22 kW EV Charger Guide
The most important thing to know about 22 kW is that many vehicles cannot accept it, and specifying it for a fleet that cannot use it buys supply capacity you will never convert into energy delivered.
AC charging speed is limited by the vehicle's onboard charger, not by the wall unit. A 22 kW point serving vehicles that accept less will deliver less, while still requiring the supply headroom the higher rating implies.
Size a three-phase siteFor Site owner, CPO, facility manager
The vehicle decides, not the charger
The onboard charger inside the vehicle converts AC to DC, and its capacity caps the rate regardless of what the wall unit offers. Vehicles vary considerably, and many accept less than 22 kW on AC.
Before specifying, establish what the vehicles actually using the site accept. This single check frequently changes the specification and reduces the supply requirement.
11 kW or 22 kW
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| Consideration | Favours 11 kW | Favours 22 kW |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle capability | Most vehicles cap below 22 | Fleet known to accept it |
| Supply headroom | Constrained | Ample |
| Bay count priority | More bays matter more | Fewer, faster bays acceptable |
| Dwell time | Long, overnight or full day | Short, a few hours |
| Cost per bay | Lower | Higher |
For most commercial sites with meaningful dwell, more bays at 11 kW serves more drivers than fewer at 22 kW, on the same connection.
What the site needs
- A three-phase supply with measured headroom, not nameplate headroom
- Phase-aware allocation if single-phase units share the same supply
- Load management once the bay count exceeds what the supply serves simultaneously
- Metering appropriate to how sessions will be billed
- A protection and earthing arrangement suited to the installation
Where 22 kW is genuinely right
Sites with short but not brief dwell, in the range of one to three hours, where vehicles are known to accept the rate. Retail with longer visits, some workplace patterns, and fleet vehicles with fast turnarounds and capable onboard chargers.
Where dwell is under an hour, no AC rating solves it and the question becomes DC.
The RIOD position
22 kW three-phase ships as PowerPod City. 11 kW is configurable on the same three-phase hardware rather than a separate shipping variant. Site-wide dynamic load management runs through the RIOD CMS; per-charger current limiting is in shipping firmware.
Ingress protection is typically IP65 and adaptable to the deployment. Metering is Class 1 accuracy, with third-party meters supported.
The rating the car cannot use is wasted
Three-phase 22 kW is bought more often than it is used, because the number is larger and the price difference looks small. The constraint is the vehicle: the onboard charger sets the real rate, and most cars cap well below 22 kW on AC.
There is a wider point behind that. What we see in operation is that availability matters more than power almost everywhere. A point that is free when the driver arrives is worth more than a faster one that is occupied, and lower power per point means less supply reinforcement and more points built for the same money. We think slow charging at maximum availability is where this market goes, in India as much as anywhere.
Specify 22 kW where the vehicles genuinely accept it, or where one point must serve sequential users quickly. Not because the figure is bigger.
Where 22 kW differs from 7.4 kW
Most of what applies to the 7.4 kW unit applies here. These are the differences that actually change a decision.
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| 7.4 kW single phase | 22 kW three phase | |
|---|---|---|
| Supply needed | Single phase | Three phase, which many sites do not have |
| Vehicles that can use it fully | Most cars on the road | A minority, because AC intake is usually capped lower |
| Best for | Overnight and long dwell: homes, apartments, workplaces | Sequential users at one point, and fleets that genuinely accept it |
| Phase balance | Loads one phase, so several points need planning across phases | Draws evenly by construction |
| Cost per point | Lower, so more points for the same money | Higher, and the supply work behind it is higher again |
The honest summary: specify 22 kW where the vehicles genuinely accept it, or where one point must serve several drivers in succession. Specifying it because the number is larger buys a rating your users cannot reach.
What stays the same
The features that decide whether an installation works are the same at both ratings, and neither of them is power.
- A schedule, so charging can be held out of a site's peak window and completed afterwards
- Local operation, so a basement with no signal still authorises and runs a session
- Load management, so several points share a supply rather than each assuming they have it
- Protection inside the unit rather than assumed from the installation
Dual gun is available at this rating as 22 kW x 2, with each connector independently powered, separately metered and separately authenticated.
Want this applied to your own site?
Size a three-phase siteTechnically reviewed by Anees P K, Director of Technology. Last reviewed 2026-08-29.
Frequently asked questions
Will a 22 kW charger charge my car at 22 kW?
Only if the vehicle's onboard charger accepts it. The vehicle caps the rate on AC, and many accept less. Check the vehicles using the site before specifying.
Should we install 11 kW or 22 kW?
For most commercial sites with meaningful dwell, more bays at 11 kW serves more drivers than fewer at 22 kW on the same connection. 22 kW suits shorter dwell with vehicles known to accept it.
Do we need three phase?
For 11 kW and above, yes. Single phase practically caps around 7.4 kW in most markets.
When is AC not the answer at all?
When dwell is under an hour. No AC rating solves a short stop, and the question becomes DC.
What does RIOD ship?
PowerPod City at 22 kW three phase, with 11 kW configurable on the same hardware. Ingress rating, metering class and certification status are not yet confirmed.
Size a three-phase site
Send the supply, the dwell pattern and the vehicles. We will tell you the rating and bay count that fits.
Size a three-phase site