What is the power of a charging pile?
2 Answers
Charging piles are generally divided into two categories: AC piles and DC piles: 1. AC piles: The standard is usually 7KW, but some manufacturers provide charging treasures or three-pin cables with only 2-3KW when purchasing a car, which are not standard piles; 2. DC piles: Also known as fast-charging piles, they are typically 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 100, 150, 200, 250, or 300KW. Currently, most DC piles use modular combined power, which offers more flexible benefits and allows users to freely combine the power of the charging pile according to their needs. Additional information: The time it takes to fully charge a car depends on the battery capacity of the vehicle. Generally, small and medium-sized electric vehicles can hold up to 18 kWh when fully charged. To calculate the charging time, it is necessary to understand the input voltage and current of the charger. Moreover, during charging, the current consumption of the charger continuously changes and does not remain at a fixed value, so the calculated result is only a reference.
As an average electric vehicle user, I find charging power quite nuanced. Common home AC chargers are around 7kW, fully charging overnight; public DC fast chargers offer 50kW, 150kW or even 350kW - higher power means faster charging (e.g. 150kW adds 200km range in 15 minutes). But higher power isn't always better - my car sometimes only supports 50kW, and forcibly using 150kW causes excessive heat that degrades battery life. Voltage matters too - unstable home grid voltage may cause high-power charging failures. I recommend choosing based on daily needs rather than chasing maximum power - moderate speed with battery protection is more practical. Charging time also depends on cable thickness and charger design - for safety, start testing with lower-power chargers first.
