EV Home Charging Cost Calculator
Enter your battery size, efficiency and monthly miles to see what home charging costs at your electricity rate, and how it compares with filling a gas tank.
EV home charging cost
Cost per month of home charging
$—
- Per full charge
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- Per mile
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- Per year
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- Per 100 miles
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- kWh from the wall / month
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- Full charges / month
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Gas comparison: a 30 MPG car driving the same miles would cost about — per month.
Estimates use your rate × energy used. Real bills add fixed fees and taxes, and appliances that cycle (fridges, AC) vary with weather and use.
How the cost of charging is calculated
An electric car is just a large appliance with a battery. The energy it takes from the wall is measured in kilowatt-hours like everything else, and your utility bills it at the same rate as your fridge. Three numbers determine the cost.
- Battery capacity (kWh) sets the cost of a full charge. Compact EVs carry 40 to 60 kWh, mid-size sedans and crossovers 60 to 85 kWh, and large trucks and SUVs 100 to 130 kWh.
- Efficiency (miles per kWh) sets the cost per mile. It is the EV equivalent of MPG. Efficient sedans manage 4 miles per kWh or better in mild weather; large SUVs and pickups fall to 2 to 2.5, and every EV loses 20 to 30% in freezing weather.
- Charging losses are the difference between what the meter records and what lands in the battery. Budget 10 to 15% for Level 2 charging.
The formulas are: cost per full charge = battery kWh ÷ (1 − loss) × rate, and cost per mile = rate ÷ (1 − loss) ÷ miles per kWh. Monthly cost is simply cost per mile times the miles you drive. The calculator shows all three and compares them with a gas car of your choosing.
Typical charging costs by battery size
All figures assume 12% charging loss and the U.S. average residential rate of 18.34¢ per kWh (June 2026, EIA).
| Battery | Full charge | Per mile @ 3.5 mi/kWh | Per mile @ 2.5 mi/kWh | 1,000 mi/month @ 3.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kWh | $10.42 | 6¢ | 8.3¢ | $59.55 |
| 65 kWh | $13.55 | 6¢ | 8.3¢ | $59.55 |
| 75 kWh | $15.63 | 6¢ | 8.3¢ | $59.55 |
| 100 kWh | $20.84 | 6¢ | 8.3¢ | $59.55 |
| 130 kWh | $27.09 | 6¢ | 8.3¢ | $59.55 |
Notice that the per-mile column does not depend on battery size at all. A bigger battery costs more to fill but goes further; what you pay per mile is entirely about efficiency and your rate. A 130 kWh truck at 2.5 mi/kWh costs more than twice as much per mile as a 50 kWh hatchback at 4 mi/kWh.
EV vs gas: where the break-even is
The gas comparison in the calculator is deliberately simple: it takes your monthly miles, divides by MPG and multiplies by the price of gas. The EV wins when its cost per mile is lower, which it is in most of the country. At 18.34¢ per kWh and 3.5 mi/kWh, an EV costs about 6¢ per mile. That equals a gas car at $3.20 a gallon getting about 54 MPG. Only a very efficient hybrid gets close.
The picture changes at the extremes. In Hawaii at 52.72¢ per kWh, an EV costs about 17.1¢ per mile, which is roughly a 19 MPG gas car; the savings are much smaller and depend on the price of gas there. In Nevada or Washington, or on an overnight EV rate of 10¢ per kWh, the EV costs around 3¢ a mile and no gas car competes.
How to charge for less
- Ask your utility for an EV or time-of-use rate. Most large utilities now offer a plan with overnight prices of 8 to 15¢ per kWh. Schedule charging for that window in the car or the charger app. On a plan with a 40¢ peak and a 12¢ overnight rate, charging at the wrong time triples the cost. Our time-of-use guide explains how these plans work.
- Prefer Level 2 over Level 1. The car's electronics run the whole time it is plugged in, so slow Level 1 charging wastes a larger share of the energy as overhead.
- Precondition while plugged in. Warming or cooling the cabin and battery from grid power before you leave uses wall electricity instead of range, and the car charges faster when the battery is warm.
- Keep the daily charge limit at 80%. Charging losses climb in the last 10 to 20% as the charger tapers, and it is better for battery health.
- Watch tire pressure and roof racks. Both hurt miles per kWh in exactly the way they hurt MPG. A roof box can cost 10 to 20% of range at highway speed.
Home charging is usually the second largest single electricity user after heating and cooling. To see how it stacks up against the rest of your appliances, use the main electricity cost calculator, and check the rates by state guide to see where your state sits.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to fully charge an electric car at home?
Multiply the battery size by your rate and add about 10 to 15% for charging losses. A 75 kWh battery at the U.S. average of 18.34¢ per kWh costs about $15.60 for a full charge from empty, including losses. In Washington at 14.91¢ it is about $12.70; in California at 34.74¢ it is about $29.60.
What does an EV cost per mile compared with gas?
At 3.5 miles per kWh and the national average rate, an EV costs about 6 cents a mile from home charging. A 30 MPG gas car at $3.20 a gallon costs about 10.7 cents a mile. Over 12,000 miles a year the EV saves roughly $560. The gap widens in cheap-electricity states and narrows in expensive ones.
How much does charging an EV add to my monthly electric bill?
For a typical 1,000 miles a month at 3.5 mi/kWh with 12% charging loss, the car draws about 325 kWh from the wall, which is about $60 at the national average rate. That is a 25 to 35% increase for an average household, which uses around 900 kWh a month.
Are charging losses real, and how big are they?
Yes. Converting AC wall power to DC battery power, keeping the battery at a good temperature and running the car's electronics all use energy that never reaches the battery. Level 2 (240 V) charging typically loses 8 to 15%. Level 1 charging from a wall outlet is worse, often 15 to 25%, because the car's overhead runs for much longer per kWh delivered.
Is Level 1 or Level 2 charging cheaper?
Level 2 is cheaper per mile because of lower losses, and much faster: 25 to 40 miles of range per hour versus 3 to 5 for Level 1. The electricity itself costs the same per kWh either way. A Level 2 installation costs $500 to $2,000, which the loss savings alone will not recover quickly; the convenience is the real reason to install one.
Is public fast charging more expensive than home charging?
Usually two to three times more. DC fast chargers commonly charge 40 to 60 cents per kWh, plus idle fees at some networks. At 50¢ per kWh the same 75 kWh charge that costs about $15.60 at home costs about $40. Home charging on an off-peak time-of-use plan can be as low as 8 to 12 cents per kWh.