The 5 fastest charging EVs under $35,000 in Melbourne

Verified by Daniel Romero

Range gets most of the attention when people compare affordable EVs, but charging speed matters just as much if you rely on public fast chargers rather than a standard 10 amp wall socket or AC home wall charger. A car with a smaller battery and a fast peak DC rate can sometimes get you back on the road quicker than a bigger battery charging slowly. This guide ranks the five electric cars under $35,000 drive away by their peak DC fast-charging rate.

As with our other pricing guides, we've normalised everyone to a drive-away figure.

The GWM Ora 5 tops this list with a 120kW peak DC charging rate, taking its 58.33kWh battery from 30 to 80 per cent in around 20 minutes on a compatible fast charger. It also claims up to 435km WLTC range, the longest in this group.

Two cars share second place here. The MG4 EV Urban Essence 54, sold through our MG showrooms, charges at up to 87kW DC, taking its 54kWh battery from 10 to 80 per cent in a claimed 30 minutes, and pairs that with up to 405km WLTP range from $34,990 drive away.

The entry Essence 43 is slightly slower again at up to 82kW DC.

The GAC Aion UT matches the Essence 54 almost exactly at up to 87kW DC, taking its larger 60kWh battery from 30 to 80 per cent in a claimed 24 minutes. It's currently priced at $31,990 drive away under a national offer running to 30 September 2026, making it the cheaper of the two.

The Geely EX2 Inspire charges at up to 80kW DC, roughly a 25 minute top-up from 30 to 80 per cent, according to Geely's own figures. The entry Complete grade is slower again at up to 60kW DC. Both figures are modest for 2026, though the EX2's smaller battery means charging sessions stay relatively short even at these rates.

The BYD Dolphin Essential, also sold through our BYD showrooms, has the slowest peak DC rate in this group at up to 60kW. Its smaller 44.9kWh battery helps offset this somewhat, but it's the one to think twice about if you do regular long trips reliant on public fast charging.

If you regularly rely on public DC fast chargers, whether for a longer commute, long days of driving around town for work or road trips out of Melbourne, the Ora 5 leads outright, with the MG4 EV Urban Essence 54 and Aion UT close behind and effectively tied with each other. Between those two, the Aion UT is the cheapest option, while the MG4 EV Urban gets you a five-star ANCAP rating today. If most of your charging happens overnight at home, charging speed matters far less, and the EX2 and Dolphin are worth considering on their other merits, including price.

It's also worth knowing the BYD Atto 2 charges at up to 82kW DC, almost identical to the MG4 EV Urban Essence 43, but its Victorian drive-away price of $35,529.75 puts it just outside our $35,000 cutoff.

We stock the GWM Ora 5, GAC Aion UT, Geely EX2, MG4 EV Urban and BYD Dolphin across our Melbourne dealerships, plus many other leading brands. Come in and we can talk you through real-world charging times for however you plan to use the car, to ensure you get the best advice.

• The cheapest electric cars and SUVs under $35,000 in Melbourne
• The 5 most affordable electric SUVs in Melbourne (coming soon)
• The 5 longest-range EVs under $35,000

Daniel Romero has over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, including a previous role as Sales and Product Training Manager for Toyota WA and is the founder of Road Trip Reviews. This article has been checked against manufacturer and official pricing, specification and safety sources.