Charging Speed Lower Than Expected

Your EV is charging but much slower than you expected

You are at a fast charger but your car is only pulling a fraction of the advertised power. Slow charging is rarely a charger defect. It is almost always your car managing its own battery.

You connected to a DC fast charger that advertises 150 kW or more, but your car is only charging at 30-50 kW. Or your charging speed dropped significantly mid-session.

What to try first

1

Check your battery's state of charge

Charging speed drops significantly above 70-80% state of charge. This is normal. Your car's battery management system slows down to protect battery health. Charging from 80% to 100% can take as long as charging from 10% to 80%.
2

Check the battery temperature

Cold batteries charge slowly. If you have been driving in cold weather, the battery may need to warm up before it can accept full charging speed. Some cars have a preconditioning feature that warms the battery when you navigate to a charger.
3

Check if the station is power sharing

Many charging stations share power between stalls. If all stalls are occupied, each car gets less power. The charger's advertised speed is the maximum for the entire station, not per stall.

More scenarios in the app

The EVcourse app walks you through more specific scenarios for this problem with real-world scenarios. Free to try on iOS. Android coming soon.

Download for iOS

Android coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Why does EV charging slow down after 80%?

Your car's battery management system reduces charging speed above 70-80% to protect the battery cells. Pushing high current into a nearly full battery generates excessive heat and accelerates degradation. This is normal behavior, not a fault. For road trips, charging to 80% and moving on is almost always faster than waiting for 100%.

Does cold weather affect EV charging speed?

Yes, significantly. Lithium-ion batteries charge slowly when cold. At temperatures below 0°C, your charging speed can drop to half or less of what you would get in warm weather. Use your car's battery preconditioning feature (if available) by navigating to the charger through your car's built-in navigation. This warms the battery before you arrive.