In the third phase of our EV fast-charging evaluation — conducted in collaboration with Zeon Charging — we tested four midsize electric SUVs available in India: the Hyundai Creta Electric, Tata Curvv EV, MG ZS EV, and BYD Atto 3. Each vehicle underwent between 10 to 50 charging sessions under varying conditions, including different times of day, geographic locations, and ambient weather, to provide a realistic picture of their fast-charging capabilities.
All tests were carried out using DC fast chargers with output capacities well beyond the peak intake limits of the vehicles themselves, ensuring the bottleneck was the vehicle, not the charger.
Below is a breakdown of each SUV’s real-world DC fast-charging performance, ranked by their base price.
MG ZS EV
Price: ₹18.98 – ₹26.64 lakh
Charging Summary:
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Peak charging rate: 69kW
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20-80% charge time: 35 minutes
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Efficiency: 6.7 km/kWh
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Real-world range added in 35 minutes: ~270 km
Although the MG ZS EV reaches a respectable 69kW peak rate, its charging speed begins tapering off early in the session. Still, the SUV manages to deliver a solid recharge from 20 to 80 percent in just 35 minutes.
Tata Curvv EV 55
Price: ₹19.25 – ₹21.99 lakh
Charging Summary:
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Peak charging rate: 70kW (at 1.2C)
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20-80% charge time: 36 minutes
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Efficiency: 6.64 km/kWh
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Real-world range added in 36 minutes: ~279 km
The Curvv EV 55 is marginally slower than the ZS EV, taking one extra minute for the same 20-80% range. Thanks to its decent efficiency, though, it actually manages to add slightly more range during that period.
Hyundai Creta Electric LR
Price: ₹21.50 – ₹24.38 lakh
Charging Summary:
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Average charging speed: ~42kW
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Charge drop-off: Notable decline after 73% SoC
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Efficiency: 8.29 km/kWh
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Real-world range added in 52 minutes: ~330 km
The Hyundai Creta Electric Long Range doesn’t offer the fastest charging speed in this comparison, with an average of just 42kW. However, what it lacks in raw power, it makes up for in energy efficiency. Even with a slower charge, the Creta LR can reclaim over 300 km of real-world range in under an hour — the best in this group.
BYD Atto 3 Dynamic
Price: ₹24.99 lakh
Charging Summary:
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Battery: 49.92kWh
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Peak charging rate: 74kW
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Charge rate decline: Begins at 31% SoC, further drops beyond 84% and 92%
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Charging behavior: Fast initial burst, then tapers quickly
Despite having the highest peak charging rate in this test at 74kW, the Atto 3 Dynamic’s charging speed decreases significantly quite early — around 31% SoC. This limits how much usable range you can add quickly, especially if you’re already partially charged.
Summary: Fast-Charging vs Efficiency Trade-off
While the MG ZS EV and Tata Curvv EV 55 are nearly identical in their mid-session charging times and efficiency, the Creta Electric LR stands out with its excellent energy use, adding the most range despite its lower charging rate. Meanwhile, the Atto 3 Dynamic delivers an early burst of speed but struggles to maintain it through the full session.
This test highlights that faster charging isn’t just about raw kW numbers — efficiency and charging curve behavior are just as important.
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