[andymc]

Yes, there are several different ways to recharge. So-called "granny charging" is simply plugging into a standard domestic three-pin socket - only to be used when there is no alternative. In fact, anything up to 3kW is considered slow charging, so would normally only be used when e.g. the car is parked overnight or at work.

"Fast" charging implies that the car won't be needed for up to 4 hours - as far as I remember, this is usually at 7kW DC or 22kW AC (which means that an AC-capable car like the Renault Zoe will gain 230 miles of range in two hours). Those who install a dedicated car charger at home would probably opt for a 7kW unit, meaning even the biggest-capacity EVs could be charged to 100% in 5-6 hours overnight.

Rapid charging should take no more than 45-50 minutes, with the caveat that once the battery has reached 80-85% capacity the speed at which it charges will drop. Rapid chargers are usually rated at 43kW AC or 50kW DC, so for example a 28kWh Hyundai Ioniq can charge to 80% in as little as 20 minutes. At the moment, there are nearly 4300 rapid DC or AC chargepoints across the UK, each with at least two charging connections.

Superfast charging is anything above 100kW - Tesla's units are usually 120kW and there are around 340 of those in the UK, while the Ionity network will provide between 150-350kW at a further 210 chargepoints across 35 locations along the motorway network. For now, not many EVs can fully exploit the upper end of that sort of charging speed - the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-Tron are two that I know of, neither of which would exactly be classed as affordable! At this speed, charging an EV is probably faster than filling a tank with fuel.

Most of the latest EVs offer a range of 450-500km on a single charge - Jaguar i-Pace, Hyundai Kona, Kia Niro, Tesla Model S/3/X/Roadster, Audi e-Tron, forthcoming new/upgraded models such as the Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Ioniq, Kia Soul, VW Neo (and its Audi/Seat/Skoda derivatives). There are mid-range versions of these too - 300km/200 miles of range looks set to be the minimum benchmark for these going forward.