EV charging time: table, formula and range recovered overnight in Luxembourg

An electric car takes anywhere from about 20 minutes on a fast charger to more than 20 hours on a household socket to charge: the time depends on the energy you need to add and on the charging power the car actually draws. In practice, a 10-hour night on a dedicated 16 A circuit adds about 185 km, and an 11 kW wallbox fills most batteries by morning.

This guide walks through the formula step by step, gives tables by power and battery size, explains the Luxembourg rules that shape home charging power (Creos, reference power), covers cross-border commutes and lists the charging times of common company cars. It also shows how every night of charging a company car can be reimbursed at real cost, as Voltaback does for more than 200 companies.

How do you calculate EV charging time?

Charging time (h) = energy to add (kWh) ÷ (actual charging power (kW) × efficiency)

The kilowatt-hour (kWh) measures an amount of energy: the size of the tank. The kilowatt (kW) measures power: the flow rate. Efficiency accounts for charging losses, the share of grid electricity that never reaches the battery.

Two terms appear on every charging screen. State of charge (SoC) tells you how full the battery is, in percent. Charging power in kW shows how fast energy is flowing at that moment. Charging time is simply the energy between two states of charge divided by the average power.

Step 1: the energy to add

Start from the usable (net) battery capacity, not the gross figure in the brochure, and multiply it by the share you want to add. Example: 60 kWh net, from 20 to 80 %, gives 60 × 0.6 = 36 kWh.

Step 2: the power actually drawn

Actual power is the lowest of three values:

• The charging point: about 2.3 kW on a household Schuko socket, 3.7 kW on a dedicated 16 A circuit, 7.4 kW on a single-phase wallbox, 11 or 22 kW three-phase;
• The cable: on a socket, the Mode 2 cable sets the current (8, 10 or 16 A depending on the model);
• The car's on-board charger for alternating current (AC): usually 11 kW, sometimes 7.4 kW, rarely 22 kW.

With direct current (DC) fast charging, the on-board charger no longer plays a role. The car's maximum DC power is the limit, and it drops as the battery fills.

Step 3: losses and the calculation

ADAC measured 12.7 to 24.2 % charging losses on a household socket and 5.1 to 7.0 % on an 11 kW wallbox. We therefore use a cautious efficiency of 0.85 on a socket and 0.9 on a wallbox. Source: ADAC, charging losses study.

With the 36 kWh from the example:

• 11 kW wallbox: 36 ÷ (11 × 0.9) = 36 ÷ 9.9 = 3 h 40;
• 16 A circuit with Mode 2 cable: 36 ÷ (3.7 × 0.85) = 36 ÷ 3.15 = 11 h 25.

Quick formula: kilometres per hour of charging

Often the more useful question is not "how long until full?" but "how many kilometres per hour?". A second formula answers it:

Kilometres per hour = charging power (kW) ÷ consumption at the plug (kWh per 100 km) × 100

At 20 kWh per 100 km at the plug, losses included:

• 2.3 kW ÷ 20 × 100 = about 11 km per hour;
• 3.7 kW ÷ 20 × 100 = about 18 km per hour;
• 11 kW ÷ 20 × 100 = about 55 km per hour.

A small car at 15 kWh per 100 km goes further, a large SUV in winter at 25 kWh per 100 km less far. The trip computer shows your own consumption; an average over several weeks says more than a single drive.

Charging time table by power and battery size

Three battery sizes cover most of the market: 40 kWh (small cars), 60 kWh (compact cars, saloons) and 80 kWh (family SUVs). Times are from 0 to 100 %, provided the car accepts the stated power.

Alternating current (AC): at home, at the office, in car parks

Calculation: battery ÷ (power × 0.85 on a socket, or 0.9 on a wallbox). Range per hour assumes 20 kWh per 100 km at the plug, losses included: a cautious figure for company saloons and SUVs, which use about 15 to 18 kWh per 100 km from the battery according to EV Database.

Charging time by vehicle class

Battery size alone is not enough: the on-board charger also caps wallbox charging time. The table shows typical combinations by class, calculated with the formula above.

The right-hand column matters most to company car drivers: it shows how much of the battery a simple 16 A circuit adds in one night. For a 100 kWh executive car that is a third, still about 150 km.

Single, two or three-phase: why some cars charge slower on a wallbox

An 11 kW wallbox delivers its power over three phases of 16 A each. If the car draws on one phase only, it gets a third: about 3.7 kW, or up to 7.4 kW at 32 A single-phase depending on the wallbox and fuse. Some older models charge on two phases and reach about 7.4 kW on the same wallbox.

