---
title: Why is the charge rate lower than advertised?
description: Does your charge point give a higher rate of charge than the one your currently experiencing? There could be a few reasons for that
---
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# Why is the charge rate lower than advertised?
## There are a few reasons that you may not be achieving the speed advertised on a charge point.
#### **Are you driving a Hybrid or PHEV?**
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) typically support AC charging rates up to 3.3–3.7 kW. This is a hardware limitation built into the car’s onboard charger - the component that manages AC-to-DC conversion inside the vehicle.
Even if you plug into a 7 kW or 22 kW AC charger, your car will still charge at 3.7 kW max. That’s why you won’t see faster speeds.
A few modern PHEVs (like **Volvo XC60 Recharge** and **XC90 Recharge**) can charge at **6.4 kW** using two-phase AC setups. But these are rare.
---
#### Are you driving a fully electric vehicle and still not hitting the top charger limits?
If you're in a full EV (BEV), and you’re still not hitting advertised charge speeds, consider the following:
Most AC public chargers offer 7 kW (single phase) or 22 kW (three phase), but many EVs can only accept:
- 7 kW (e.g. Nissan Leaf, Kia e-Niro)
- 11 kW (e.g. VW ID.3, Tesla Model 3 Standard Range)
That means even on a 22 kW charger, you’ll max out at 7 or 11 kW. Not because of the charger, but because of your car.
**Here are some examples of cars that can support 22 kW AC charging:**
- Renault Zoe
- Smart EQ ForTwo
- Tesla Model S/X (some variants)
---
#### Is it a particularly cold day?
In cold conditions, your EV’s battery will reduce its charge acceptance to protect itself. Until it warms up, it may pull significantly less power than expected.
---
#### Is somebody else charging on the same charge point as you?
If you're using a dual-socket charger (e.g. a 22 kW AC unit with two ports), the total power is shared.
- 22 kW split across 2 cars = 11 kW each, if both cars can handle it.
---
#### Is your charging cable rated correctly?
Charging cables are rated for specific speeds. For example:
- A single-phase 32A cable supports up to 7.4 kW
- A three-phase 32A cable is needed for 22 kW
If you plug in a lower-rated cable, your car will limit charge speed to match it.
Got a question about the speeds that you achieved during a recent session? Email us at info@clenergy-ev.com and we'll do our best to help.
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