Explanation
Amps measure the flow of electric current, similar to how liters per minute measures water flowing through a hose. When you plug in at home or at a destination charger, the charging speed is often described in amps rather than kilowatts. A standard household outlet in Europe delivers about 10 amps, while a dedicated EV wallbox can deliver 16 or 32 amps.
You might see amps on your car's dashboard charging screen, especially during AC charging. Some cars let you adjust the amperage to limit charging speed, which can be useful if you are on a weak electrical circuit and do not want to trip the breaker.
The relationship is straightforward: amps multiplied by volts equals watts. So 32 amps at 230 volts gives you about 7.4 kW of charging power on single-phase AC. On three-phase, 16 amps gives you 11 kW because the power comes from three wires instead of one.
For detailed documentation, see U.S. Department of Energy.
Where you'll see this
- On your car dashboard
- On the charger screen
Common confusion
People sometimes think more amps always means faster charging, but charging speed depends on both amps and volts together. 16 amps on three-phase is faster than 32 amps on single-phase.
Example
A typical European home wallbox delivers 16 amps on three phases (11 kW) or 32 amps on a single phase (7.4 kW).
Related terms
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From Finn, engineer: Understanding charging terminology helps you troubleshoot faster at the charger. These definitions are based on industry standards and our consulting work with automotive manufacturers.
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