Premium electric cars in the US charge much faster than those eligible for tax credit

A recent analyst forecast showed that only 12% of the electric vehicles in the US will have fast charging capabilities in 2025. This number is rather low when compared to China where way more new EV models offer 800V powertrains. Still, 12% would still be a vast improvement over the current 2% that are available thanks to the few mainstream EVs sold with 800V system in the US, like the KIA EV6, or the Hyundai Ioniq 6.

In fact, the KIA EV6 is the only relatively affordable electric car in the top 3 of fastest charging EVs in the US, according to P3 Group's latest Charging Index US Report. The first place is occupied by the most expensive electric car in the lineup, the Lucid Air GT, which was able to recoup 208 miles of range for just 20 minutes on the charger. Needless to say, having the lowest power consumption per 100 miles driven helped Lucid as well.

Next in line was the Tesla Model S Plaid whose higher consumption and 400V powertrain sealed its fate as a runner-up. The KIA EV6, which has a much smaller battery than the first two premium EVs that cost two or three times more, recouped almost the same range as the Model S in the first 20 minutes of charging, showcasing the power of an 800V system.

Among cheaper EVs eligible for the federal government's US$7,500 of tax credit subsidy, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 proved to have the most efficient charging speeds with all the rest far behind. Still, the tax credit-eligible electric cars as a group charged much slower on aggregate than the more expensive EVs sold in the US. While this can be expected given their much higher prices, the KIA EV6 is a very pleasant outlier as it costs as much as a Model Y before the tax credits.

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