Pull into an EVee Buddy station and you will often see more than one kind of charger: a compact AC unit and a taller DC fast charger. Both put energy into the same battery, but they do it differently, and knowing the difference saves time and money.
How AC charging works
Your battery stores direct current (DC), while the grid supplies alternating current (AC). With an AC charger, the conversion happens inside your car, in a part called the onboard charger. That part has a maximum rating, so your car decides the speed. If your onboard charger is rated at 7.4 kW, plugging into a 22 kW AC charger will still give you about 7.4 kW.
AC charging suits places where you stay for a while: your workplace, a hotel, a mall or home. It is gentle on the battery and usually costs less per unit.
How DC fast charging works
A DC fast charger does the conversion itself and feeds DC straight into the battery, skipping the onboard charger. That is why DC chargers are larger and can deliver 30 kW, 60 kW, 120 kW or more. Your car still limits the maximum it will accept, and charging slows down as the battery fills, usually above 80%.
DC charging is made for journeys: highway stops, quick top-ups in the city and fleets that need vehicles back on the road fast.
Check your connector
Most new electric cars in India use CCS2 for DC fast charging and Type 2 for AC. The EVee Buddy app shows the connectors and power at every station before you arrive.
A simple rule of thumb
- Staying for hours? Use AC.
- Stopping for under an hour on a trip? Use DC fast charging.
- Above 80%? Unplug and continue; the last 20% is the slowest part of any session.