Before buying a wallbox, check the "AC charging power" and the number of phases in the car's data sheet. An 11 kW wallbox for a car with a single-phase 7 kW charger brings no time gain over a simpler solution.

Direct current (DC): motorways, SuperChargy

For fast charging, count from 10 to 80 % with the average power actually sustained, which is well below the peak:

• DC 50 kW (about 45 kW sustained): 37 minutes for 40 kWh, 56 minutes for 60 kWh, 1 h 15 for 80 kWh.
• DC 150 kW (about 90 kW sustained, if the car accepts it): 19, 28 and 37 minutes.
• DC 300 to 350 kW (about 180 kW sustained, 800-volt cars only): 9, 14 and 19 minutes.

A 350 kW charger gives nothing extra to a car that accepts at most 100 kW DC: it charges at its own speed. Above 80 %, the last few percent add about twenty minutes.

How long does a plug-in hybrid take to charge?

Plug-in hybrids have smaller batteries, usually 10 to 25 kWh usable, and often a 3.7 or 7.4 kW on-board charger. Many models cannot fast charge on DC.

• 15 kWh battery on a household socket: 15 ÷ (2.3 × 0.85) = about 7 h 40.
• 15 kWh battery on a 3.7 kW wallbox: 15 ÷ (3.7 × 0.9) = about 4 h 30.
• 25 kWh battery on a 7.4 kW wallbox: 25 ÷ (7.4 × 0.9) = about 3 h 45.

A plug-in hybrid therefore fills up overnight even on a plain socket. The real issue is not charging time but discipline: a plug-in hybrid that is never plugged in drives on its combustion engine with a heavy battery on board and uses more fuel than a comparable petrol car.

Plugs and charging standards: what fits where

Charging time also depends on the connector. Three standards matter to a company car driver in Europe today:

• Schuko: the ordinary household socket. Charging runs through a Mode 2 cable with a built-in control box, 16 A at most, and in practice usually 8 to 10 A on a socket not designed for it.
• Type 2: the European standard for AC on wallboxes and public charging points such as Chargy, single to three-phase, up to 22 kW. Charging runs through a Mode 3 cable or the wallbox's tethered cable.
• CCS (Combo 2): the Type 2 plug with two extra DC pins, for fast charging at SuperChargy or Electra. The cable is fixed to the charger.

At home, the combination of socket or wallbox and cable therefore sets the power. An adjustable Mode 2 cable on a dedicated 16 A circuit is the simplest solution without a wallbox; a Type 2 wallbox is the faster one.

Home charging in Luxembourg: what the grid sets

At home, charging time depends on your equipment, but also on two Luxembourg rules.

Single or three-phase, and the Creos request

Many Luxembourg homes have a three-phase 400 V connection, so an 11 kW wallbox is often possible. Every charging station must be installed by an approved electrician (électricien agréé). A prior request to the grid operator is mandatory for any charger of 7 kW or more three-phase or more than 4.6 kW single-phase, through the myCreos portal. Once it is approved, Creos states the maximum power allowed.

Source: Creos, charging your car.

Reference power: charging faster can cost more

Since 1 January 2025, the Luxembourg network tariff has been based on a reference power (puissance de référence, Pref) assigned and reviewed by Creos; the lowest level is 3 kW. Every kWh drawn above that power, measured in 15-minute steps by the Smarty meter, carries a surcharge of about €0.0765 per kWh excluding VAT.

In concrete terms, a kWh charged at night on a dual-rate offer costs about €0.19 including VAT, and about €0.27 above the reference power. An 11 kW wallbox at full load inevitably exceeds a 3 kW Pref. Charging more slowly across the whole night, by capping the power in the car's or the wallbox's app, is therefore often the cheapest choice.

Worked example: 37 kWh charged in one night entirely above the Pref cost 37 × €0.0765 × 1.08 = about €3.06 extra per night.

Sources: Creos, tariff structure guide, Switchr, Creos network tariff 2026.

What a charged kWh costs exactly is explained in our article on the cost of charging at home; cheaper time slots are covered in off-peak charging.

Wallbox subsidy: what the bill provides

For private charging stations, bill No. 8577 provides a subsidy of 50 % of costs excluding VAT for purchase and installation, for invoices dated from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030. In a single-family home the cap is €750 for a standard charger (only if installed by the end of 2026), €1,200 for a smart charger (OCPP 1.6 or higher) and €1,400 for an ISO 15118-20 charger invoiced in 2026. The charger must deliver more than 3.7 kW.

