arithmetic underneath is simple: the energy you add, in kWh, divided by the power the car actually takes, in kW, gives the hours.
| Charger | Where it fits | Typical full charge* |
|---|---|---|
| Portable charger, 7.4kW | Landed homes only, on a dedicated 32A socket | About 8 hours |
| 7.4kW AC wall charger | Single-phase supply | About 7–10 hours |
| 11kW AC wall charger | Three-phase supply | About 4–6 hours |
| 22kW AC wall charger | Three-phase supply | About 2–3 hours, if the car accepts 22kW |
| 30kW DC charger | Businesses and fleets | About 1.5 to 2 hours |
| 60kW and above, DC | Commercial sites, depots, public hubs | Depends on the car's DC limit and charging curve |
Range added per hour of charging
At 14 kWh per 100 km. AC figures assume the car's onboard charger accepts that power.
- 7.4kW ACsingle-phase
- ~53 km
- 11kW ACthree-phase
- ~79 km
- 22kW ACthree-phase
- ~157 km
- 30kW DCcommercial
- ~214 km
LTA's own worked figures, for an average 68.7kWh battery charged from 20% to 80%: around 4 hours on an 11kW AC charger, and around 1 hour on a 50kW DC charger.
Why your car, not the charger, sets the speed
A charger offers power; the car decides how much to take. On AC, the limit is the car's onboard charger, which turns the AC from the wall into DC for the battery. On DC, the charger feeds the battery directly, so the limit is the car's maximum DC charging rate. LTA shows it with two cars:
| Car A | Car B | |
|---|---|---|
| Onboard charger (sets the AC rate) | 22kW | 11kW |
| Maximum DC charging rate | 90kW | 210kW |
| On a 22kW AC charger | 22kW | 11kW |
| On a 50kW DC charger | 50kW | 50kW |
| On a 240kW DC charger | 90kW | 210kW |
The same applies to phases. LTA's example: a car that supports only single-phase charging, plugged into an 11kW three-phase charger, still charges at 3.7kW. Before you choose between 7kW, 11kW and 22kW, find out what your car's onboard charger accepts; the free site survey confirms what your supply can take.
Why the last 20% takes longest
Charging is not steady from empty to full. LTA explains that it is usually fastest between 20% and 80%. On DC, the car steps the power down at around 80% to stay within the battery's voltage limits, which protects the battery and lengthens the charge; the last 10–15% may take noticeably longer.
That is why public fast chargers are usually quoted from 20% to 80%, and why LTA's advice at a public charger is that 80% is good to go: move the car once it has enough, so the next driver can charge. Some operators charge an idle fee for staying after the session is complete; see what public charging costs.
EV charging time calculator
Put in your car's battery size, how full it is, how full you want it and the charger you will use. For AC, add your car's onboard charger limit: you will find it in the car's specifications, often listed as its maximum AC charging power.
EV charging time calculator
Range at 14 kWh per 100 km.
How often will I need to charge?
Less often than most people expect. LTA works on an average of 50km of driving a day, and on that basis an average driver needs a full charge on an AC charger only every 5–6 days.
At home, the arithmetic is on your side. A 7.4kW charger adds about 53km of range an hour at 14kWh per 100km, so one hour on the charger covers an average day's driving, and a night covers several. A faster AC charger shortens the wait only if your car accepts the extra power; which rating suits you depends on your car and your supply, and the free site survey settles it.
Businesses are different when vehicles cannot sit for hours. A 30kW DC charger does a full charge in about 1.5 to 2 hours, so a vehicle can be back out the same afternoon; see DC chargers and our guide to AC and DC charging.
Sources
The official pages this guide was checked against.
- Electric Vehicle Guide for Drivers (Land Transport Authority, 2024)
Written by Charge N Go's installation team. We supply and install EV chargers for homes and businesses across Singapore, and we update this guide when the rules or the sources above change.
