These are the fastest charging electric cars on sale in the UK

July 2, 2024 George East

In 2025, it seems not a day goes by without automotive news mentioning how easy it has become to make the switch from a petrol or diesel car to an EV.

The dark days of poor EV charging infrastructure, range anxiety, and slow charging speeds are long gone, with 91% of drivers who have made the jump from an internal combustion-engined car to a pure electric one saying they wouldn’t go back.

Since EVs hit the mainstream in the early 2010s courtesy of the Nissan Leaf, EV charging times have improved enormously, with charging speeds jumping from just 50kW up to 400kW if you can find a charger packing that amount of punch.

These huge charging speeds mean that the all-electric underpinnings of EVs have also improved, with more and more cars now riding on 800V architecture. Paired with a 100kWh+ battery, an 800V electric car can be charged from 10% to 80% in around a swift 14 minutes.

In fact, EV tech has moved on so much over the course of the last year, that a brace of entirely new cars have made it onto the list of the fastest charging EVs on sale in the UK today.

Polestar 3/Volvo EX90 – 250kW

The Polestar 3 and Volvo ES90 look different, but have the same max charging speed of 250kW

Both riding on Volvo’s 400V-ready SPA2 platform, the handsome Volvo EX90 and it futuristic cousin, the Polestar 3, are ostensibly the same car. Both are available in either single or twin motor guise, and with the optional performance back, these Swedish twins can produce over 510bhp. Despite lagging behind the new ES90 with its 800V underpinnings, the Polestar 3 and ES90 can still rank amongst some of the fastest charging electric cars on sale today, offering charging speeds of up to 250kW.

Tesla Model 3 – 250kW

The Model 3’s 250kW charging speeds are one of the reason why it remains a firm favourite amongst EV drivers (Image: Tesla)

This doesn’t just apply to the Model 3 but almost every model offered by Tesla. Not only do you get access to Tesla’s vast Supercharger network, but 170kW is available for rear-wheel drive models while Long Range cars get 250kW DC charging capability. Hook up to a Supercharger, and you’ll see the battery charge from 10-80% in less than 30 minutes.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 – 260kW

Both the standard Ioniq 5 and silly power Ioniq 5 N benefit from 260kw fast charging (Image: Hyundai)

It doesn’t matter whether you opt for the base Ioniq 5 or the 640bhp, hair-on-fire ‘N’ guise, all cars get 240kW max DC charging and 11kW AC charging. Find a meaty enough charger, and you’ll spend around 17 minutes filling from 10-80% for the 74kWh battery. Buyers can choose from a variety of trim levels and a smaller 54kWh battery, however, this takes roughly the same time to charge as the larger one due to a lower DC rate.

Audi e-tron GT – 270kW

The e-tron GT is based on Audi’s old EV architecture (Image: Audi)

Despite its athletic appearance, the e-Tron GT weighs a hefty 2.3 tonnes. Under the bodywork lies an 97kWh battery offering a range of 375 miles (claimed), if you opt for the standard GT. Audi and Porsche hold keys to the same tech room, which means the e-Tron GT gets an 800-volt system and it will accept up to 320kW DC charging. Simply put, this will add more than 62 miles of extra range for every five minutes spent charging. The 10-80% top-up will take just 18 minutes and although it doesn’t feature a 22kW AC charger, it does have an 11kW system.

Maserati GranTurismo Folgore – 270kW

The fat and the furious: The GranTurismo Folgore hides its 2.3-tonne weight well on country roads (Image: Maserati)

Maserati has gone all out with the GranTurismo Folgore by giving it a 750bhp and 995lb ft powertrain. It also charges at 270kW thanks to an 800V platform, and on a suitable charger, the 10 to 80% charge should be over in under 20 minutes. Charging at a 150kW unit should take around 29 minutes at a speed of 370mph. Impressive figures for a car that’ll nudge 200mph if given enough room.

