Hyundai wants its EVs to charge as fast as petrol cars refuel

Electric vehicle charge speed has to keep developing until it matches the time needed to refuel a petrol car, even if only to give drivers reassurance rather than because they actually need the functionality. That’s according to the boss of Hyundai’s new European development centre, Tyrone Johnson. 

“The expectation from customers is that it will take three minutes to fill a car, the same as it does with an internal-combustion engine,” Johnson told Auto Express. “It’s maybe perception rather than reality, but they worry about range anxiety and whether they will suddenly need to drive 200 miles. The goal is to get to the same speed as ICE.” 

Johnson also said that people who can’t charge at home need to know they can quickly replenish their EV. He believes the challenge for manufacturers, however, is to deliver fast charging without just adding more batteries, which increases weight and reduces space inside electric cars. 

The managing director of the new Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre, which has been built at a cost of 200million euros, also called for patience in establishing a bullet-proof charging infrastructure. 

“The ICE industry has had over 100 years to develop something as simple as filling a car with fuel, and there are still some rare occasions where the fuel filler won’t fit in the car,” he said. “EV is a gigantic challenge and what we are expected to deliver is immediate. Give us a minute – it will work, but as an industry it’s going to take a minute.” 

To charge at the rate being targeted will require a step-change in battery tech, with even the UK’s fastest-charging car on sale, the Porsche Taycan, only capable of hitting a speed of up to 320kW. In the lab, Hyundai is working on 400kW charging tech that offers potential efficiencies that mean longer ranges can be achieved without requiring larger batteries but could also bring charge times down closer to a traditional petrol fill-up. 

Although they obviously won’t charge as quickly as you can refuel a petrol car, check out the latest hot electric car deals available today via the Auto Express Find a Car service...