How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car? Per Year
Part of the project planner: Sizing a circuit: watts, amps, wire and breaker.
Driving 12,000 miles a year in an EV that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles costs about $680 a year (5.7 cents a mile) to charge at home at 17 cents per kWh. A 28 mpg gas car would cost about $1,500 at $3.50 a gallon, a saving of about $820 a year. These tables show how the cost changes with your electricity price, gas price and charger.
Yearly cost by home electricity price
12,000 miles, 30 kWh per 100 miles, 10% charging losses, all charging at home:
| Price per kWh | Per year | Per month | Per mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.10 | $400 | $33 | 3.3¢ |
| $0.13 | $520 | $43 | 4.3¢ |
| $0.17 | $680 | $57 | 5.7¢ |
| $0.22 | $880 | $73 | 7.3¢ |
| $0.30 | $1,200 | $100 | 10.0¢ |
| $0.40 | $1,600 | $133 | 13.3¢ |
Compared with gas
A 28 mpg gas car against the EV above charged at 17 cents per kWh:
| Gas price | Gas per year | EV per year | Saving per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3.00 | $1,286 | $680 | $606 |
| $3.50 | $1,500 | $680 | $820 |
| $4.00 | $1,714 | $680 | $1,034 |
| $4.50 | $1,929 | $680 | $1,249 |
Change the cars, miles and prices in the EV charging cost calculator.
How long does a charge take?
Adding 42 kWh (10% to 80% of a 60 kWh battery), with 10% losses on the AC chargers:
| Charger | Power | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (120 V outlet) | 1.4 kW | 33.3 hours |
| Level 2, 30 A | 7.2 kW | 6.5 hours |
| Level 2, 40 A | 9.6 kW | 4.9 hours |
| Level 2, 48 A | 11.5 kW | 4.1 hours |
| DC fast charger, 50 kW | 50 kW | 0.8 hours |
Real charging slows down as the battery fills, especially on DC fast chargers, so the true time for a fast charge is longer than the simple figure.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Charge at home, overnight, and ask your utility whether it has a time-of-use or EV rate with cheap off-peak power.
- Use public fast chargers for trips, not for every day. They can cost two to three times as much per kWh.
- Drive gently. Efficiency falls sharply at high speed and in the cold, and preconditioning the cabin while plugged in saves battery.
- Check for incentives: rebates for a home charger, utility programs and tax credits all change, so look at the current rules.
Setting up a home charger
A Level 2 charger needs a 240 V circuit, usually on a 40 or 50 amp breaker for a 32 to 40 amp charger. The cost depends mostly on how far the circuit has to run from your panel: long runs of thick wire add up, and a long run also loses voltage (see the voltage drop calculator). Have a licensed electrician quote the job and check that your panel has capacity.
Mistakes that cost people money
- Assuming public charging costs the same as home charging.
- Forgetting charging losses and cold-weather efficiency when working out your costs.
- Installing a charger without checking the panel capacity, which can mean a costly upgrade.
- Charging to 100% every day, which is slower and harder on the battery than 80%.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?
About 5.7 cents a mile at 17 cents per kWh, or around $680 a year for 12,000 miles with an efficiency of 30 kWh per 100 miles. A gas car at 28 mpg and $3.50 would cost about $1,500.
How much does it cost to fully charge an EV?
A 60 kWh battery charged from empty needs about 67 kWh from the wall with 10% losses, which is about $11 at 17 cents per kWh.
How long does it take to charge an electric car?
About 6.5 hours to add 42 kWh (10% to 80% of a 60 kWh battery) on a 7.2 kW Level 2 charger, and over 30 hours on a standard 120 V outlet. A DC fast charger can do it in under an hour.
Is it cheaper to charge an EV at home or at a public charger?
Home is almost always cheaper: public DC fast charging typically costs two to three times as much per kWh as residential electricity.
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