How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car? UK Cost Chart
Charging a 60 kWh electric car battery from 10% to 80% adds 42 kWh and costs about £12.13 at home at 26p per kWh. At an 8p overnight rate it costs £3.73, and at a 75p rapid charger £31.50. Over a year of 8,000 miles, home charging costs about £660 (8.3p a mile), against £1,091 for a 45 mpg petrol car. The EV charging cost calculator does it for your own car, tariff and mileage.
Cost of a charge, by price per kWh
For a 60 kWh battery, before charging losses, and the pence per mile at 3.5 miles per kWh:
| Price per kWh | Charge from 10% to 80% | Charge from 0% to 100% | Pence per mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7p | £2.94 | £4.20 | 2.0p |
| 8p | £3.36 | £4.80 | 2.3p |
| 10p | £4.20 | £6.00 | 2.9p |
| 15p | £6.30 | £9.00 | 4.3p |
| 20p | £8.40 | £12.00 | 5.7p |
| 26p | £10.92 | £15.60 | 7.4p |
| 30p | £12.60 | £18.00 | 8.6p |
| 40p | £16.80 | £24.00 | 11.4p |
| 50p | £21.00 | £30.00 | 14.3p |
| 75p | £31.50 | £45.00 | 21.4p |
Yearly cost by miles and price
At 3.5 miles per kWh with 10% charging losses, home charging only:
| Miles per year | 8p per kWh | 15p | 26p | 40p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 miles | £127 | £238 | £413 | £635 |
| 8,000 miles | £203 | £381 | £660 | £1,016 |
| 10,000 miles | £254 | £476 | £825 | £1,270 |
| 12,000 miles | £305 | £571 | £990 | £1,524 |
| 15,000 miles | £381 | £714 | £1,238 | £1,905 |
Pence per mile by efficiency and price
| Car efficiency | 8p | 15p | 26p | 40p | 75p (rapid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 miles per kWh | 3.6p | 6.7p | 11.6p | 17.8p | 33.3p |
| 3 miles per kWh | 3.0p | 5.6p | 9.6p | 14.8p | 27.8p |
| 3.5 miles per kWh | 2.5p | 4.8p | 8.3p | 12.7p | 23.8p |
| 4 miles per kWh | 2.2p | 4.2p | 7.2p | 11.1p | 20.8p |
| 4.5 miles per kWh | 2.0p | 3.7p | 6.4p | 9.9p | 18.5p |
Small cars achieve 4 miles per kWh or better, while large SUVs and vans manage 2.5 to 3. Cold weather and fast motorway driving use more.
Charging time by charger
To add 42 kWh (10% to 80% of a 60 kWh battery), with the range it adds:
| Charger | Power | Time | Range added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow: 13 A three-pin socket | 2.3 kW | 20.3 hours | 147 miles |
| Home wallbox, 32 A | 7.4 kW | 6.3 hours | 147 miles |
| Three-phase or AC post | 11 kW | 4.2 hours | 147 miles |
| Rapid | 50 kW | 50 min | 147 miles |
| Ultra-rapid | 150 kW | 17 min | 147 miles |
Cars slow down as the battery fills, particularly on rapid chargers, so the real time on a rapid charger for 10% to 80% is longer than the simple figure of 50 minutes at 50 kW.
How to keep the cost down
- Use an electric car tariff. Some suppliers offer a cheap rate for a few hours overnight, often under 10p per kWh. Charging only in that window makes the cost per mile a fraction of the petrol price.
- Charge at home. Public rapid chargers cost many times as much per kWh, and are best kept for long journeys.
- Pre-heat while plugged in. Warming the car from the mains uses grid power instead of battery power.
- Drive efficiently. Speed above 60 mph uses a lot more energy per mile.
- Check your own miles per kWh on the trip computer, and use that in the calculator.
Installing a home charger
- A 7.4 kW wallbox on a 32 A circuit gives about 25 to 30 miles of range an hour, which is enough for most days.
- It should be fitted on a dedicated circuit by a qualified electrician or an approved EV installer, who will check the supply, the earthing and the protection.
- A three-pin socket charger is slow (about 2.3 kW), and is not meant for regular use over many hours.
To compare with other appliances, use the UK electricity cost calculator, and see the watts to amps calculator for the current of a charger. These figures are estimates: tariffs and prices change, so use your own bill.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?
At 26p per kWh, about £660 a year for 8,000 miles (£55 a month), or 8.3p a mile. On an 8p overnight tariff it is about £203 a year.
How much does it cost to charge an EV from 10% to 80%?
A 60 kWh battery takes 42 kWh, which costs about £12.13 at 26p at home (with 10% charging losses), £3.73 at 8p overnight, and £31.50 at a 75p rapid charger.
Is it cheaper to charge an electric car than to fill a petrol car?
Usually, at home. 8,000 miles costs about £1,091 in a 45 mpg petrol car and £660 to charge at home, a saving of £431 a year. Using rapid chargers for half the energy changes that: it costs £1,187 a year, £96 more than the petrol car.
How long does it take to charge an electric car at home?
About 6.3 hours to add 42 kWh on a 7.4 kW home wallbox, and about 20 hours on a 13 A three-pin socket.
What is the cheapest way to charge an electric car?
Charge at home overnight on a tariff with a cheap night rate. Public rapid chargers cost several times as much per kWh, so keep them for long journeys.
More guides
Tools & materials for this project
Affiliate links As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These links do not change what you pay.
Estimates only. Quantities depend on your materials, site and supplier. Confirm important numbers before you order, and check the Building Regulations and any planning rules for anything structural or close to a boundary.