7kW, 11kW or 22kW — what do you actually need?
Charger speeds explained without the sales pitch. How long each takes to charge a typical EV overnight, and why the fastest option is usually not worth the money.
What the numbers mean in practice
Charging speed is just power. What matters is whether it fills your battery while you sleep — and almost anything does.
- 7kW (32A) — roughly 25–30 miles of range per hour. A typical EV goes from 20% to full in about eight hours. Overnight, comfortably.
- 11kW (48A) — roughly 40–44 miles per hour. Same battery in around five hours.
- 22kW — requires three-phase power, which almost no US home has. Largely irrelevant for residential installs here.
Why faster is usually wasted money
If your car is parked from 7pm to 7am, you have twelve hours. A 7kW charger delivers around 300 miles in that window. Most people drive 30 to 40 miles a day. You are paying for capacity that never gets used — and possibly paying for a panel upgrade to support it.
When the faster unit is worth it
- Two EVs sharing one charger
- A long commute — over 100 miles daily
- Rideshare or delivery driving with mid-day top-ups
- Your panel already supports it, so the upgrade cost is zero
Otherwise, 32A is the sensible default and we will say so even though the bigger install would earn us more.