Light-Duty vs Heavy-Duty EV Charging Explained

As electrification expands beyond passenger cars, the gap between light-duty and heavy-duty electric vehicle charging becomes increasingly important. Charging strategies that work for private cars do not directly scale to buses, trucks, or commercial fleets.

Understanding these differences is essential for fleet operators, infrastructure planners, and commercial property owners designing future-proof EV charging systems.

What Defines Light-Duty and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicles?

Light-Duty Electric Vehicles (LDEVs)

• Passenger cars and SUVs
• Light commercial vans
• Typical battery size: 40–80 kWh
• Primary use: personal mobility, last-mile delivery

Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicles (HDEVs)

• Buses, trucks, coaches
• Construction and logistics vehicles
• Typical battery size: 150–500+ kWh
• Primary use: long routes, high payload, fixed schedules

The difference in battery size and duty cycle drives fundamentally different charging requirements.

Charging Power Requirements: A Direct Comparison

Parameter	Light-Duty EV Charging	Heavy-Duty EV Charging
Typical Battery Size	40–80 kWh	150–500+ kWh
Common AC Charging	7–22 kW	Limited or auxiliary
Primary Fast Charging	Occasional DC	Essential DC fast charging
Charging Location	Home, hotel, workplace	Depot, logistics hub
Charging Window	Overnight / long dwell	Tight operational windows

Light-duty EVs can rely heavily on AC charging, while heavy-duty EVs typically require high-power DC charging to maintain operational efficiency.

AC Charging vs DC Charging in Different Vehicle Classes

Why AC Charging Fits Light-Duty EVs

AC charging aligns well with:

• Overnight home charging
• Destination charging (hotels, offices)
• Lower grid impact and installation cost
• Better battery longevity

For most light-duty EVs, AC charging covers 80–90% of daily energy needs.

Why Heavy-Duty EVs Depend on DC Charging

Heavy-duty vehicles operate on:

• Tight schedules
• High daily energy consumption
• Fixed routes and depots

As a result, DC fast charging is often unavoidable. However, AC charging can still play a supporting role.

The Supporting Role of AC Charging in Heavy-Duty Fleets

Even in heavy-duty operations, AC charging is not irrelevant.

AC charging is commonly used for:

• Overnight trickle charging
• Auxiliary vehicle systems
• Staff or service vehicles
• Load smoothing and grid cost optimization

This hybrid AC + DC strategy reduces peak demand and improves overall energy efficiency.

Infrastructure Cost and Grid Impact Considerations

Factor	Light-Duty Focus	Heavy-Duty Focus
Installation Cost	Low to moderate	Very high
Grid Upgrades	Often unnecessary	Frequently required
Load Management	Simple DLM	Advanced energy management
Scalability	High	Limited by grid capacity

From a cost perspective, AC charging remains the most scalable option, especially for light-duty fleets and mixed-use sites.

Designing Charging Infrastructure for Mixed Fleets

Many real-world operations involve both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles.

Best practices include:

• Dedicated DC chargers for heavy-duty vehicles
• AC chargers for light-duty and support vehicles
• Dynamic load management across the entire site
• Modular expansion planning

This approach avoids overbuilding while ensuring operational reliability.

How QIAO Supports Light-Duty EV Charging and Mixed Fleets

QIAO specializes in AC EV charging solutions optimized for light-duty vehicles and mixed fleet environments.

QIAO solutions include:

• Wall-mounted AC chargers (7 kW / 11 kW / 22 kW)
• Portable EV chargers for flexible deployment
• Smart load balancing for fleet and commercial sites
• Scalable designs suitable for residential, hospitality, and fleet applications

By focusing on efficient AC charging where it delivers the most value, QIAO helps operators reduce infrastructure costs while supporting fleet electrification.Learn more about QIAO AC EV charging solutions for light-duty and mixed-fleet environments.