AC or DC? What EV charging speeds actually mean for you
Every charger you see is either AC or DC, and the letters explain almost everything about the stop: how long it takes, what it costs, and whether it is worth using at all for the charge you need.
The real difference between AC and DC
Every EV battery stores energy as direct current, DC. The electricity grid supplies alternating current, AC. An AC charger sends AC to the car, and the car's own onboard charger converts it to DC at a limited rate, which is what makes AC charging slow. A DC charger does that conversion itself, at far higher power, and feeds the battery directly, which is what makes it fast.
Speed: hours versus minutes
AC charging, at home, at work or on the street, typically adds range over several hours, which suits a car that is going to sit parked anyway. DC rapid and ultra-rapid charging can take a battery from low to mostly full in well under an hour, sometimes in around twenty minutes on the fastest chargers, built for a car that needs to get back on the road.
Price: speed is not free
What speed costs, per kWh
Median price of 623 public charging points across 10 eurozone cities, grouped by power.
the slow one
the fast one
costs you
Fillz, live charging tariffs, measured on 2026-09-08
DC hardware costs far more to install and to connect to the grid, and that shows up in the price per kWh, often two to four times the AC rate. Slow and steady AC is almost always the cheaper way to fill a battery, so treating DC as an occasional convenience rather than a routine keeps your running cost low.
A note on the battery
Modern EVs are built to handle rapid charging, and an occasional DC session will not harm a well-managed battery. Still, gentler AC charging, and keeping regular charges away from the very top and very bottom of the battery, is generally kinder to it over the years, one more reason AC deserves to be your default.
Which one to pick, in practice
Ask one question: is the car going to be parked here for a while anyway? If yes, AC quietly does the job at the lowest cost. If no, and you need range back quickly to keep moving, that is exactly what DC is for, and the extra cost buys you the time.
Common questions
Can any EV use both AC and DC chargers?
Almost all modern EVs support both, though the maximum speed each accepts varies by model. Check your car's specs for its AC and DC limits.
Does DC charging damage the battery faster?
Occasional DC charging is fine for a modern EV. Using it constantly instead of AC can add a bit more long-term wear, which is one reason to favour AC when you have time.
Why do some DC chargers charge slower than advertised?
Charging speed depends on the car, the charger, the battery's state of charge and temperature. Charging slows down markedly as the battery fills, which is why topping up to 80 percent is usually faster than waiting for 100.
Charge at the right speed, at the right price
AC for routine, DC for when you need it now. Fillz shows the connector, the speed and the price of every charging point around you, so you pick the right one, not just the nearest.
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