The number of EVs running on the roads of the UK is rising exponentially with every passing day. A projection by the National Grid suggested that the EVs stock in the UK could rise to 36 million by 2040. Moreover, with the change in government policies, continual improvements in the charging infrastructures, and innumerable advantages of an EV over a conventional ICE vehicle, people are compelled to choose an EV as their next car.
Keeping such things in mind, it is a no-brainer that electric mobility is the future.
Out of all the factors leading to the popularity of Electric vehicles, charging becomes a crucial point of discussion. In this fast-moving world, time is a valuable asset. Therefore, the ability of an EV to charge quickly is of great importance for its owners. Thus, it also becomes imperative to keep things in mind that might seem insignificant but could be crucial, like the length of the charging cable.
A longer charging cable facilitates ease in charging if the distance between the source and vehicle is more. On the other hand, a shorter charging cable is easy to store and carry. Notably, there could be some differences between a shorter and longer EV charging cable. But, since most of us must be worried about the correlation between the charging speed and length of the cable, so out of all the other questions, the one that we aim to answer in this blog is ‘Does the length of the EV cable affect charging time or speed?’
The reality
In theory, the length of a cable might affect the charging speed mainly because of the dependence of resistance on length. In layman’s terms, a longer cable has more resistance than a shorter cable. This simple fact might compel many people to believe that a longer EV charging cable would hamper the charging speed. In comparison, a shorter cable would catapult the charging speed due to less resistance.
But out of theory, in reality, the length of a modern EV charging cable doesn’t affect the charging time that much. What really determines the charging time is not the length but also the gauge and quality of the cable. This simply means; thicker the wire, the less charging time will be, assuming it is of good quality. Scientifically speaking, a wire of more gauge offers less resistance allowing more current to flow through it at a point in time. Thus, facilitating in less charging time.
Choosing the right EV cable
In simple words, as an EV owner, someone would prefer a cable that offers less resistance between the power source and the EV. Theoretically, the length would add a little resistance, but the difference would be negligible in the case of high-quality wires. Moreover, superior charging cables have an optimal gauge that counters the resistance increased due to the length of the cable.
So, when it comes to choosing a charging cable for an EV based on length. Selecting a high-quality one from a reputed vendor would be advisable.
In Conclusion,
The incessant technological developments in the EV universe have empowered experts to develop things that would not be possible a few years back, just like the modern EV cables. Facilitating shorter charging times and fast charging speeds, the right EV charging cable would negate the dull attributes of a low-quality cable.
At last, to answer the question ‘Do Longer EV cables take longer to charge?’ Modern charging cables are of fairly good quality, and irrespective of the length, they offer equitably less resistance, thus cutting down on the charging time. So, choosing a high-quality EV charging cable would be the right choice.
