EV Charging Cost Calculator
What Does It Cost to Charge an EV?
Blend your home and public charging rates with your car's efficiency to see the cost per mile, per month, and per year — versus gas.
Free · No signup · Private · Instant results
Your EV & electricity
What charging costs
Estimates are based on the information you provide and are intended for comparison purposes only. Results do not include income taxes and do not guarantee actual compensation. This tool is not financial advice.
How it works
- 1
Enter your car & mileage
Efficiency in miles per kWh and how many miles you drive a year.
- 2
Add your rates
Home and public rates per kWh, and the share of charging you do at home.
- 3
Compare to gas
Cost per mile and per year for charging, next to a gas car of your choice.
What drives EV charging cost
Three things: your car's efficiency (miles per kWh), the price you pay per kWh, and where you charge. Home charging is usually far cheaper than public DC fast charging, so the share of miles you charge at home matters as much as the rates themselves.
Charging isn't perfectly efficient — roughly 8–15% of the energy drawn from the wall is lost as heat. The calculator adds that loss so the cost per mile reflects what you actually pay.
EV vs gas
At typical US home electricity rates, charging an efficient EV costs roughly a third to a half of fueling a comparable gas car. Heavy reliance on public fast charging narrows or erases that gap, which is why the home-charging share is the biggest lever in the result.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
For a car doing 3.5 mi/kWh at a $0.17/kWh home rate, roughly $0.05 per mile, or about $600 a year at 12,000 miles. Public fast charging at $0.40–$0.50/kWh can be three times that per mile.
Is it cheaper to charge at home or in public?
Almost always at home. Home residential rates are typically $0.12–$0.25 per kWh; public DC fast charging often runs $0.40–$0.60 per kWh plus session fees.
What efficiency should I enter?
Check your car's display for lifetime mi/kWh or kWh/100mi. Small EVs manage 4+ mi/kWh; large trucks and SUVs can be closer to 2. Cold weather lowers it.
Does this include the cost of a home charger?
No. A Level 2 home charger and installation is a one-time cost (often $500–$2,000) that isn't part of the per-mile running cost shown here.
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