Fahrzeugtyp & Batterietechnologie
The charging curve depends on the manufacturer and the model. 800V architectures show different curves than 400V systems; NMC and LFP cells differ in Tapering deutlich.
Charging curve in EVs: why the charging power is not constant
Kurz zusammengefasst
The charging curve (also called the performance curve) graphically shows how the charging power of your electric vehicle changes depending on the state of battery charge (SoC). It varies by manufacturer and model — and knowing it makes your next charging stop significantly more efficient.
1. What is the charging curve?
The charging curve is the graphical representation of the charging power depending on the state of charge (SoC) of your battery. It makes one thing clear: The charging speed of an EV is not constant — it changes dynamically.
This dynamic is not a defect, but an important protection mechanism of the battery management system (BMS). The BMS deliberately reduces the power in order to prevent overheating and high continuous voltages in the cells — both of which would significantly shorten the lifespan of the battery.
2. The two main phases at a glance
The typical DC charging curve can be divided into two sections. The exact transition point varies depending on the vehicle, battery technology and battery temperature.
| Phase | SoC-Bereich (typisch) | Verhalten |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Plateau | ca. 5 % – 80 % | The BMS maintains the maximum charging power of the vehicle or of the charging column. This is the most efficient charging phase — the most range per minute at the charging column. |
| Tapering | ab ca. 50 – 70 % → 100 % | From the 80 % mark, the BMS significantly reduces the charging power. The last percentages are only slowly charged into the cells — the phase from 90 → 100 % can take twice as long as the entire remainder. |
*The exact start of Tapering depends on the model, battery temperature and available charging power.
3. What influences the shape of your charging curve?
Two electric vehicles with seemingly identical battery capacity can show completely different charging curves. The most important influencing factors:
Batterietemperatur
The comfort zone of a lithium battery lies at approx. 20 – 35 °C. Cold or heat causes the BMS to throttle the power — the curve becomes flatter, the charging time longer.
AC vs. DC
With DC fast charging (CCS, HPC), steep climbs and abrupt power drops often occur. With AC charging via the wallbox the curve runs flatter and more constant — here the onboard charger limits the speed.
Charging station as the bottleneck
If your vehicle can take up 250 kW, but the charging column supplies only 50 kW, the charging column is the bottleneck — not your vehicle. The maximum charging power you can actually reach is always the minimum of vehicle and infrastructure.
4. What you can take from this for your charging planning
Understanding your own charging curve brings a direct practical benefit: you can actively optimize charging times. Simple basic rule — charge more often, but for shorter periods:
Targeting 80 % instead of 100 %
On the motorway, the time up to 80 % is significantly shorter than the additional 20 %. Plan several shorter charging stops instead of a long 100 % charging stop — with significantly less waiting time.
Preheating the battery
Many current EVs allow targeted battery preheating via the navigation or vehicle infotainment app before the next DC charging stop. This brings the cells into the comfort zone and raises the efficient range of the curve.
Eigene Kurve kennen
When does it kick in for your model Tapering? How high was the maximum? With these two values, your individual charging strategy can be calculated quickly and precisely.
5. Where you can find the charging curve of your vehicle
Not every manufacturer documents the charging curve prominently in the data sheet. The independent project EV-Database maintains charging curves for most of the EVs available on the market — including charging-curve graphics, DC maximum power per SoC range and battery capacity. Ideal for planning accurately before your next long-distance drive
Practical tip before long-distance drives
Take a look at your vehicle's charging curve on ev-database.org before you plan the route. That way you know at which SoC your vehicle "bends" in terms of output — and can keep your charging stops deliberately shorter.
LadeGuide takes your charging curve into account in every plan
AC at home, HPC on the go — LadeGuide uses the charging curve of your vehicle to plan exactly the charging stop you need: no longer, no shorter.
Mehr erfahrenSources
- EV-Database: Charging curves & charging data for EVs