As the speed of AC charging at home and at destination continues to increase. In the field of AC charging, 22 kilowatts (kW) represents the highest power level at present, which provides charging efficiency far exceeding that of ordinary home chargers. However, is a 22 kW charger really suitable for everyone? What conditions does it require? What vehicles can it serve?
This article will give you a comprehensive understanding of 22kW electric vehicle chargers. Whether you are an electric vehicle enthusiast who pursues the ultimate charging speed, or a manager who wants to provide efficient charging solutions for commercial sites or fleets, this article will provide you with the professional information you need.
What is a 22kW EV Charger?
In the classification of electric vehicle charging levels, the 22 kW charger belongs to the category of AC Level 2 Charging. However, it is not an ordinary Level 2 charger, but a "high-performance player" in this level.
The 22-kW electric vehicle charger represents the upper limit of AC charging power. Unlike DC fast charging, it does not bypass the onboard charger to power the battery directly. Instead, it safely transmits AC power from the grid to the vehicle through the charger itself, and then the "onboard charger" inside the vehicle converts it into the DC power required by the battery.
It is very important to understand this because it means that the charging speed depends not only on the power of the charger itself (22 kW), but also on the maximum power that the vehicle's onboard AC charger can accept . If your vehicle's onboard charger only supports a maximum of 11 kW, then even if you connect it to a 22 kW charger, the maximum charging speed can only reach 11 kW.
How fast is a 22 kW charger? Conversion between speed and range
The 22 kW charging power means it can theoretically replenish the battery by 22 kWh per hour, which is a very significant rate of energy replenishment.
To understand its speed more vividly, we can convert it into the range added per hour. Assuming that the average energy consumption of an electric car is 15 kWh per 100 km (that is, each kWh can travel about 6.67 km). Then when charging with a 22 kW charger, the theoretical range that can be increased per hour is about:
22 kW * 6.67 km/kWh ≈ 146.74 km/h
If we calculate based on 0.3 kWh per mile (i.e. about 3.33 miles per kWh):
22 kW * 3.33 miles/kWh ≈ 73.26 miles/hour
That’s an impressive speed, especially compared to common 7kW or 11kW home chargers:
- 7 kW charger: Approximately 46.7 km (15.5 miles) of range per hour.
- 11 kW charger: Approximately 73.4 km (24.4 mi) of range per hour.
- 22 kW charger: Approximately 146.7 km (73.3 mi) of range per hour.
This means that in ideal conditions, if you have an electric car that is compatible with 22kW AC charging, you can get hundreds of kilometers of range in just a few hours of charging. For models with larger battery capacity, 22kW charging can significantly reduce the time required to fully charge.
However, it needs to be emphasized again that the "theoretical" speed is subject to the compatibility of the vehicle itself and the actual conditions during the charging process (such as battery temperature, charge level, etc., and the charging speed will usually be slower when the charge is higher).
The secret of 22 kW charging: three-phase electricity is the key
Unlike the common household single-phase 220-240V power supply, achieving 22 kW of AC charging power usually requires three-phase electricity .
Simply put, single-phase electricity has only one sine wave voltage, which is suitable for ordinary household appliances. Three-phase electricity consists of three sine wave voltages with a phase difference of 120 degrees. For the transmission of the same power of electrical energy, three-phase electricity can use smaller currents and thinner wires, with higher efficiency and less loss, and is especially suitable for driving high-power motors or powering high-power devices.
Calculation of AC power:
- Single-phase power: P=V×I×PF
- Three-phase power: P=3×VL×IL×PF (VL is line voltage, IL is line current)
In many countries and regions, the line voltage of three-phase electricity is usually 380V or 400V. To achieve 22 kilowatts (22,000W) of three-phase AC power, the required line current is approximately:
22,000W=3×400V×IL
IL=22,000/(3×400)≈22,000/692.8≈31.75A
This means that a 22 kW three-phase charger typically only requires about 32 amps per phase. This still requires dedicated wiring and circuit breakers (usually three 32A single-pole circuit breakers or one 3-pole 32A circuit breaker), but compared to the nearly 100 amps required to reach 22 kW under single-phase 240V (22,000/240≈91.7A), the three-phase power requirements are much more reasonable in terms of wiring and circuit breaker size, and it is almost impossible to achieve 22 kW continuous charging under ordinary household single-phase power.
Therefore, most 22kW electric vehicle chargers are three-phase chargers, which require reliable three-phase power access at the installation site. In many countries, three-phase electricity is more common in commercial and industrial sites, but not all residences have three-phase power access. This is the biggest premise and limitation for installing a 22kW charger.
Why choose a 22kW charger? Applicable scenarios and advantages
Despite the high threshold, 22 kW chargers offer unique advantages in certain scenarios:
- Extreme charging speed: This is the core advantage. For users who have compatible vehicles and strict requirements on charging time, 22 kW can replenish a large amount of power for the vehicle through AC in the shortest time.
