800V charging architectures move down the price ladder

An 800-volt electrical architecture allows an electric car to accept higher DC charging power without excessive heat build-up. In practice that turns a 40-minute stop into something closer to 18 minutes on a suitably powerful charger.\n\nUntil recently the technology was limited to premium models. Several mainstream electric crossovers now use it, and the charging curve rather than the headline battery size is becoming the more useful comparison metric.\n\nWhen comparing electric cars, look at the 10-80 percent charging time and the peak DC rate together. A smaller battery that charges quickly can be more usable on long trips than a larger battery limited to modest charging speeds.