Does DC fast charging damage the battery?

Occasional DC charging is normal use; the car protects the battery according to its temperature and state of charge and lowers the power itself. Manufacturers recommend AC for daily charging and DC on trips. Stopping at 80% instead of filling to 100% on DC every day is better for both your time and the battery.

Can I install a DC charger at home?

Small DC wall units exist, but both the device and the grid connection cost far more than AC. A 7.4 or 11 kW AC unit at home is enough to fill the battery overnight; details are in our home charger guide.

How do I see only DC stations on the map?

Choose DC in the current filter on the map, or browse DC points across Türkiye by power, network and price per kWh on the Fast Charging Stations page.

HPC (High Power Charging) is the name usually given to DC stations of 150 kW and above. Some networks charge a higher kWh price for HPC than for regular DC; if your car cannot take that power, you pay the higher tariff for nothing.

AC vs DC charging stations: what is the difference and which should you use?

Charging stations come in two kinds: AC is slow and cheap, DC is fast and more expensive. We compare their power, charging time and price per kWh with worked examples, and explain when to use which.

By: Şarj Rehberim · Updated: 1 November 2026 · 5 min read

Short answer

At an AC charging station, the car's own on-board charger converts alternating current to direct current; power is usually 7.4–22 kW and a charge takes hours. At a DC charging station the station does the conversion and feeds 50–400 kW straight into the battery; the same charge takes minutes.

With 1 November 2026 tariffs, a kWh costs 8.99–10.99 ₺ on public AC and 11.99–16.49 ₺ on DC. In short: if the car will stand for a long time (home, work, hotel, mall), use AC; if you are on the road and short of time, use DC.

AC charging stations: slow, cheap, everywhere

AC (alternating current) stations use the Type 2 connector. Wall-mounted home units deliver 3.7–7.4 kW on single phase and 11 or 22 kW on three phase; public AC points in car parks, malls and hotels are mostly 22 kW.

The real limit is not the station but the car's on-board charger (OBC). A car that takes at most 11 kW on AC charges at 11 kW even on a 22 kW station. Your car's AC power is listed in the owner's manual and the manufacturer's technical data.

DC charging stations: fast, on the road

DC (direct current) stations use the CCS2 connector; some older points also have CHAdeMO. Türkiye has chargers from 50 kW up to 400 kW; on 1 November 2026, close to 4,000 of the roughly 7,600 DC points on our map were 150 kW or more.

On DC too, the car's peak power decides, and power does not stay constant: the car reduces the current as the battery fills, and charging slows noticeably after 80%. That is why charging from 10–20% to 80% and moving on is almost always faster than waiting for 100%.

Side by side

Feature	AC charging station	DC charging station
Converts the current	The car's on-board charger	The station itself
Typical power	3.7 – 22 kW	50 – 400 kW
Connector	Type 2	CCS2 (CHAdeMO at older points)
60 kWh, 10%→80%	~4 h at 11 kW, ~6 h at 7.4 kW	~55 min at 50 kW, ~25 min at 150 kW
Price per kWh (1 Nov 2026)	8.99 – 10.99 ₺	11.99 – 16.49 ₺
Cable	Some are socket-only; carry your own Type 2 cable	Cable is fixed to the station
Where	Home, residential site, workplace, hotel, mall car park	Motorway, fuel station, urban fast-charging hub

The price gap for the same charge

Filling a 60 kWh battery from 10% to 80% takes 42 kWh. With 1 November 2026 tariffs this costs about 380–460 ₺ on public AC and about 500–690 ₺ on DC. At home on the night tariff the same energy is about 140–150 ₺.

What DC buys you is time: charging in 25 minutes on a trip and moving on is usually worth more than waiting for hours. On DC, also watch out for idle fees; many networks start charging per minute or per step shortly after charging ends.

Sources (as of 1 November 2026): ZES pricing · 5 Şarj pricing · Petrol Ofisi e-power

Which one, when?

At home and at work: AC. The car stands for hours; with the night tariff this is the cheapest charge.
Hotel, mall and car park: AC. It fills the battery while you stay or shop.
On a long trip: DC. You reach 80% during a break and continue your route.
In town when you are low: DC. A 15–20 minute fast charge saves the day.
If your car has no DC: AC only. Some small and older models have no DC inlet or offer it only as an option.

Frequently asked questions

Does DC fast charging damage the battery?: Occasional DC charging is normal use; the car protects the battery according to its temperature and state of charge and lowers the power itself. Manufacturers recommend AC for daily charging and DC on trips. Stopping at 80% instead of filling to 100% on DC every day is better for both your time and the battery.
Can I install a DC charger at home?: Small DC wall units exist, but both the device and the grid connection cost far more than AC. A 7.4 or 11 kW AC unit at home is enough to fill the battery overnight; details are in our home charger guide.
How do I see only DC stations on the map?: Choose DC in the current filter on the map, or browse DC points across Türkiye by power, network and price per kWh on the Fast Charging Stations page.
What does HPC mean?: HPC (High Power Charging) is the name usually given to DC stations of 150 kW and above. Some networks charge a higher kWh price for HPC than for regular DC; if your car cannot take that power, you pay the higher tariff for nothing.

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