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AC vs DC and the charging curve

Last checked: 8 November 2026.

AC and DC

Mains power is AC. A battery stores DC. Something has to convert it, and where that happens is the difference between the two charging types.

  • AC charging (home, work, destination chargers): AC goes into the car and the car's onboard charger converts it to DC. The onboard charger sets the limit: 7X all grades 22 kW1; X RWD 11 kW, X AWD 22 kW; 009 FWD 11 kW23.
  • DC fast charging (public highway and town chargers): the converter is in the charger, so DC goes to the battery, bypassing the onboard charger. RACV lists DC chargers at 25 to 350 kW4.

Not yet confirmed

Where the conversion happens (inside the car for AC, in the charger for DC) is standard engineering, but we have not yet found a source to cite for it.

AC and DC: where the conversion happens Two charging paths into the battery. AC: grid AC, wallbox or AC post with no conversion, car inlet, then the onboard charger converts AC to DC, limited to 11 or 22 kW on Zeekr, into the battery. DC fast charging: grid AC, a charger cabinet with a large converter turns AC into DC, a CCS2 cable and the car inlet carry DC straight to the battery, bypassing the onboard charger. Public DC chargers run 25 to 350 kW (RACV); the car limits it, for example up to 420 to 450 kW peak on the 7X (press-reported) and 150 kW on the X AWD and 009. CHARGING BASICS: AC VS DC DC skips the onboard charger. Mains power is AC and a battery stores DC. Where the conversion happens is the difference. IN THE CAR AC CHARGING DC FAST CHARGING Bypasses onboard charger Grid AC Wallbox or AC post No conversion Car inlet Onboard charger AC to DC Limit 11 or 22 kW on Zeekr Grid AC Charger cabinet AC to DC, large converter CCS2 cable Car inlet Battery DC AC 11-22 kW on Zeekr DC 25-350 kW on public chargers (RACV) Car-limited, e.g. up to 420-450 kW 7X (peak, press-reported), 150 kW X AWD and 009 AC and DC: where the conversion happens Two charging paths into the battery. AC: grid AC, wallbox or AC post with no conversion, car inlet, then the onboard charger converts AC to DC, limited to 11 or 22 kW on Zeekr, into the battery. DC fast charging: grid AC, a charger cabinet with a large converter turns AC into DC, a CCS2 cable and the car inlet carry DC straight to the battery, bypassing the onboard charger. Public DC chargers run 25 to 350 kW (RACV); the car limits it, for example up to 420 to 450 kW peak on the 7X (press-reported) and 150 kW on the X AWD and 009. CHARGING BASICS: AC VS DC DC skips the onboard charger. Where AC becomes DC is the difference. AC CHARGING DC FAST CHARGING IN THE CAR Bypasses onboard charger Grid AC Wallbox or AC post No conversion Car inlet Onboard charger AC to DC Limit 11 or 22 kW on Zeekr Grid AC Charger cabinet AC to DC, large converter CCS2 cable Car inlet Battery DC 11-22 kW AC on Zeekr 25-350 kW DC on public chargers (RACV) Car-limited, e.g. up to 420-450 kW 7X (peak, press-reported), 150 kW X AWD and 009
AC is converted inside the car. DC is converted in the charger.

The charging curve

A charging curve plots power (kW) against state of charge (SOC, the battery percentage). It is not flat. Power ramps up, holds near a peak, then tapers as the battery fills.

Why it tapers: the battery management system (BMS) reduces current as the pack fills to limit cell voltage and heat5. Where the taper starts varies by car and chemistry, and newer high-power cars taper later5. The exact curve is a property of your car; Zeekr does not publish one in the Australian material we found.

A generic DC charging curve (illustrative) Illustrative line chart of DC charging power against state of charge: power rises quickly to a peak by about 10%, holds near it to about 50 to 60%, steps down, then falls steeply after 80% to a trickle at 100%. The 10 to 80% band is where most of the energy is added; the last 20% is slow. Zeekr quotes 10 to 80% in about 10 to 16 minutes for the 7X and about 30 minutes for the 009 FWD. Shape is not measured data. CHARGING BASICS: THE DC CURVE 10 to 80% is the fast part. Power ramps up, holds near a peak, then tapers as the battery fills. Power (illustrative) ILLUSTRATIVE SHAPE, NOT MEASURED DATA The fast part: where most of the energy is added 0% 10% 80% 100% State of charge 1 2 3 1 Peak power only for a short stretch 2 Taper protects the cells (voltage and heat) 3 Last 20% is slow Zeekr quotes 10-80% in about 10-16 minutes for the 7X, about 30 minutes for the 009 FWD.
Illustrative shape, not measured data. Zeekr times are cited in the text.

