Options — charging efficiency, car efficiency
Charging an electric car costs the energy pulled from the wall — the kWh added to the battery divided by the charging efficiency — multiplied by the price per kWh. Work out what it costs to charge your electric car — at home or on a public/DC fast charger. Enter your battery size, charge level and rate to see the cost per session, per full charge, per mile and per month. Everything runs in your browser — no sign-up, nothing stored.
How to work out the cost to charge your EV
Charging cost comes down to three things: how much energy you add, how efficiently it charges, and your electricity rate. Energy is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). To add a given amount to the battery you draw a little more from the wall because some energy is lost as heat, so energy billed = battery kWh ÷ charging efficiency, and cost = energy billed × rate per kWh. Pick your car for a typical battery size and driving efficiency (you can edit both), set how far you want to top up, and read the cost per charge instantly.
Cost to charge an EV at home vs public and DC fast charging
Home charging is nearly always the cheapest option because residential electricity is far cheaper per kWh than public networks. Use the Home / Public L2 / DC Fast toggle to load a typical rate for each, then replace it with the exact rate from your own bill or the charger's pricing. DC fast charging is convenient on long trips but often costs two to three times as much per kWh as charging in your garage overnight.
Per-mile and monthly charging cost
The calculator also turns your rate into a cost per mile and a monthly estimate from how far you drive, using your car's efficiency in miles per kWh. Even on pricier public rates, per-mile EV charging is usually well below the fuel cost of a comparable gas car. Planning a budget around your bills? The Electricity Bill Calculator estimates your whole monthly bill, and the Compound Interest Calculator shows what the savings could grow to. For a worked comparison of 10 popular EVs at home, Level 2 and DC fast rates, see how much it costs to charge an electric car.
Battery sizes and efficiency figures in the presets are typical usable estimates and vary by model year, trim and conditions — always adjust them to match your car for an accurate result.