A German organization has tested several electric cars in the United States, in order to establish a ranking of the models that charge the fastest. A major asset, at a time when the network of charging stations is growing more and more and when autonomy is of less importance.
If the electric car market continues to grow, many detractors still criticize the autonomy deemed insufficient for these vehicles. This is what worries many motorists, who are not quite ready to take the plunge. But we now know that this data is not everything, quite the contrary.
A great study
The German organization P3 has just proved it once again, when it unveils its latest index of the cars that recharge the fastest. Because even more important than autonomy, the charging time is an element that should not be overlooked. This is what Bjørn Nyland had already proven on several occasions with his 1,000 kilometer test.
The winner is currently the Mercedes EQS, which requires 9:05 to cover this distance. Admittedly, it has a long range, 725 kilometers according to the WLTP cycle, but it also goes from 10 to 80% charge in just 30 minutes. But the sedan is not necessarily the one that recovers the most energy in record time, as P3 shows.
The three authors of this study compared 13 electric vehicles sold in the US market. Important data, because the previous index was based only on cars marketed in Europe. It will therefore be difficult to compare the two, while the results of this edition should be taken with a grain of salt. Indeed, some important models sold by us are not mentioned here.
On the other hand, the data announced in this study take into account the American EPA approval cycle, which is closer to reality than our European WLTP. This makes it possible to display more realistic results, except on the highway. In this case, the consumption in reality is generally much higher.
The Lucid Air in the lead
To establish this classification, the organization based itself on the theoretical autonomy recovered during a given time, namely 10 and 20 minutes of charging. A data more interesting than the pure power in kW, which varies over time, as we explained previously with the charging curve. The cars were all connected to terminals delivering a maximum of 350 kW belonging to the same operator. Except the Teslas, which had to be charged on the Superchargers, because they don’t have a Combo CSS connector in the United States.
According to the German organization, it is the Lucid Air in its GT version that charges the fastest, since it is able to recover up to 199 kilometers of autonomy in 10 minutes. A figure that increases to 335 kilometers in 20 minutes. For the record, the sedan has a 112 kWh battery and has a range of 516 kilometers according to the EPA cycle.
It is followed by its main rival, the Tesla Model S Plaid, which recovers up to 198 kilometers in 10 minutes of charging. A very good performance for the electric sedan, which does not have an 800-volt architecture unlike its competitor. This technology makes it possible to guarantee faster charging and is fitted to many models including the Kia EV6, which can gain up to 204 kilometers in 10 minutes.
This study proves to us that a great autonomy is not essential, as we had already explained in a previous article. Because this often involves a large battery, which increases weight and consumption. In short, a vicious circle. The P3 organization rather recommends in conclusion to opt for an optimization of the efficiency of the cars, thanks to the architectures 800 volts and other heat pumps. All while continuing to develop the network of charging stations.
The 10 fastest cars on long journeys
Here is the ranking of the 10 fastest electric cars sold in the United States on long journeys. Attention, this classification could be different with an exclusively motorway consumption.
| Car | Autonomy in 10 min of charge (in km) | Autonomy in 20 min of charge (in km) |
|---|---|---|
| Lucid Air GT | 199 | 335 |
| Tesla Model S Poster | 198 | 310 |
| Kia EV6 RWD | 204 | 307 |
| Tesla Model 3 AWD | 177 | 271 |
| Tesla Model Y AWD | 170 | 259 |
| Porsche Taycan GTS | 164 | 246 |
| BMW iX xDrive50 | 127 | 218 |
| Polestar 2 | 125 | 212 |
| Volkswagen ID.4 Pro | 125 | 207 |
| BMW i4 eDrive40 | 123 | 201 |
You can compare with the 10 fastest electric cars sold in Europe, it is impossible to compare precisely, because it was the WLTP standard that had been used. We can mention the Hyundai Ioniq 6, Mercedes EQS or Audi e-tron which could have their place in the American ranking.
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