How Long Does It Take To Charge a Car Battery While Driving?

Have you ever driven in your car and had the battery suddenly die? You weren’t certain how long it would take to charge the battery to get it going again?

Do you wonder: how long does it take to charge a car battery while driving? The average car battery only has 200 cycles in its lifetime, and reducing the time between each cycle can lead to an increased lifespan.

But how do you know if your battery lasts as long as it should?  Or when is it too soon to change it?

The answer depends on how long it takes to charge a car battery while driving.

Charging a car battery by connecting it to an external power source.

In this article, we will look at the question: how long does it take for your car battery to charge while driving.

How Long Does It Take To Charge a Car Battery?

The amount of time it takes to charge a car battery depends on several factors, including the type and the size of your car’s battery.

Larger batteries take longer to charge, while smaller batteries can charge more quickly. The time it takes for your car to fully recharge its battery will also vary depending on how far you’ve driven since the last time you recharged it.

If you’re driving less than 10 miles per day, the charging process might take longer; but if more than 50 miles per day, charging will typically only require six hours or less.

What Are the Things That Can Affect Charging Time?

You can charge your car battery while driving, but it depends on a few factors. How much power are you using and putting in your car battery?  And most importantly, how long do you want to charge the battery?

The more often and longer you drive with the charger connected, the faster it will go.

There are several factors that affect car battery charging time:

Check and Ensure Your Battery Is Right for Your Car

You can learn more about your car’s battery by checking the manufacturer’s specifications. It’s essential to have a battery that is right for your vehicle. Ensure you use it correctly throughout your life.

• Check the size of your battery. A smaller-sized battery will be unable to hold as much charge as a larger one, which means you might need to charge it more often.
• Check the voltage rating on your current battery against what is recommended by your car manufacturer. If they are different, replacing them with an appropriate new unit may be necessary.

Driving for Less Than One Hour

You can charge your car’s battery while you’re driving for less than an hour.

The factors that affect how long it takes to charge a car battery while driving include:

• The amount of time you spend driving (the longer the drive, the more time you spend charging).
• The speed you’re traveling (the faster you’re going, the faster your vehicle will charge its battery).

Charging While Parked

If you park your vehicle and the engine is off, there are two ways to charge a car battery. The first way is by using a trickle charger.

This device plugs into your cigarette lighter or 12V receptacle, and the other end connects directly to the battery.

Ensure that it has enough power to overcome any load (such as an electric fan or A/C compressor) that would be drawing current from the alternator while driving. Otherwise, it won’t work at all.

A trickle charger puts out between 13 and 20 volts. It depends on its rating (a lower voltage is usually better). If it puts out more than 20 volts, do not use this method because it will damage your alternator!

The second way of charging a car battery while parked involves connecting jumper cables directly from another vehicle’s dead battery — but only after you have switched both cars off for several minutes with their parking brakes engaged.

It prevents over-revving the engines when reconnecting electrical systems.

There are some simple ways to get your car started, even if it’s got a dead battery. The first thing you should do is check the connections between your battery and your vehicle’s electrical system. If a connection has come loose or disconnected, this could be causing the problem.

Jump-Starting Your Car

If you’ve tried your best to jump-start your car, but it still won’t turn over, you need to get a new battery.

Jump-starting a dead battery is only a temporary fix, and even if it does work, there’s a good chance the problem will return.

Often, the issue isn’t related to the battery at all — it could be an alternator problem or something else entirely.

Types of Car Battery Chargers and How Long It Takes To Charge

Standard Battery Charger

A standard battery charger is a device you can use to charge batteries. It is not only used for car batteries but also for motorcycle and boat batteries.

Plug these devices into an electrical outlet, and it will begin to charge the battery when you connect it.

Trickle Battery Charger

Trickle chargers are different from other types of battery chargers in that they don’t give an immediate boost to the battery.

Instead, they provide a continuous current over a long period. This prevents the battery from being damaged by an overcharge or excessive current draw.

Trickle chargers are for long-term charging, and you can use them during winter months when you aren’t using the vehicles regularly.

You can also use it as a maintenance tool to keep your vehicle from draining its battery unexpectedly over time. You don’t need to drive the car in question regularly.

The battery stores electricity from the alternator and sends it to the starter when you turn your key. It also powers all the lights in your car, including those little ones on your dashboard that tell you how much gas you have left.

Battery Charger

Smart battery chargers are to charge your battery faster than a standard charger, so if you have to jump-start your car or boost its power quickly, they’re the best option.

The chargers also work to charge batteries correctly, thus ensuring that you don’t damage them by overcharging or overloading them with energy.