Audi A6 e-tron/Audi Q6 e-tron – 270kW

The Audi A6 e-tron EV is the most aerodynamically-efficient Audi ever (Image: Audi)

There’s much to like about the new Audi A6 e-tron. In fastback ‘Sportback’ guise, it’s the most aerodynamic Audi ever with a drag co-efficient of just 0.21, beating even the eel-like Audi 100 C3 for slipperiness. Underneath, the new A6 Sportback and Avant wagon are built on Audi’s new Premium Platform Electric – or ‘PPE’ – underpinnings it shares with the Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan Electric. As well a range of 435 miles courtesy of a 94.9kWh battery, the A6 e-tron – and its siblings – packs a maximum charging speed of 270kW, allowing 186 miles of range to be added in 10 minutes.

Mercedes-Benz CLA – 320kW

The new CLA is one of the UK’s fastest-charging EVs but there’s a catch (Image: Mercedes-Benz)

Launched earlier this year, the CLA is an important car for Mercedes. Stuttgart’s entry-level EV is based on its new MMA platform, which can support full EVs or hybrid powertrains. Moreover, it’ll serve as the basis for three models forming part of Mercedes’ recently-announced EV model blitz. The CLA comes with 800V underpinnings, and is – for now, at least – available with just one battery option, an 85kWh unit returning 268bhp and lighting fast charging speeds topping out at 320kW. There is, however, a big ‘however’… given its lack of a DC-to-DC converter, the CLA is incompatible with most of the UK’s public chargers.

Porsche Taycan Turbo – 320kW

Porsche has updated the Taycan with up to 421 miles of range, faster charging and a power boost to 939bhp for its range-topping Turbo S model (Image: Porsche)

Click anything from ‘Turbo’ upwards while on Porsche’s configurator, and you’ll get 320kW charging capability and a 97kWh battery. This means that when your Turbo is plugged into a rapid charger, the 10-80% charge will take just 18 minutes. Don’t want a Turbo? You can add the £4,296 ‘Performance Battery Plus’ option to the Taycan 4S instead, and this will upgrade the standard 270kW figure and 82kWh battery to match that of the Turbo.

Volvo ES90 – 350kW

The ES90 is the fastest-charging Volvo yet and one of the greenest (Image: Volvo)

The Volvo ES90 is the Swedish brand’s first car to be built on an 800V version of its SPA2 electrical architecture. As well as a class-leading range of up to 435 miles, the ES90’s underpinnings mean Volvo’s latest luxury sedan has a maximum charging rate of 350kW depending on trim level. These charging speeds ensure that the ES90 can take on 100 miles of range in under 10 minutes, while a 10% – 80% charge is achievable somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes. As well as being the fastest-charging Volvo ever, it is also one of its most environmentally friendly thanks to a lifetime carbon footprint of 26 tonnes.

Lotus Eletre – 350kW

The Eletre ranks with the Volvo ES90 as one of the fastest charging electric cars of 2025 (Image: Lotus)

Every Eletre version has a 109kWh battery and an 800V system, bringing the charge capability up to a whopping 350kW. It’s also one of the few cars to be offered with a 22kW AC system and charging from empty to full takes just 5.8 hours if you’ve got a three-phase supply. If you can find a 350kW force feeder, the Eletre will manage the 10-80% sprint in around 20 minutes, which is just enough to nip for some quick shopping. Opt for the two lower editions, and you should see a range of around 373 miles (claimed) whereas the R will need replenished every 304 miles.

Lotus Emeya – 400kW

The Lotus Emeya remains the UK’s fastest-charging electric car (Image: Lotus)

Not only does the Emeya top our fastest charging electric cars list, but in 2024 it smashed the record for being the fastest-charging electric car in the world. The hyper GT boasts 400kW capability, and when tested recently in Germany, the Emeya charged its 109kWh battery from 10-80% in just 14 minutes on a widely available charger. It’s claimed that the long-range GT can add around 265 miles of range in just 15 minutes. At the heart of such figures lies an impressive cooling system which consists of two cooling panels between the prismatic cells. This means efficient cooling, better battery management and greater charge speeds.