PHEV vehicles take longer to charge than gas vehivles to fuel
Executive summary
PHEVs (plug‑in hybrid electric vehicles) generally take longer to replenish their electric energy than it takes to fuel a gasoline car, but the gap is often measured in hours versus minutes and depends on charger type and vehicle. Typical home Level‑1 charging for a PHEV is several hours (about 5–6 hours cited by the U.S. DOT for Level‑1 PHEVs) and Level‑2 home or public charging commonly takes 1–2 hours (U.S. DOT; U.S. News) while fast DCFC for most PHEVs is unavailable or limited; by contrast, refueling a gasoline vehicle takes a few minutes (sources do not quantify pump time) [1] [2] [3].
1. Charging vs. pumping: different scales of time
Charging a PHEV’s battery is measured in hours; filling a gas tank is measured in minutes. The U.S. Department of Transportation toolkit shows Level‑1 charging can take about 5–6 hours to reach useful state‑of‑charge for a PHEV and Level‑2 typically reduces that to 1–2 hours [1]. Consumer media report similar Level‑2 windows — up to about 2 hours for many PHEVs [2]. Fast DC charging can bring many battery electric vehicles to 80% in 20–60 minutes, but “most PHEVs currently on the market do not work with fast chargers,” per DOT guidance [1] [3].
2. Why “longer” is true but not the whole story
Saying PHEVs “take longer to charge than gas vehicles take to fuel” is accurate in absolute clock time: charging is hours, pumping is minutes [1] [2]. But the comparison omits context: PHEVs combine an electric range (often 10–50 miles) with a gasoline engine, meaning owners rarely need to complete long charging sessions for many daily trips — they can simply drive on gasoline if the battery is depleted [3] [4]. In practice PHEV owners often top up overnight at home using slow charging or use short Level‑2 sessions that suit daily commuting schedules [5] [4].
3. Charger type determines whether charging is onerous
The charging time quoted for PHEVs varies sharply by charger: Level‑1 (120V) is slow — several hours — but Level‑2 (240V) commonly cuts charging to 1–2 hours for PHEVs [1] [2]. Some newer PHEV models (e.g., certain trims of the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV) support DC fast charging and claim rapid 20–40 minute 0–80% times, showing the exception to the general rule [6]. However, DOT warns most current PHEVs do not accept DC fast charging [1].
4. Real‑world user reports and OEM guidance
Owner forums and dealer materials reflect the same range of experiences: forum users report ~90–150 minutes on Level‑2 for their PHEVs and overnight Level‑1 charging for routine needs [7] [4]. Manufacturer and dealer pages highlight overnight Level‑1 charging or faster Level‑2 at home/work as normal practice and sometimes advertise DCFC compatibility for specific models [5] [6] [8].
5. Hidden tradeoffs and motives in the messaging
Public agencies and consumer sites emphasize charging times to set expectations (DOT; U.S. News) while automakers highlight models that reduce charging time or retain gasoline convenience [1] [2] [6]. Dealers promoting PHEVs with DCFC can create the impression charging is comparable to refueling, even though many PHEVs lack that capability [6] [1]. Owner forums, meanwhile, stress the hybrid fallback — you can “keep rolling on the gas engine” — which downplays charging inconvenience but also highlights that PHEVs are still gasoline vehicles at heart [4].
6. What this means for buyers and the claim’s bottom line
If your metric is minutes-to-refuel, gas wins: charging a PHEV typically takes hours vs. minutes for gas [1] [2]. If your real‑world routine is short commutes and you can charge at home overnight or at the workplace, many owners find charging manageable and seldom experience “range‑stranding” because the gasoline engine provides backup [5] [4]. For buyers who want EV‑style rapid top‑ups on the road, check whether the specific PHEV supports DC fast charging — many do not [1] [6].
Limitations: available sources do not provide a precise, single “pump time” for gasoline refueling nor a comprehensive list of which PHEV models accept DCFC; those details are not found in the current reporting (not found in current reporting).