India’s EV charging ecosystem uses three main charging levels. Level 1 is the slowest – a standard 5-amp or 15-amp household socket paired with the portable charger bundled with most EVs. It works anywhere there is a plug point and is perfect for overnight charging at home, though it takes 6–10 hours for a full charge on most scooters and 12–20 hours for a car. Level 2 AC charging uses a dedicated wall box charger (3.3 kW, 7.4 kW, or 11 kW) that cuts charge time to 2–6 hours for two-wheelers and 5–10 hours for cars.
Public AC chargers fall in this category too. Level 3 is DC fast charging, the quickest option, available at commercial charging stations. With power outputs ranging from 15 kW to 150 kW, DC fast chargers can bring most EVs to 80% in 30–90 minutes. In India, the Bharat DC-001 (15 kW) and CCS2 / CHAdeMO connectors are the most common DC standards, with CCS2 becoming dominant in newer cars and stations.