You can use smart chargers with different voltages and types of batteries — even hybrid cars.

Knowing how long your battery will take to charge will help you determine what type of charger you’ll need.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to determine the size of your battery: look at the compartment where your spare tire is stored.

The size of your car’s spare tire can help you determine its battery capacity and whether it will take longer than 6 hours to charge.

How Long It Takes To Charge

1.2 Amp Charger — 12 to 24-Hour Charger

If you have a smaller battery and want to charge it quickly, your best option is likely the 1.2 amp charger. This charger is suitable for small batteries or even batteries completely drained.

Because this charger cannot fully charge a dead or completely drained battery, it’s crucial that you first use the appropriate method of jump-starting your car before plugging in your charging cord.

Once you jump-start your car battery, connect this specific charger and begin charging it up with juice from an outlet until it reaches full capacity again.

If you’re looking for a replacement battery, make sure you know your car’s battery size before you buy one. That way, you can make sure it fits in the right spot and will fit with your car’s accessories.

2.4 Amp Charger — 6 to 12-Hour Charge

A 2.4 amp charger is ideal for charging a car battery in good condition. A 2.4 amp charger can charge a battery in 6-12 hours and should be used on any lead-acid battery if it has a 100Ah capacity or more.

4.8 Amp Charger — 2 to 4-Hour Charge

If you have a 4.8 amp charger, it will take 2-4 hours to charge a dead car battery.

6 Amp Chargers — 1.5 to 3-Hour Charge

The 6 amp charger is great for charging small batteries. The 6 amp charger is also suitable for charging batteries not deeply discharged, frozen, or leaking.

10 Amp Chargers — 4 to 14 Hours Charge

10 amp chargers are the fastest and most expensive, but they are also the most powerful and efficient.

The 10 amp charger is a great choice for those who want to charge their battery as quickly as possible, but don’t mind paying extra money.

30 Amp Charger — 1 Hour

30 amps are the fastest charger and can charge a large battery in 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can use it for large batteries, such as trucks, buses, and equipment with a battery capacity of over 100 Amp Hours (Ah).

FAQs

How Can You Determine Whether a Car Battery Is Charged?

A car battery can provide power to start the engine with an electrical system. You can charge a car battery when it has enough electricity to last for a long time.

To determine whether your car battery is charged, you can use these three methods:

1) Check the voltage of your battery by using a voltmeter.

2) Look at the amperage of your battery with an amp meter.

3) Listen for any sounds from your engine while it is running. If it stops or changes in sound, you know that your car battery needs to be charged.

What Factors Influence the Time It Takes To Charge a Car Battery While Driving?

The factors that influence the time it takes to charge a car battery while driving include:

• The voltage of the battery.
• The current drawn by the charger.
• The temperature of the car battery and the charger.
• The weight of the car.

What Are the Leading Causes of a Dead Battery?

When you get that dead battery message, it can be a little scary. But don’t worry! We’ve got you covered with the top four causes of a dead car battery and how to fix them.

1. The Battery Is Old. The first thing you can do is check the age of your battery. If it’s more than three years old, it might need replacing.

2. You’re Not Plugged In Properly. If your vehicle is not plugged in properly, it can lead to a dead or dying battery—especially if you’ve left your car lights on overnight.

Make sure your vehicle is properly connected to an external power source (like an outlet or generator) before leaving it unattended for long periods of time.

3. You Have Lights That Are Left On. Did you know that leaving any light on inside or outside your vehicle can drain its battery? Keep all lights off when they’re not in use to save power—and keep your car running longer.

4. You Have A Faulty Alternator Or Starter Motor. If the alternator or starter motor are faulty, this could cause them not working properly when needed and lead to a dead battery.

When Can I Expect My Car Battery To Be Fully Charged Again?

When you have a car battery, you may know that it takes many hours to charge the battery fully. However, with the advancement of technology, car batteries are now being charged in minutes.

The new generation of batteries comes with charging capabilities that can be done at speeds up to 80% in just 20 minutes.

It is because they use lithium-ion and lithium-polymer cells. You should expect your car battery to be fully charged again within an hour or less if you have these batteries installed in your vehicle.

Conclusion

The time it takes to charge your car battery depends on the type of charger you use, the type of car battery you have, and the amount of charge that’s in the battery when you start charging it.

It depends on the age of your battery. If you have a new battery, it can take up to 4 hours to fully charge. However, if you’re charging an old battery, it may take up to 8 hours to fully charge.

If you don’t have enough time to let your car battery completely charge before driving somewhere, then you might want to consider getting an auxiliary battery charger.