How much does it cost to charge an EV at home?

Battery capacity times the charge window, divided by charger efficiency, times your tariff. A 60 kWh car topped up from 20% to 80% at $0.15/kWh costs about $6 — the calculator does this with your own numbers.

Why does charging draw more energy than the battery stores?

The on-board charger converts AC mains to DC and loses roughly 10% as heat in the process. DC fast chargers do the conversion off-board and waste somewhat less, but home charging efficiency of about 90% is the realistic planning figure.

Is charging to 80% really cheaper than charging to 100%?

Per kilowatt-hour it costs the same, but the last 20% charges slowly and cycling to full more often accelerates battery wear. The 20–80% habit is about battery longevity and time, and it is the window this calculator defaults to.

How does EV cost per mile compare with petrol?

At typical home tariffs an efficient EV runs at a quarter to a third of the per-distance fuel cost of a comparable petrol car. The gap narrows sharply on public rapid chargers — enter both tariffs and see.

What consumption figure should I enter for my EV?

Your car's trip computer average in kWh/100 km (or per 100 miles) is best, since it reflects your climate and driving. Official figures are measured in mild conditions and understate winter and motorway use.

EV Charging Cost Calculator

Work out what a charge costs from battery size, charge window and electricity price — including charger losses — and compare running costs with petrol.

The EV Charging Cost Calculator runs entirely in your browser. Tariffs and vehicle figures are processed on your device and never uploaded.

Open the Electricity Cost Calculator

About EV Charging Cost Calculator

EV Charging Cost Calculator answers the question every new EV owner asks at the first electricity bill: what did that charge actually cost? Enter your usable battery capacity, the state-of-charge window — the everyday 20% to 80% top-up, not just full charges — and your price per kilowatt-hour. The calculator bills the energy drawn from the wall rather than the energy stored, because home AC charging typically loses around 10% as heat in the on-board charger; that gap is real money over a year. From your car's consumption it estimates the range each charge adds and the cost per kilometre or mile, and the comparison section runs a petrol car over the same yearly distance so the running-cost difference stops being a guess.

Features

Charge cost from battery size, charge window and tariff
Charger losses included — wall energy, not just battery energy
Range added per charge from your consumption figure
Cost per km or mile for the EV
Side-by-side petrol comparison over a yearly distance
Works in km or miles throughout
Handles partial top-ups, the way people actually charge
Everything computed on your device

How to use the EV Charging Cost Calculator

Enter usable battery capacity in kWh
Set the charge window — from 20% to 80%, say — and your price per kWh
Add your car's consumption to see range added and cost per distance
Fill the petrol section to compare yearly running costs

Example

Input

60 kWh battery · 20→80% · $0.15/kWh

Output

36 kWh stored · 40 kWh billed · $6.00 · ≈212 km added

The 4 kWh gap between stored and billed energy is charger loss.

Common errors & troubleshooting

The billed energy is more than the battery gained. — That is charging loss, not an error. AC home charging converts mains power in the car's on-board charger at roughly 90% efficiency, so a 36 kWh top-up draws about 40 kWh from the meter.
The cost per km looks too good against the petrol figure. — Check that both sides use the same distance basis — L/100 km against kWh/100 km, or both per 100 miles. Mixing bases flatters whichever side uses the longer unit.
Real-world range is below the calculator's estimate. — The estimate uses the consumption figure you entered. Winter heating, motorway speeds and headwinds can push real consumption 20–30% above the official number — enter your observed kWh/100 km instead.
Public rapid charging costs far more than the result here. — Rapid chargers price per kWh two to four times above home tariffs. Re-run the calculation with the rapid rate to model road trips; the default assumptions fit home charging.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to charge an EV at home?: Battery capacity times the charge window, divided by charger efficiency, times your tariff. A 60 kWh car topped up from 20% to 80% at $0.15/kWh costs about $6 — the calculator does this with your own numbers.
Why does charging draw more energy than the battery stores?: The on-board charger converts AC mains to DC and loses roughly 10% as heat in the process. DC fast chargers do the conversion off-board and waste somewhat less, but home charging efficiency of about 90% is the realistic planning figure.
Is charging to 80% really cheaper than charging to 100%?: Per kilowatt-hour it costs the same, but the last 20% charges slowly and cycling to full more often accelerates battery wear. The 20–80% habit is about battery longevity and time, and it is the window this calculator defaults to.
How does EV cost per mile compare with petrol?: At typical home tariffs an efficient EV runs at a quarter to a third of the per-distance fuel cost of a comparable petrol car. The gap narrows sharply on public rapid chargers — enter both tariffs and see.
What consumption figure should I enter for my EV?: Your car's trip computer average in kWh/100 km (or per 100 miles) is best, since it reflects your climate and driving. Official figures are measured in mild conditions and understate winter and motorway use.

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