Why EV charging curves are important for road trips

We hear many drivers and passengers often ask on road trips, “Why is my electric vehicle charging so slowly?” It’s a good question! DC fast charging speeds can be impacted by many factors, but the main factor is an electric vehicle’s charging curve. Let’s dive into this further.

Black Tesla charging at a Supercharger station

What is an EV charging curve?

An EV’s charging curve represents the change in charging speed during a charging session. For example, many electric vehicles charge very quickly from 20-40%, and very very slowly from 80-100% (learn why in our blogpost). Further, some EVs are capable of higher maximum charge rates. This is true in both AC and DC charging, but for this article, we will focus on DC fast charging.

Do EVs have different charging curves?

Yes, they absolutely do! Many newer electric vehicles have better charging curves, and can consistently charge at higher rates than others.

For example, Out of Spec tested 22 EVs to see how many kilowatts they would pull at various states of charge (SoC). As you can see in the graph below and on their website, charging curves vary significantly among different vehicles.

A 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV, for example, maxed out at 52 kW, while a 2025 Porsche Taycan reached upwards of 325 kW. A stark difference!

Source: Out of Spec

Which EVs have the best charging curve?

According to J.D. Power, the electric vehicle models below have the best performing charging curves:

Lucid Air Pure: 350 kW from 20-80% in 15 mins
Kia EV6: 350 kW from 10-80% in 18 mins
Hyundai IONIQ 5: 350 kW from 10-80% in 18 mins
Genesis Electrified GV70 / Genesis GV60: 350 kW from 10-80% in 18 mins
Audi E-tron GT: 270 kW from 10-80% in 22 mins

Submit an inquiry or check our electric vehicle listings here.

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