According to Guichet.lu the framework is still a bill, and the amounts may change before publication. For charging time the distinction still matters: a smart charger can manage power so that the whole night is used and the reference power is exceeded as little as possible.

Source: Guichet.lu, subsidy for private charging stations 2026.

In an apartment building: shared power, longer charging

In residential buildings, several charging points often share one connection. Load management splits the available power: if three cars charge at once, each gets only part of it, and an 11 kW wallbox may deliver only 4 or 5 kW. Over a full night that is still enough for most commutes; read the range-per-night table with the power actually allocated.

In a Luxembourg co-ownership, an individual charger installed at your own cost requires an absolute majority of the shares at the general meeting.

Socket, dedicated circuit or wallbox?

• Household socket: about 2.3 kW, for emergencies only. Long daily sessions on an ordinary socket put thermal stress on the installation.
• Dedicated 16 A circuit with Mode 2 cable: about 3.7 kW, below the request thresholds. The best compromise for most commutes.
• Three-phase 11 kW wallbox: comfortable for high-mileage drivers and large batteries, with a prior request to the grid operator.
• 22 kW charger: only useful if the car has a 22 kW on-board charger, which is rare. At home it brings almost no time gain because the night is long enough anyway, and it exceeds the reference power even more than an 11 kW wallbox. It makes more sense in company car parks with short stays, for pool cars parked only an hour or two between trips.

The cable matters as much as the socket: our comparison of connected charging cables helps you choose a model adjustable to 16 A. All the options: charging an electric car at home.

How many kilometres does one night add?

A realistic charging night lasts about 10 hours, for instance from 8 pm to 6 am.

What does a night of charging cost?

A night on a 3.7 kW circuit draws about 37 kWh from the grid. At about €0.19 per kWh at night in Luxembourg, that is just over €7 for about 185 km, or about €3.80 per 100 km at 20 kWh at the plug. The same night above the reference power costs about €3 more. On a public fast charger, the kWh price is usually well above the home price.

Is one night enough for cross-border commuters?

Yes, by a wide margin. About 49 % of employees in Luxembourg are cross-border workers: their company car spends the night in Belgium, Germany or France. The table shows how long it takes to put back the energy of a daily round trip. Source: IGSS, employment dashboard March 2026.

Calculation: km × 0.20 kWh, divided by the power. Even at 100 km a day, a simple 16 A circuit leaves several hours of margin. For cross-border workers, installation follows the rules and grid operator of the country of residence. Our guide for company car drivers covers this in detail.

Charging times of common company cars

Sources: EV Database data sheets for the Tesla Model Y, Škoda Enyaq 85, BMW i4 eDrive40 and Volkswagen ID.4 Pro. AC columns calculated by us with the formula above. Values change with the model year.

None of these models fills up overnight on a 3.7 kW circuit, but all add 39 to 52 % of their battery, so 160 to 185 km: far more than a typical working day.

Fast charging in Luxembourg: Chargy, SuperChargy and Electra

For longer trips, Luxembourg has a dense public network:

• Chargy: the national public network, with about 668 charging stations up to 22 kW (two charging points per station). One hour at 22 kW adds about 110 km if the car accepts that power, otherwise usually 55 km at 11 kW.
• SuperChargy: about 84 DC fast charging stations up to 350 kW at service areas and on main roads.
• Since 1 October 2025, the charge@lux consortium has operated both networks under a 7-year concession.

Sources: Chronicle.lu, charge@lux becomes operator of the national network, Paperjam, charge@lux takes over Chargy.

Electra opened its first fast charging station in Luxembourg, in Capellen, in 2025. With the Electra charging card, company car drivers charge on the road without paying out of pocket. Source: Paperjam, Electra in Capellen.

The charging curve in an example

How sharply power falls with state of charge is shown by a simplified example: a car with a 77 kWh usable battery and 150 kW maximum DC power on a 300 kW charger. The values are rounded averages for illustration, not manufacturer data.

In this example the last 20 % take longer than the first 40 %. On a long trip, two short stops to 80 % are almost always faster than one stop to 100 %.

What exactly happens in the cold

Lithium-ion cells accept less current at low temperature, because the chemical reactions slow down. The battery management system limits power to protect the cells until the battery is warm enough. Fast charging without preconditioning can take noticeably longer in winter.

