AC vs DC charging.
What is the difference between AC and DC electric car charging?
Alternating and direct current.
Charging an electric vehicle requires alternating current (AC) which is acquired via the grid, that then needs to be converted into power that your electric car can use in the form of direct current (DC).
How AC and DC chargers differ.
A charge point with AC charging capabilities will receive the alternating current from the grid and pass this on to the vehicle to convert to direct current. Once the car has converted this power, the direct current is then fed into the EVs battery.
DC charge points already have the converter within the charger itself, and so do not rely on the car to do the heavy lifting. This means that the power is converted to DC before it is delivered to the EV, resulting in a faster charge time.
So, AC charging relies on the vehicle to do the hard work, whereas DC charging makes sure the work is done within the chargepoint, before the car even plugs in meaning more power can be delivered at once.
Slow vs Fast
Slower chargers = AC chargers (A.K.A. slow and fast chargers)
Faster chargers = DC chargers (A.K.A. rapid and ultra-rapid chargers)
Tesla Model 3 data.
Kia E-Niro data.
VD ID.3 data.
The majority of Osprey’s 50kW chargers also allow for up to 16kW AC charging depending on the vehicle’s capabilities, while our higher-powered ultra-rapid units are DC only.
Our network
Find an Osprey electric car charging station near you. With a nationwide network and multiple chargers per location, we make charging simple and care-free.
