According to comprehensive new multi-year data from charging giant Kempower (analysing over three years of charging behaviour across 11 European nations), the public charging ecosystem is officially growing up.
The headline metrics speak volumes:
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Peak power delivered is up 32%.
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Energy delivered per charging session jumped 12%.
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Average dwell time has settled around 35 minutes, while charging speeds are 3% faster overall.
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The UK recorded the highest average energy delivered per session (30 kW) of any country analysed.
The EV Café Take:
For years, the industry narrative has been obsessed with headline charging speed—a race to install bigger kW numbers on a sticker. Kempower’s data reveals the next critical phase: smart power management. With average delivered power (52.9 kW in the UK) sitting well below peak power capabilities (79 kW), the future of profitable, reliable charging lies in dynamic power-sharing and load balancing that serves multiple vehicles simultaneously rather than wasting unutilised grid capacity.
John: Expressed genuine surprise that charging session speed had only improved by 3%, expecting that advancements in battery tech over the last four years would have delivered far more dramatic gains.
Paul:
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Explained that the average 35-minute dwell time hasn't changed because human habits match that dwell window, but significantly more energy is being delivered in that same time.
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Pointed out that van charging tech has largely plateaued around 100–150 kW since 2022, with very few outliers pushing 180 kW.
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Emphasised that real-world charging curves are erratic: chargers often ramp up and down unpredictably based on grid demand, station load, and battery temperature.
Sara:
- Supported the sentiment from the chat that bringing tangible data to the table is valuable, while reinforcing that the focus must move to how many vehicles can be reliably served rather than headline peak kW bragging rights.