At home the effect is smaller, because power is low anyway. Part of the energy does go into heating the battery and cabin when a departure time is programmed. A garage helps: a car parked at 5 °C instead of −5 °C loses less range and charges faster. In winter, set the departure time in the app, so the car preheats from the grid rather than from the battery.

Charging at work: how many cars per charging point?

According to the Arval 2026 barometer, 86 % of companies in Luxembourg have or plan charging on site. Charging time determines how many charging points are needed.

A working day on site lasts about 8 to 9 hours. A cross-border worker from Trier needs about 20 kWh for the round trip, so about 2 hours on an 11 kW point. On paper, one charging point could serve 3 to 4 cars a day if cars were moved after charging. In practice that rarely works: whoever plugs in in the morning stays until the evening.

Two solutions are common: load management, which shares the available power among all connected cars (each charges more slowly, but all have enough by the evening), or a combination with home charging, where the site only serves drivers with no charging at home. According to the barometer, only 21 % of companies use or plan home charging.

Source: Paperjam, Arval 2026 barometer.

Why charging slows above 80 % and in the cold

• Charging curve: an empty battery accepts a lot of power, a nearly full one much less, to protect the cells. On a fast charger it pays to leave at 80 %.
• Temperature: a cold battery accepts less power. Set the fast charger as the destination in the navigation system: most recent models then precondition the battery. Consumption also rises in winter; expect 20 to 30 % less range per kWh charged. Details in the cold weather section above.
• State of charge on arrival: arriving at a DC charger at 10 % saves time. For AC charging at home the effect is small.

How full should you charge day to day?

Many manufacturers recommend a daily target of about 80 % and a full charge only before long trips. High states of charge held for long periods stress certain cell chemistries more. For lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, fitted in some entry-level models, some manufacturers instead recommend charging to 100 % regularly so that the display stays accurate. The owner's manual is what counts.

For charging time, this has a welcome side effect: charging to 80 % at home takes correspondingly less time and avoids the slow phase at the end of the curve.

Why does my car charge slower than advertised on a fast charger?

The advertised peak power is only reached briefly, under ideal conditions: warm battery, low state of charge, charger not shared. When two cars share a charger, some installations split the power. And from about 50 to 60 %, charging power gradually falls on most models. That is why the tables above use the average sustained power, not the peak.

Checklist: which charging setup suits your routine?

The right charging power comes from a few questions. Answer them in order:

1. How many kilometres do you drive on a normal day? Under 150 km, a dedicated 16 A circuit with a Mode 2 cable is usually enough.
2. How long is the car parked overnight? Under 6 hours points towards a 7.4 or 11 kW wallbox.
3. How much AC power does your car accept, over how many phases? The wallbox need not be stronger than the on-board charger.
4. Is your home connected three-phase? Only then is 11 kW possible, with a request to the grid operator.
5. Do you live in an apartment building or rent? Then involve the co-ownership or the landlord first.
6. Do you live in Belgium, Germany or France? Then the grid operator, request rules and electricity price of your country of residence apply.
7. Do you drive a company car? Then agree with your employer beforehand how charging will be measured and reimbursed.

Company cars: get every night of charging reimbursed

With a company car, the kWh charged at home land on the driver's private electricity bill. Luxembourg has no official flat rate per kWh: the fair figure is the real price of a charged kWh under the driver's contract, about €0.19 at night for residents, about €0.24 at night in Belgium with a dual-rate meter, about €0.32 in Germany.

A worked example shows why it matters. A cross-border worker from Trier charges about 20 kWh on each of 20 working days, so 400 kWh a month. At his German price of about €0.32 that is about €128. With a single Luxembourg rate of €0.19 he would be reimbursed only €76: about €52 a month out of his own pocket for his company car's electricity.

In practice, electricity reimbursed at the measured real price is generally treated as covered by the flat-rate benefit in kind of the company car; the employer should have this treatment confirmed by its fiduciary.

With Voltaback, every night of charging is measured and assigned to the car, on a socket, a dedicated circuit or a wallbox, connected or not. Voltaback relies on the home's MID-certified meter, not on a standalone cable meter.

• No box: the driver connects the car in the app; more than 48 car brands are compatible.
• Audited measurement: 1.22 % relative error, audited by an independent third party.
• Privacy: the company never receives drivers' location data. Platform certified ISO 27001.

Details are on our page on home charging reimbursement.

Charge overnight, get reimbursed fairly

Charging time is almost never a problem for company cars: one night at home covers most trips, cross-border commutes included. What remains is reimbursing every kWh at the right price. If your employer is looking for a solution, it can contact the Voltaback team.