Buyer's guide

How many kW is a power point? Amps, volts, kW and kWh for EV charging

Amps, volts, kilowatts and kilowatt-hours get mixed up constantly. Here's the one formula you need and what it means for your car.

The short answer

Power (kW) = volts × amps ÷ 1,000. A standard Australian power point at 230 V and 10 A delivers about 2.3 kW, which adds about 13 km of range per hour. A 15 A outlet delivers about 3.45 kW (19 km per hour) and a 7 kW wall charger about 7.4 kW. kWh is energy: a 60 kWh battery holds what a 2.3 kW charger delivers in about 26 hours, before losses.

  • kW is speed, like litres per minute at a bowser.
  • kWh is quantity, like litres in the tank.
  • Australian homes run at about 230 V, so amps × 0.23 ≈ kW.
  • Range per hour ≈ kW × 0.9 efficiency ÷ 0.16 kWh/km. On 10 A that's about 13 km.
Cheat sheet

Power and range by outlet

Outlet or chargerCurrentVoltagePowerRange per hour
Standard power point10 A230 V2.3 kW~13 km
Dedicated 15 A outlet15 A230 V3.45 kW~19 km
Type 1 portable charger8 A230 V1.8 kW~10 km
7 kW wall charger (single-phase)32 A230 V7.4 kW~42 km
22 kW wall charger (three-phase)32 A × 3400 V22 kWLimited by the car's onboard charger (often 11 kW)
Worked numbers use the same assumptions as our range calculator: 230 V, 90% charging efficiency and 16 kWh per 100 km. Cold weather, your car's onboard charger and driving style change real results.
Worked example

From kW to hours

Question: how long does a 60 kWh battery take from 20% to 80% on a 10 A power point?

Energy needed: 60% of 60 kWh = 36 kWh into the battery. Power into the battery: 2.3 kW × 0.9 = 2.07 kW. Time: 36 ÷ 2.07 ≈ 17.4 hours.

On 15 A: 36 ÷ (3.45 × 0.9) ≈ 11.6 hours. For your car, see charging times by model.

Why 10 A, not more?

Why you can't just pull more from a power point

A standard Australian power point and its plug are rated at 10 A. A portable charger with a 10 A plug is designed to stay within that for hours. Chargers that claim 16 A from a 10 A plug, or adapters that put a 15 A plug in a 10 A socket, exceed the outlet's rating. More power needs a higher-rated outlet installed by a licensed electrician.

Our pick

Chargers we recommend

Questions

Frequently asked

How many kW does a normal power point supply?

About 2.3 kW: 230 volts × 10 amps. In practice voltage varies a little, so expect 2.2–2.4 kW.

What's the difference between kW and kWh?

kW is the rate of power (how fast energy flows); kWh is an amount of energy. A 2.3 kW charger running for 10 hours delivers 23 kWh.

How many amps does an EV charger draw?

A portable charger on a 10 A plug draws up to 10 A; on a 15 A plug, up to 15 A. A 7 kW single-phase wall charger draws 32 A on a dedicated circuit.

How many km does 1 kWh give an EV?

Roughly 5–7 km for a typical EV, depending on the car, speed and weather. Our figures assume 16 kWh per 100 km, or about 6.25 km per kWh.

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