What is DC Charging?

DC Charging is when a direct-current (DC) of power is sent straight to your battery pack and is generally the fastest way to charge your EV. Depending on the rate of the charger and the rate your EV can accept, it's sometimes possible to recover an 80% charge in as little as half an hour. These chargers are commonly found at motorway services or public EV charging stations.

To be considered ‘fast’, a DC charger usually needs to be capable of outputting 50kW of charging power. Some more recent fast charger designs can handle rates of up to 150kW or even higher, although these usually need high-tech additions such as liquid-cooled charging cables to achieve this. 

It’s important to note that, while your car and the charger you’re using might be capable of a 150kW charge rate, for example, you probably won’t see that rate for the full duration of your charge. Typically, you’ll get the highest rates with a fairly empty battery pack but, as you get closer to fully charged, rates will drop substantially to prevent overheating and damage.