"How long does it take to charge?" has a precise answer for your car and your charger, and you can work it out in a minute. The catch is that most people ask the wrong version of the question. Almost nobody charges from empty to full at home. What matters is how long it takes to put back what you drove today, and whether that fits in the hours the car sits in your driveway.
The formula
Tesla's Mobile Connector manual gives the simplest version: divide the battery size in kWh by the charging power in kW to estimate hours from near empty to near full (Tesla Mobile Connector manual). Two refinements make it more useful:
- Charge only what you used. Replace battery size with the energy you drove: miles times your car's kWh per mile. The window sticker shows kWh per 100 miles; fueleconomy.gov lists 23 to 30 kWh per 100 miles for many 2026 sedans and crossovers (fueleconomy.gov label guide).
- Add charging losses. Some energy is lost between the wall and the battery. Fueleconomy.gov puts charging efficiency at often 84 to 93% (fueleconomy.gov EV technology). We use 90% below.
So: hours = (miles × kWh per mile ÷ 0.9) ÷ charger kW.
Charging times at a glance
These estimates use a car rated at 30 kWh per 100 miles, 90% efficiency, and power figures from Tesla's published tables for its Mobile Connector and Wall Connector (Tesla breaker table). The last column is an example 75 kWh battery going from 20% to 80%.
| Setup | Power | Add 40 miles | Add 100 miles | 20% to 80%, 75 kWh battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 V outlet, 12 A | 1.3 kW | About 10 hours | About 26 hours | About 38 hours |
| 120 V, 20 A circuit, 16 A | 1.7 to 1.9 kW | 7 to 8 hours | 18 to 20 hours | 26 to 29 hours |
| 240 V, 24 A (30 A breaker) | 5.7 kW | About 2.3 hours | About 6 hours | About 9 hours |
| 240 V, 32 A (40 A breaker) | 7.6 kW | About 1.75 hours | About 4.5 hours | About 6.5 hours |
| 240 V, 40 A (50 A breaker) | 9.6 kW | About 1.4 hours | About 3.5 hours | About 5 hours |
| 240 V, 48 A (60 A breaker) | 11.5 kW | About 1.2 hours | About 3 hours | About 4.3 hours |
Two things jump out. First, the typical South Florida commute is a short evening's work for any Level 2 setup. Second, Level 1 can cover a moderate commute overnight but has no reserve for a long day. That is the core of our Level 1 vs Level 2 comparison.
Run it for your own car
Take a driver in Pembroke Pines whose crossover is rated at 27 kWh per 100 miles and who drives 55 miles on a heavy day. That is 55 × 0.27 = about 14.9 kWh at the battery, or about 16.5 kWh from the wall after losses. On a 32 A charger (7.6 kW) that is a little over two hours. On a standard 120-volt outlet at 1.3 kW it is almost 13 hours, longer than the car is parked on most weeknights. Plug in your own miles and sticker rating; the answer usually settles the charger question on its own.
What makes real times longer
Your car's onboard limit
Every EV has a maximum Level 2 rate it will accept. If yours tops out at 7.2 kW, the 40 A and 48 A rows behave like the 32 A row. The EPA explains that a car with a 30 A limit gains nothing from a charger that can supply 80 A (EPA, charging details). Check your manual before paying for a bigger circuit, and read how many amps an EV charger needs.
Heat and battery temperature
Tesla notes that charge time depends on ambient and battery temperature, and that the car heats or cools the battery before or during charging when it is outside its preferred range (Tesla Mobile Connector manual). After a July drive with the car parked in a hot garage, some of the power goes to cooling. Heat also costs range: AAA found EVs lost 8.5% of range at 95 F compared with 75 F (AAA temperature study), which means more miles to put back. See Florida heat and EV charging.
How full the battery is
The AFDC notes that charging times vary with how depleted the battery is (AFDC). Many cars also let you set a charge limit below 100% for daily use; stopping at your daily target is faster than filling to the top.
208 volts instead of 240
The AFDC describes 240 volts as typical for homes and 208 volts as typical in commercial settings (AFDC). Some condo and apartment buildings are served at 208 volts, and a charger at 32 A delivers about 6.7 kW there instead of 7.6 kW, roughly 13% slower. Condo owners should read condo EV charger installation.
Fitting charging into off-peak hours
If you charge on a time-based rate, the question becomes whether your miles fit inside the off-peak window, not the whole night. FPL's EVolution Home program charges per kWh with lower off-peak pricing, and FPL's tariffs list EV rate plans and a separate time-of-use rider (FPL EVolution Home; FPL residential rates; FPL time-of-use). Use the formula with the window length. Example: 80 miles at 30 kWh per 100 miles is about 27 kWh from the wall. In a six-hour window that needs about 4.4 kW, which a 24 A charger covers and a 120-volt outlet does not. Our FPL EV rates guide explains the plans.
Storm week
When a hurricane watch is posted, the math flips from "what did I drive today" to "how fast can I get to full." Using the table, a 32 A charger takes a 75 kWh battery from 20% to 80% in about six and a half hours; a 120-volt outlet needs well over a day. Start early. Our EV hurricane preparation guide has the full checklist.
Questions homeowners ask
Why does my car show a different time than the table?
Your car knows its exact efficiency, battery temperature and charge limit. The table uses round numbers; your dashboard is the better estimate.
Does charging slow down near full?
Times vary with the battery's state of charge, which is one reason many owners set a daily limit below 100%. Check your owner's manual for the automaker's recommendation.
Will a bigger charger save money?
No. It saves time. The energy needed for the same miles is the same.
How do I find my car's kWh per 100 miles?
It is on the window sticker and at fueleconomy.gov, and many cars show it on the trip screen.
Want faster nights?
KRW Electric (EC13012832) sizes and installs Level 2 circuits and chargers across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, permit and inspection included. See EV charger installation, the Florida Home EV Charging Guide, or tell us your car and daily miles and we will size it for you.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
