Play<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\nToday, I\u2019m going to find out just how long it takes to charge one of the fastest-charging cars you can buy with one of Singapore\u2019s most powerful chargers. I\u2019m going to take a Zeekr 7X to Great World\u2019s charging hub.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nArticle jumplist<\/p>\n
<\/default:svg><\/button><\/p>\n\n1. How does EV charging work?<\/li>\n 2. AC vs DC charging<\/li>\n 3. Introducing the Zeekr X and Great World EV charging hub<\/li>\n 4. How long did it take to charge, and\u00a0how much did it\u00a0cost?<\/li>\n 5. Final thoughts<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\nHow does EV charging work?<\/h2>\n\nThe basics of EV charging.<\/p>\n
Photo: AI-generated image<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The basics of charging an EV are identical to charging a phone. Every EV has a maximum charging rate, and to achieve that rate requires a powerful enough charger<\/b>. We\u2019ll cover the differences between AC and DC charging below, but fundamentally, that\u2019s all there is to it.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s illustrate this with some examples. The main reason why we chose a Zeekr X is\u00a0because it\u00a0supports a maximum DC charging rate of 420kW \u2013 one of the highest in any EV in Singapore. This means it can better maximise the powerful 480kW chargers that Great World have.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If we swapped the Zeekr X with another car, let\u2019s say the very popular BYD Atto 3, we would only be able to attain a maximum DC charging rate of 100kW. In other words, that 480kW charger is overkill. This is akin to using a 100W USB-C charger to charge a phone that only supports up to 40W charging. Yes, you\u2019ll be charging at its maximum rate, but you could have done the same with a less powerful charger.<\/p>\n
AC vs DC charging<\/h2>\n\nAC and DC charging are vastly different.<\/p>\n
Photo: AI-generated image<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Without delving into the specifics, an EV\u2019s batteries require DC charging, which is why you\u2019ll find that DC chargers are typically faster. So when using an AC charger, the power has to be converted to DC by the EV\u2019s onboard charger<\/b>, which is usually a small unit that\u2019s only capable of handling a small amount of power \u2013 typically between 7kW and 11kW.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The same charging principles apply to AC chargers. If your onboard charger is only capable of handling up to 11kW, plugging it into a 22kW AC charger will not charge it any faster. The maximum charging rate will still be 11kW.<\/p>\n
DC chargers, on the other hand, convert the power grid\u2019s AC power into DC and feed it directly into the car. They are often very bulky because they handle the conversion themselves and are designed for high power outputs.<\/p>\n
Introducing the Zeekr X and Great World EV charging hub<\/h2>\n\nThe Zeekr 7X is a mid-size SUV.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The car I\u2019m using for today\u2019s experiment is the Zeekr 7X.\u00a0As I mentioned, it was chosen because it supports DC charging up to 420kW,\u00a0which makes\u00a0it one of the fastest charging EVs\u00a0you can buy\u00a0right now.<\/p>\n
Zeekr, for the uninitiated, is the luxury arm of Geely\u2019s automobile business, and the 7X is their mid-size crossover SUV designed to go up against cars like the BYD Sealion 7, Tesla Model Y, and Xpeng G6. In Singapore, the 7X is available in three variants<\/b> \u2013 Standard, Long Range, and Performance. You can see their specs below. The one we had was the range-topping Performance model, which has 637hp, 710nm of torque, and can do the century sprint in just 3.9 seconds. It\u2019s blisteringly quick.<\/p>\n
And as for\u00a0Great\u00a0World, it is said to be home to Singapore\u2019s largest EV charging hub. It has 55 chargers, which is a mix of 22kW AC chargers, as well as 180kW and 480kW DC chargers. The 480kW DC chargers are from Huawei and are currently the fastest chargers\u00a0you can find\u00a0in Singapore<\/b>. Charging rates are also decent at S$0.545\/kWh for AC chargers and S$0.60\/kWh for DC chargers (correct at the time of publishing).<\/p>\n
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