# Why EV fast charging slows down after 80 percent

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/why-ev-fast-charging-slows-down-after-80-percent/
- Published: 2026-11-09T16:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T17:04:56+00:00
- Original publisher: Engadget
- Original article: https://www.engadget.com/2307731/why-ev-fast-charging-slows-after-80-percent/
- Topics: Gadgets

## Key points

- EV charging slows as the battery approaches full.
- The reduced speed helps prevent damaging lithium plating.
- BYD says its new battery reaches 97 per cent in nine minutes.

## Summary

Electric car charging slows markedly after about 80 per cent because lithium ions take longer to move into an almost full battery’s graphite anode. The car reduces the charging current to protect the battery, so the final part of a charge can take much longer than the first.

Fast chargers, typically rated from 50kW to 350kW, send direct current to the battery, while ordinary sockets and charging posts rely on the car to convert alternating current. Pushing current too hard into a nearly full battery can cause lithium plating, which permanently reduces capacity and may create a short circuit. BYD says its second-generation Blade Battery, unveiled in March 2026, can charge to 97 per cent in nine minutes by making it easier for ions to move through the battery.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.