Hyundai Creta Electric Peaks at 74 kW in Real-World Test, Below Earlier 100 kW Claim

A charging curve shared by Zeon Charging shows the Hyundai Creta Electric peaking at 74 kW on a 120 kW DC charger, despite earlier indications that a software update would enable 100 kW charging.

The Hyundai Creta Electric has recorded a peak charging power of 74 kW in a recent real-world charging test shared by Zeon Charging, raising fresh discussion around its fast-charging performance.

The test was conducted on a 120 kW DC fast charger, and the charging curve indicates that the vehicle peaked at 74 kW before tapering sharply beyond 70% state of charge (SOC).

This comes after earlier indications that a software update would allow the Creta Electric to support charging speeds of up to 100 kW, an increase over the initial 50 kW peak figure associated with the model at launch.

Battery Options and Architecture

The Hyundai Creta Electric is offered with two battery pack options:

1. 42 kWh
2. 51.4 kWh

Both packs use NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) chemistry, which typically supports higher energy density and strong DC fast-charging capability compared to LFP-based packs.

The charging curve shared by Zeon orresponds to the 51.4 kWh variant.

What the Charging Curve Shows

Key observations from the shared data:

• Charging begins in the mid-60 kW range around 10% SOC.
• Power gradually rises to a 74 kW peak at approximately 70% SOC.
• Immediately after 71% SOC, charging power drops sharply.
• By 76% SOC, charging falls to around 30 kW.
• At 81% SOC and beyond, power reduces further to approximately 19 kW.

The 20–80% charging time recorded in the session was 34 minutes.

Sudden Taper After 70%

One notable aspect of the charging curve is the abrupt drop in charging power beyond 70% SOC, rather than a gradual taper.

In many modern EVs, charging power reduces progressively as the battery approaches higher states of charge to protect battery health and manage thermal conditions. However, the Creta Electric’s drop appears relatively steep, moving from 74 kW to sub-50 kW almost immediately after crossing 70%.

Such tapering behavior can significantly impact real-world highway charging times, particularly for drivers attempting to charge beyond 80%.

Comparing Expectations vs Observed Data

At launch, the Creta Electric was associated with a peak DC fast-charging capability of around 50 kW. Hyundai later indicated that a software update would enable support for 100 kW charging.

However, in this tested session on a 120 kW charger, the observed peak remained at 74 kW — below the 100 kW figure that had been anticipated.

It is important to note that real-world charging speeds can vary based on:

• Battery temperature
• Ambient conditions
• Charger output stability
• Software calibration
• Vehicle SOC at plug-in

The disclaimer accompanying the curve also states that charging behavior can vary depending on ambient and battery temperature.

What This Means for Buyers

For prospective Creta Electric owners, the real-world takeaway is that while the vehicle supports relatively strong mid-SOC charging speeds, peak performance currently appears to be capped below 100 kW in this observed test.

The 20–80% time of 34 minutes remains competitive within the segment, but the sharp taper beyond 70% SOC suggests that optimal highway charging strategy would involve unplugging closer to 70–75% rather than charging to 90% or above.

Hyundai has not issued a separate clarification on the observed charging behavior at the time of publication.