EVs That Charge Faster Than A Tesla

Tesla's dominance in the EV market can't have escaped many observers, with vehicles such as the Model Y consistently proving their chart-dominating power. The electric compact SUV was the world's best-selling car in 2023, having sold more than 1.2 million worldwide. It has since been dethroned by the Toyota RAV4, but nonetheless remains perennially popular, as has Tesla's Model 3.

Part of Tesla's appeal lies in its proprietary Supercharger network. The infrastructure allows fast charging speeds by using direct current (DC) chargers to deliver power directly to the battery, as opposed to Level 1 and Level 2 chargers, which supply alternating current (AC) power from the grid before the car's onboard charger converts it to DC power. Naturally, this leads to conversion delays when using AC chargers.

As you can imagine, Tesla's EVs have always come with the architecture and battery management systems to make the most of the company's fast chargers, and they're still viewed by many as a definitive fast-charging benchmark. But many rivals are catching up with Tesla's charging speeds and even beating them at their own game. For example, the Tesla Model 3, one of the fastest-charging Teslas from 10% to 80%, manages that increase in around 25 minutes, according to tests available online. While impressive, that's a much longer charging time than for several other cars.

But before we get to the vehicles, it's important to note that the time it takes to charge an EV depends on several variables, including the size of its battery, the age of the battery, the type of power it's configured to receive, the temperature where it's charging, and the type of charger owners are using.

Of all the cars trying to knock Teslas off their perch, probably the most notable is the Zeekr 7X, once noted for being the world's fastest-charging production EV. A rival for Tesla's Model Y from Geely-owned Zeekr, the 7X charged from 10% to 80% in under 10 minutes in tests carried out by YouTube channel Out Of Spec Reviews. As we've reported, Zeekr previously said its Golden Battery would charge to 80% in just 10½ minutes via its V3 ultra-fast charging station, and the 7X has turned out of be one of those cars that outperform manufacturer claims.

The model tested came with a 75-kilowatt-hour lithium-iron-phosphate battery and uses an 800-volt system architecture. The 7X also has a 5.5C-rated pack for charging, meaning you could charge at up to 5.5 times its 75kWh total capacity per hour. This puts the peak charging power at around 413kW (75 x 5.5). However, the 7X peaked at 460kW in the test before settling at around 400kW.

Besides the 7X, there are numerous Chinese EVs with a sub-10-minute 10%-80% charge time, including the revised Zeekr 001, Denza Z9GT, and five-minute-charging BYD Han L. But perhaps due to its badge appeal, the car you'll find is more often cited in the media is the Lotus Emeya. Like Zeekr, British automaker Lotus is owned by Geely, and it builds the Emeya at Geely's Wuhan factory in China. The sedan has an 800-volt power system architecture that lets you boost the battery from 10% to 80% at fast charging stations in under 14 minutes.

Chinese-built cars have won the EV race, for now. But the prohibitive tariffs imposed on them have discouraged manufacturers from pushing their expansion into the U.S. So if you want a faster-than-Tesla electric car guaranteed to make road-trip charge stops short, the excellent Porsche Taycan, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 6, or Audi e-tron GT might be worth a look. All five vehicles are available Stateside and take approximately 18 minutes to recharge from 10% up to 80% using a DC fast charging station.

The Genesis Electrified GV70 isn't far behind. It has an 800-volt system like the models above, which helps it take the battery from 10%-80% in 19 minutes. The soon-to-arrive BMW iX3, Audi A6 e-tron, and Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron (all of them 10%-80% in 21 minutes), and the Mercedes CLA Electric and Polestar 3 (both 22 minutes) are other EVs that should charge faster than Tesla within that 10% to 80% state-of-charge. If, however, you crave something "British" and fastrcharging, the Lotus Emeya and Eletre are available. The Eletre takes around 20 minutes to get its battery from 10% to 80%.