Investigation reveals 80% of best-selling electric cars don’t meet promised charging speeds
An independent test conducted by Auto Express has revealed that most of the best-selling electric cars in Europe barely reach the maximum charging speed advertised by their manufacturers. The investigation, carried out under controlled conditions using a 350kW ultra-fast charger, shows that only two out of the ten models analyzed managed to meet their promises. The rest, including the popular Tesla Model Y, delivered performance far below what was advertised, significantly lengthening waiting times at public charging points.
Neither sustainable, practical, nor efficient. The new electric religion is faltering again, this time with figures and objective tests: most of the best-selling electric cars never achieve the charging speeds that brands loudly promise. The direct consequence is one: longer waits and frustration for drivers, especially those who cannot charge at home and rely on the public network.
The test, conducted at Gridserve’s forecourt in Essex, United Kingdom, connected each vehicle to a 350kW ultra-fast charger under controlled conditions: batteries at 10-15%, ambient temperature between 13 and 14 degrees Celsius, and without any prior thermal “preconditioning.” The goal: to measure how long it took to reach 60% charge and at what average speed.
The results showed that only two models — the Ford Capri and the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer GTX — managed to reach their declared maximum power during the test. The rest, including the ubiquitous Tesla Model Y, failed spectacularly. Tesla’s case is especially notable: it promised 250kW but only reached 145kW, taking 30 minutes to recover that 60% battery charge.
The Peugeot E-3008 takes the medal for inefficiency: it advertised a power of 160kW but in practice barely reached 13kW, needing 38 minutes to charge. Almost three times longer than the Porsche Taycan, which, despite not reaching its announced 320kW (staying at 282kW), managed to complete the charge in just 15 minutes.
“The test shows that the maximum charging figure announced by manufacturers is exactly that: a maximum, far from representing the real driver experience,” emphasized Paul Barker, editor of Auto Express. He also reminded that many drivers arrive at charging points with levels above 80%, where power drops drastically and waiting times skyrocket.
The electric lobby tries to nuance the results. Tesla, for example, blames the fact that the vehicle had not been “preconditioned,” meaning the battery was not at its ideal temperature before starting the charge. But that excuse doesn’t hold when reflecting real-world use: most users simply plug in the car and wait for results, without getting into technicalities.
The conclusion is clear: the electric utopia wobbles when faced with real use. While green elites and Brussels bureaucrats push for the forced imposition of electric cars, citizens discover that the experience is far from the promised paradise.