Why times are quoted 10% to 80%

  • The 10% to 80% window is where charging power is highest, and the slow tail above 80% is skipped. Charging from 80% to 100% takes disproportionately long, and some networks limit power above about 80% so drivers move on5. We found no maker source explaining why the bottom is 10% and not 0%, so we do not explain that part.
  • Zeekr and the press quote the 7X at about 10 to 16 minutes for 10 to 80% depending on variant, battery and charger678. Zeekr's own page shows 13 and 16 minutes in one table and 11 in another, so no single figure is reliable. The 009 FWD is quoted at about 30 minutes3.

Why you rarely see the peak

  1. The charger caps you. The 7X is rated up to 420 to 450 kW DC, but RACV lists public DC chargers as 25 to 350 kW467. Many sites are lower. Check the charger's rating before you go.
  2. The curve. The peak is held only briefly5.
  3. Shared power. Some sites split output between plugs. See charging etiquette and public charging.
  4. Battery condition. Heat is a known limiter5. We found no sourced figure for cold-battery slowdown, so none is given.

Practical rule

For road trips, charge to what gets you to the next stop, usually about 80%, and leave. See the road trips guide.

800V in brief

The 7X uses an 800V electrical architecture67. For the same power, a higher voltage means lower current: at 420 kW, 800 V is about 525 A, where a 400 V system would need about 1,050 A (our arithmetic from P = V x I). Lower current means less heat in cables and parts, which is why 800V cars can sustain higher charging power. The 7GT is press-reported on 800V too9, though Zeekr's Australian page does not yet confirm every detail. Reports that the China-market 7X is moving to 900V are not yet confirmed, and no Australian 900V car has been announced.

Sources 9Everything on this page is sourced from the links below.

  1. The Driven, "Zeekr delivers 1,000th unit of the highly popular 7X SUV, expands dealer network", 13 December 2025, https://thedriven.io/2025/12/13/zeekr-delivers-1000th-unit-of-the-highly-popular-7x-suv-expands-dealer-network/, accessed 8 November 2026.

  2. CarExpert, "2026 Zeekr X price and specs updated: EV gets massive price cuts", https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/2026-zeekr-x-price-and-specs-updated-ev-gets-massive-price-cuts-1, accessed 8 November 2026 (X RWD 11 kW AC and up to 230 kW DC; X AWD 22 kW AC and up to 150 kW DC).

  3. CarExpert, "2026 Zeekr 009: Luxury EV people mover gets more affordable", https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/2026-zeekr-009-luxury-ev-people-mover-gets-more-affordable, accessed 8 November 2026 (009 FWD 11 kW AC, 150 kW DC, 10 to 80% in about 30 minutes).

  4. RACV, "Guide to electric vehicle charging, plug types and cables", 5 February 2025, https://www.racv.com.au/royalauto/transport/electric-vehicles/electric-car-charging-plug-types, accessed 8 November 2026.

  5. Peugeot New Zealand, "How does the recharging curve of an electric vehicle work?", https://peugeot.co.nz/brand/peugeot-magazine/recharging-curve.html, accessed 8 November 2026 (search extract only; the page returned an access error). Supporting search extracts from The Globe and Mail and Recharged covering the same mechanism are consistent but mostly blog content. Exact thresholds vary by source: UNCONFIRMED.

  6. CarExpert, "2027 Zeekr 7X update: more power, same price", https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/2027-zeekr-7x-update-more-power-same-price, accessed 8 November 2026.

  7. Zeekr Australia, "Zeekr 7X", https://www.zeekrlife.com/en-au/models/zeekr-7x, accessed 8 November 2026.

  8. The Driven, "Zeekr delivers 1,000th unit of the highly popular 7X SUV, expands dealer network", 13 December 2025, https://thedriven.io/2025/12/13/zeekr-delivers-1000th-unit-of-the-highly-popular-7x-suv-expands-dealer-network/, accessed 8 November 2026 ("10 to 80% charge in under 16 minutes").

  9. EV Central, "Is this Zeekr's next big thing in Australia? 7GT shooting brake confirmed with up to 670km range and 500kW flagship", https://evcentral.com.au/is-this-zeekrs-next-big-thing-in-australia-7gt-shooting-brake-confirmed-with-up-to-670km-range-and-500kw-flagship/, accessed 8 November 2026.