- Fast Turnaround: Ideal for commercial locations that require fast charging turnaround (such as hotels, restaurants, retail stores, providing fast charging for visitors) or fleet operations (such as taxis, shared cars, fast recharging during short stops).
- Multi-parking charging management: In parking lots with multiple charging spaces and limited total power supply capacity (such as residential areas and office buildings), a 22kW charger with intelligent load balancing function can allocate power to multiple vehicles more flexibly and efficiently when total power is limited, achieving a faster average charging speed.
- Specific high-end residences: A very small number of high-end residential users who have extreme demands for charging speed and have access to three-phase power may consider installing a 22 kW charger.
22kW charger compatibility: Which cars can actually use it?
As mentioned earlier, the vehicle's onboard AC charger is the maximum limit for 22 kW charging speed. Currently, electric vehicles on the market that support 22 kW AC charging are a minority.
Some models that are known to or have offered 22kW AC charging options (note this may vary by year, configuration or market):
- Renault Zoe (some models)
- Smart ED (some old models)
- BMW i3 (partial options)
- Audi e-tron (partial options)
- Mercedes-Benz EQC (partial options)
- Porsche Taycan (partial options)
- Specific models of some Chinese brands (need to be confirmed)
And many mainstream best-selling models, such as:
- Tesla (Model 3, Model Y, Model S, Model X) (usually supports up to 11kW or 9.6kW AC)
- Volkswagen ID. series (usually supports up to 11kW AC)
- Nissan Leaf (usually supports up to 6.6kW or 7kW AC)
- Most electric vehicles from brands such as Hyundai, Kia, Ford, and GM (usually up to 7kW, 9.6kW, or 11kW AC)
Before considering a 22kW charger, please make sure, make sure, make sure (I say it three times) that your specific vehicle and its configuration supports 22kW AC charging. Don't assume that high-end or new electric vehicles will support it. If your car does not support it, investing in a 22kW charger will be a huge waste, and you will only be able to charge at the highest power allowed by the vehicle's onboard charger.
Choosing a 22 kW charger: What else to look for besides power?
If you confirm that your vehicle is compatible and the installation site has three-phase power, then when shopping for a 22kW charger, in addition to the core power and three-phase compatibility, you should also pay attention to the following features:
- Smart charging function: For high-power equipment such as 22 kW, smart management functions become particularly important. This includes remote monitoring, charging plan setting (taking advantage of off-peak electricity prices), charging data statistics, remote fault diagnosis, etc., usually achieved through mobile phone apps.
- Load Balancing: Load balancing is essential if multiple charging piles are installed at one location, or if the total power supply capacity at the installation location is limited. It can intelligently distribute the total power, prevent overload tripping, and optimize the efficiency of multi-vehicle charging. This is essential for commercial or shared charging scenarios.
- Communication interface: Consider whether it supports Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other connection methods. For public or commercial applications, it may also be necessary to support the OCPP protocol in order to connect with the charging management platform.
- Safety certification and protection: It is necessary to ensure that the product meets strict electrical safety standards (such as CE, UL, etc.) and has complete safety protection functions, such as overcurrent, overvoltage, undervoltage, overtemperature, ground fault protection, etc.
- Weather resistance and robustness: If installed outdoors, products with high IP ratings (IP65 or higher) and IK ratings (impact resistance) should be selected to ensure safe and stable operation under severe weather and external impacts.
- User authentication and payment functions (commercial use): For public or commercial charging piles, user identification, authorization, payment and other functions need to be considered.
- Brand reputation and after-sales service: Choose a well-known brand to ensure reliable product quality, complete installation guidance and after-sales support.
Conclusion: 22 kW charger, high performance but not universally applicable
All in all, the 22kW EV charger is the pinnacle of performance in the AC charging space, and it can theoretically provide amazing charging speeds, giving your EV a lot of range in a very short period of time.
However, to enjoy the convenience of 22 kW charging, you need to meet two key and demanding conditions:
- Your electric vehicle must have an onboard charger that supports 22 kW AC charging.
- Your installation site must have reliable three-phase power access and be able to afford the corresponding installation costs and electrical modifications.
Since there are currently very limited electric vehicle models that support 22 kW AC charging, and ordinary homes generally lack three-phase power, the 22 kW charger is not a universal home charging solution. It serves more specific car owners who have extreme pursuit of charging speed, users who have models that support this power, or commercial operations and fleets that need fast vehicle turnover.
If you are considering installing a 22kW charger, please make sure your vehicle is compatible and consult a professional electrician to assess whether your installation site has three-phase power access and the corresponding electrical carrying capacity. Only when all the prerequisites are met can investing in a 22kW charger truly realize its value, unlock the ultimate AC charging speed, and bring significant changes to your electric travel life. Otherwise, it would be a wiser and more economical choice to choose a charger that better matches the vehicle's power and is easier to install.
