Charging a car battery typically uses around 12 to 16 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, depending on the battery’s capacity and the charging method used. Is it cheaper to charge a car battery at home or at a public charging station?
While it can vary depending on the specific charger and battery being used, on average, charging a battery for an hour uses around 20-25 watt-hours of energy. In comparison, a refrigerator can use anywhere from 100 to 150 watts per hour, while an air conditioner can use upwards of 1000 watts per hour.
For instance, charging an electric car with a 100 kWh battery pack would consume around 35 kWh of electricity per 100 miles of range; while charging a traditional car battery that is typically rated at 12-volts and consumes about 500-1000 watts, a lower amount of electricity is required.
Fast charging electric vehicles, on the other hand, can use a lot more electricity, sometimes up to 150 kW or more per hour. Overall, charging a car battery isn’t as energy-intensive as some other activities, but it still consumes a significant amount of electricity, especially if it’s done frequently.
For instance, consider a battery with a capacity of 50 kWh. If it’s charged at a 1C rate, it’s charged at a rate that fills the battery’s full capacity in one hour, so 50 kW. Charging at a higher rate, like 2C, would mean it charges in half the time, i.e., 30 minutes, with a power output of 100 kW.
In essence, charging a car battery requires an electrical current that varies depending on the battery type, capacity, and the charger used.