Charging Time/100km

What Combustion Engine Drivers Often Misunderstand[edit]

1. Charging characteristics: Batteries don't charge linearly. Up to 50% is quick, beyond 80% becomes significantly slower.
2. Charging strategy: Often, it's more efficient to make several short charging stops instead of "filling up" once.
3. Home charging: For many users, daily charging at home or work is sufficient and cheaper than public charging.
4. Total costs: Besides electricity costs, time expenditure and comfort must be considered.

It's not the battery size that matters, but how quickly the battery can be charged! What good is a 100 kWh battery that can theoretically reach 1000 km at 80km/h after a full charge, if I can only charge it at 22 kW from household power? Then I need about 5 hours for charging, which corresponds to 30 minutes of charging time per 100km.

It's much more sensible to half-fill a 40 kWh battery in 6 minutes at a 400 kW charging station - this results in 3 min/100km as charging performance at 120 km/h and 20 kW required power. Although this is 6 times slower than diesel, it changes the total travel time less than the question of how long a bathroom break or traffic jam delays the journey, even on long-distance trips.

Comparison of Example Trips[edit]

The following table shows some vehicles and trips for illustration:

Explanation of Table Columns[edit]

• Battery: Capacity of the battery
• Max./Avg. Charging Power: Maximum and average charging power
• Consumption: Energy consumption per 100 km
• Electricity Costs: Price per kWh (varies by charging location and time)
• Charging Time/100km: Time needed to charge for 100 km of driving
• Costs/100km: Total costs for 100 km of driving
• Max/Avg. Speed: Maximum and average speed
• Σ h: Total travel time including charging times
• Δ h: Time difference compared to a combustion engine vehicle

Analysis of Example Routes[edit]

• Hamburg - Munich: Despite higher speed and range, the Luxury EV needs at least one charging stop, resulting in a total travel time of 7.5 hours - 1.5 hours more than a comparable combustion engine vehicle.
• Cologne - Frankfurt: The Mid-range EV can complete the route without an intermediate stop, but needs a charging break for the return trip.
• Cologne - Düsseldorf: Ideal commuter route for the City EV, no charging needed en route.

Economic Efficiency and User-Friendliness[edit]

• Commuter routes: Charging at home or work is significantly cheaper and more convenient.
• Long-distance routes: Fast charging stations are more expensive but time-efficient. Optimizing charging stops is crucial.

Necessary Improvements for the Future[edit]

Expansion and Improvement of Charging Infrastructure[edit]

Target Values and Current Status[edit]

Necessary Improvements for the Future[edit]

Conclusion[edit]

Focusing on charging time/100km and costs/100km as main criteria will drive e-mobility forward.

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