AC or DC: what actually separates slow and fast charging

Updated July 2026

The difference in one sentence

Every battery charges on direct current. The only question is where alternating current gets converted. On an AC charger a small converter inside the car does it, and that converter is the bottleneck. On a DC charger the conversion happens in the cabinet itself, which is far larger and more powerful.

How fast each one is

AC chargers in Georgia are mostly 7 to 22 kW. DC chargers run from 30 to 360 kW, though most sit around 120 kW.

For a 60 kWh battery that looks like this:

• Household socket, 2 kW. 20 to 80 percent takes about 18 hours.
• AC charger, 7 kW. The same takes about 5 hours.
• AC charger, 22 kW. About 1 hour 40 minutes, if the car accepts 22 kW.
• DC charger, 60 kW. About 40 minutes.
• DC charger, 150 kW. About 20 minutes.

These are estimates. Real times depend on how much power the car itself accepts, the battery temperature, and how full it already is.

The main trap: your car's own limit

Charger power is a ceiling, not a promise. If your car accepts 7 kW on AC, a 22 kW charger still gives you 7. Same on DC: a car limited to 50 kW draws 50 from a 160 kW cabinet.

So hunting for the most powerful charger only pays off if the car can use it.

Which one when

• Slow AC. Whenever the car is parked anyway: overnight at home, all day at work, at a hotel. Cheaper, and gentler on the battery.
• Fast DC. On the road, when time matters. Tbilisi to Batumi needs one stop at a fast charger.

Why it slows down past 80 percent

This is not the charger's doing. The battery itself demands lower power as it fills, to avoid damage. Going from 80 to 100 percent often takes as long as going from 20 to 80.

On a long drive it is therefore quicker to stop at 80 percent and continue to the next charger than to wait for full.

Which type each station is, is listed in the charger list.

Frequently asked questions