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Blue Kia EV6 rental with an EV NUT vanity license plate, front view

Meet the EV NUT, our Kia EV6. Speed depends on the car as much as the charger: the EV6 can pull about 235 kW on a fast DC charger, while our MINI tops out around 50 kW.

Why Some Cars Charge Faster Than Others

Same charger, very different wait.

TL;DR: A charger's sign says what it can give. Your car decides what it takes. Peak kW, battery voltage (400V vs 800V), battery temperature and how full the battery is all change your wait, sometimes by 3–4x.

The five things that set your speed

  1. Your car's peak kW. A 350 kW charger can't make a 55 kW car go faster.

  2. The charging curve. Peak speed lasts only a few minutes. Most cars hit their max at a low battery level and taper off as they fill.

  3. 400V vs 800V. 800-volt cars like the Ioniq 5 and EV6 can take more power through the same cable. On 350 kW chargers they're among the fastest-charging cars on the road.

  4. Battery temperature. A cold battery charges slowly. Preconditioning (navigating to the charger in the car) warms it up first.

  5. State of charge. Arriving at 10% is far faster than arriving at 50%. Past 80%, everything slows down.

Bonus: some stations split power between paired stalls, so a neighbor plugging in can slow you down.

Our fleet, side by side

  • Kia EV6 (2023): Battery system: 800V; Peak DC fast charge (approx.): ~235 kW; Typical fast stop: 10–80% in ~18 min*

  • Hyundai Ioniq 5 (2024): Battery system: 800V; Peak DC fast charge (approx.): ~235 kW; Typical fast stop: 10–80% in ~18 min*

  • Tesla Model 3 (2023): Battery system: ~400V; Peak DC fast charge (approx.): 170 kW (RWD) / 250 kW (Long Range); Typical fast stop: 10–80% in ~25 min

  • Chevy Bolt EV (2022): Battery system: ~400V; Peak DC fast charge (approx.): ~55 kW; Typical fast stop: ~100 miles in 30 min

  • MINI Cooper SE (2023): Battery system: ~400V; Peak DC fast charge (approx.): ~50 kW; Typical fast stop: to 80% in ~36 min

*On a 350 kW CCS charger like Electrify America or EVgo. At most Tesla Superchargers the Ioniq 5 and EV6 are limited to roughly 130–135 kW, because those stations run at a lower voltage than these 800V cars are built for.

What that means in real life: in a 20-minute coffee stop, an EV6 can go from nearly empty to about 80%. A Bolt adds roughly a quarter of its battery.

Easy wins for faster charging

  • Precondition on the way to the charger.

  • Arrive low (10–20%) and leave at about 80%.

  • Pick a charger rated at or above your car's peak.

  • Keep tires properly inflated. It won't speed up charging, but you'll need less of it.

Handy gear

Want to try an EV before you buy? Rent an EV from ORCritters on Turo. We're veteran-owned and Salem-based, with Salem airport delivery available.

← Back to the guide: Charging Made Simple

Next up: Charging a Non-Tesla at a Tesla Supercharger

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