Fastest charging electric cars 2023

One of the quickest electric cars to charge is also one of the smallest. The Smart EQ Fortwo (and the Smart EQ Forfour, for that matter), can be topped up using a 7kW home charger in less than three hours and 20 minutes. There’s a caveat - this figure is for a charge from 10 to 80 per cent, but who runs their electric car close to empty on a regular basis, anyway?

The Smart EQ Fortwo is a quirky electric car that’s a lot of fun to drive around town. It can cover around 80 miles between charges - plenty for day-to-day urban driving - and, if you need to travel further, a public charging station will top it up to 80% in less than 40 minutes. It’s also incredibly easy to park and relatively affordable to buy.

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The MINI Electric is one of the most desirable electric vehicles on the market right now. Not only is it great to drive with MINI’s traditional go-kart handling, but it also has a classy interior with lots of soft-touch materials. It looks just like a standard MINI (unless you buy one with the quirky Power Spoke alloy wheels).

One of the biggest criticisms of the MINI Electric is its relatively small 32kWh battery, which provides a range of up to 145 miles. But the plus side of that is it’s quick to charge - a 7.4kW home wallbox will take it from empty to full in just three and a half hours. A 50kW rapid charger - such as those found at the motorway services - will add 80% of charge in around 36 minutes.

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The Volkswagen e-Up (along with the very similar Skoda Citigo-e iV and SEAT Mii Electric) is a real electric car bargain. A new one will cost you around £20,000 - and you can pick up a nearly-new example for even less. It’s surprisingly practical for such a small car, too - sure, the boot isn’t huge, but it’s got five doors and plenty of headroom.

It’ll travel 159 miles between charges and, when you’re at home, you can plug it into your 7.2kW wallbox and its battery will charge to around 80% capacity in around four hours. A 40kW charger will top it up in just an hour.

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It’s impossible not to love the cutesy looks of the Honda e. Its tech-packed interior is absolutely loaded with features, including no fewer than five screens, a WiFi hotspot and even an HDMI input. Futuristic digital door mirrors are standard, too.

Its 136-mile range will be sufficient for a lot of city car drivers, while a 7kW home wallbox will charge it up to 100% in a little over four hours. Using the Honda e’s fast-charge functionality, 80% of range can be provided in just 30 minutes using a rapid charger.

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The beauty of the Volkswagen e-Golf is it’s just like a standard Volkswagen Golf - albeit one without an engine, meaning it’s even more refined than normal. Unlike a lot of cars featured here, it’s also been on sale for a while, making it one of the best used electric cars you can buy right now and one you can pick one up for relatively little outlay.

Plug in an e-Golf at home and it’ll charge in less than five and half hours. That’s well within the realms of overnight for even the shortest of sleepers. A rapid charger when you're on the road will take it to 80% in around 45 minutes.

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Designed from the start as an electric car (although also offered as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid model), the Hyundai Ioniq comes with a long transferable warranty and represents extremely good value for money. It’s also got a pleasant interior and a fairly big boot, making it a very sensible electric car if you're looking for something to cart the family round in.

A 7kW home electric car charger will add 80% of charge in a little over six hours. If you’re heading on a road trip, a 50kW rapid charger will do it in less than an hour.

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The MG ZS EV is the UK’s most affordable electric family car and there’s lots to like about it. It can cover 273 miles between charges, it’s a very practical choice (no less spacious than the petrol model, in fact) and is considerably cheaper than alternatives like the Kia e-Niro.

Buy a pre-facelift MG ZS EV with the 44.5kWh battery and it can be fully charged in around six and a half hours using a 7kW home charger. A 50kW rapid charger will top it up in around 40 minutes.

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The Hyundai Kona Electric is one of the most in-demand electric car right now - and for good reason. It’s a crossover SUV that’s great to drive and, in 64kWh form, can travel up to 279 miles between charges. It also comes with a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty which can be transferred to the second owner.

The popular 64kWh model takes about seven and a half hours to receive a full charge at a 7kW home charge point, but the 39kWh model (which was dropped in 2020) can be topped up in a little over six hours. This can travel up to 180 miles between charges, which will be plenty for a lot of drivers.

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The Kia Niro EV is essentially a slightly bigger, more practical (and more expensive) version of the Hyundai Kona Electric. Like the Hyundai, you can buy 39kWh or 64kWh models, with the bigger-battery version being by far the most popular thanks to its 282-mile range.

If you want an electric car that’s fast to charge, you’ll want the standard-range Kia Niro EV, though. Like the Kona, this can be fully charged using a 7kW charger in around six hours and 10 minutes. A rapid charger will top it up to 80% in less than an hour.

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You know what you’re getting with the Nissan Leaf. It’s a no-nonsense electric car that’s big enough for family life and popular enough that you can be picky about which colour and model you want.

While the E+ model is tempting for its impressive 239-mile range, the standard car will be sufficient for a lot of drivers. It can cover up to 168 miles between charges and a 7kW home wallbox will charge it to 100% in around seven and a half hours. That means it’ll easily be charged overnight.

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