I was at a lunch recently where the talk turned to electric cars. Someone asked how long it takes to charge one, and nobody at the table knew for sure. When I said a fast charger gets you there in about 30 minutes, a few people looked at me like I’d made it up.
I hadn’t. But the answer does come with some small print, and that small print is exactly why so many people doubt it. So here are the real numbers, straight from Toyota, using the new bZ4X. The same logic applies to any electric car.
These come from Toyota South Africa’s bZ4X brochure. All times are from empty to 80%.
| Charger | bZ4X | bZ4X Touring |
|---|---|---|
| DC fast charger (150 kW) | 29 min | 30 min |
| AC public charger (22 kW) | 3h 19 min | 3h 24 min |
| AC home, normal plug (2.3 kW) | 31 hours | 32 hours |
So yes, 30 minutes is real. But three conditions come attached to it.
Every EV charges fastest when the battery is low. As it fills up, the car slows the charge down to protect the battery. The last 20% takes much longer than the speed of the first 80% suggests.
That’s why every manufacturer quotes fast charging to 80%. On a road trip you don’t wait around for 100%. You charge to 80%, grab a coffee and keep driving.
Not every fast charger is that powerful. Many public DC chargers are 50 or 60 kW units. On one of those, the same 0–80% charge will take an hour or more. Check the charger’s rating in your charging app before you plan a stop.
Cold batteries charge slowly. The bZ4X pre-conditions its battery, warming it to the right temperature before you plug in, so you get closer to the quoted time. In Durban that’s rarely an issue. On a winter morning in the Free State, it matters more.
This is the number that puts people off: 31 hours on a normal wall plug. It’s accurate. It’s just not how owners actually charge.
You almost never charge from empty. Say you drive 60 km a day. Based on Toyota’s claimed range of 456–481 km from a 73.11 kWh battery, that uses roughly 10 kWh. On a normal plug, that’s about 5 hours to put back. You plug in when you get home and it’s topped up by morning.
A wallbox changes the picture completely. Most EV owners install a dedicated home charger. Our estimates for 0–80% in the bZ4X:
Every bZ4X comes with charging cables for home use and for public AC chargers.
Wallbox and daily-driving times are our own estimates based on Toyota’s figures, not official Toyota numbers. Most homes run on single-phase power. Your electrician will confirm what your supply can handle.
You don’t need the brochure. Use this:
Battery size (kWh) ÷ charger power (kW) = rough hours from empty to full
Then add 10–20% for energy lost as heat and the slowdown near full.
Example: a 60 kWh battery on a 7 kW home charger. 60 ÷ 7 = 8.6 hours. Add the extra and you’re looking at 9.5 to 10 hours from empty to full.
Two rules apply to every EV:
AC is the power that comes out of your wall. The battery stores DC, so the car has to convert it, and the converter built into the car limits how fast that happens. That’s why AC charging takes hours.
A DC fast charger does the conversion inside the charging station and feeds the battery directly. That’s how you get a 30-minute charge.
For daily driving, yes. If you can charge at home or at work, you’ll hardly ever need a public charger. Treat it like your phone: plug in at night, wake up with enough charge for the day.
Long trips take a little planning. Durban to Johannesburg is about 570 km, which is more than the bZ4X’s claimed range, and highway speeds use more energy than city driving. Plan one or two fast-charge stops along the N3. Apps like PlugShare show where chargers are, how powerful they are and whether they’re working.
We have two three-phase AC chargers at Durban South Toyota. Come through and we’ll show you how plugging in works.
For pricing and specs across the rest of the 2026 range, see our guide to the new Toyota models in South Africa.
To 80%: 29 minutes on a 150 kW DC charger, 3 hours 19 minutes on a 22 kW AC charger and 31 hours on a normal household plug. Charging slows down above 80%, so going all the way to 100% takes noticeably longer, especially on a fast charger.
Yes. The cable comes with the car. At 2.3 kW it’s slow, but it’s enough to top up normal daily driving overnight. If you drive long distances every day, install a wallbox.
Because that’s where the fast part ends. Above 80%, every EV slows the charge to protect the battery. Quoting to 80% shows you the time you’ll actually spend at a charger on a trip.
The bZ4X manages battery temperature while it charges, and Toyota covers the battery for 8 years or 160,000 km. Slower home charging is the gentler everyday routine. Use DC fast charging when you’re travelling.
Toyota claims 456–481 km for the bZ4X and 462–487 km for the Touring. Real-world range depends on speed, load, terrain and how much you use the aircon.
The quickest way to settle the charging question is to see it for yourself. Call Durban South Toyota on 031 940 4465 to book a bZ4X test drive, and ask us anything about charging at home or on the road.
Charging times and specifications are Toyota South Africa figures at the time of publication and may change. Wallbox and daily-driving times are Durban South Toyota estimates. Confirm current pricing and availability with us before purchase.
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