EV Charging Cost by Model

EV charging cost by model starts with efficiency, not battery capacity. Efficiency describes how many kilowatt-hours the vehicle uses to travel 100 miles under a test cycle. Battery capacity says how much energy the pack can hold. A large, efficient sedan can cost less per mile than a smaller but less efficient vehicle even when the sedan has the larger pack.

The table uses rounded, representative usable battery capacities and combined-driving efficiency figures compiled from 2024–2026 EPA listings and manufacturer specifications. A model name can cover several drivetrains, battery packs, wheel sizes, and model years, so the values are comparison inputs rather than trim-level promises. Choose the closest configuration and substitute observed efficiency from the car for a personal forecast.

Charging loss bridges road energy and household-meter energy. With a 10% loss assumption, a vehicle that uses 27 kWh from its battery over 100 miles draws 30 kWh from the wall: 27 ÷ 0.90. Loss varies with charging power, temperature, battery conditioning, and auxiliary loads. Slow charging can spend a larger share on electronics and thermal management, while DC fast charging can carry different station-side accounting.

Worked example

Take an EV rated at 27 kWh per 100 miles. At 10% charging loss it requires 30 wall kWh. Electricity at 15¢/kWh makes those 100 miles cost $4.50. A gasoline car returning 30 mpg at $3.60 per gallon uses 3.33 gallons and costs $12.00 for the same distance. The energy-only saving is $7.50 per 100 miles, or about $900 over 12,000 miles if prices and efficiency stay unchanged.

How to interpret the model comparison

Use the marginal rate that applies when the car charges. A time-of-use plan may make overnight energy cheaper than the household average. Public charging often has a different per-kWh price and can add session, idle, or parking fees; this page models home charging only. The gasoline comparison is fuel-only and does not claim a total ownership advantage. Purchase price, insurance, tires, maintenance, depreciation, taxes, and charging equipment are outside the formula.

For battery refill cost, multiply usable capacity by the change in state of charge, divide by one minus charging loss, then multiply by the electricity rate. That estimate is separate from cost per mile because two cars with the same pack can travel different distances on a refill. The dedicated EV charging calculator adds state-of-charge and charging-time inputs when a trip or charging session matters more than a cross-model table.

1. U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov — Find and compare cars (2024–2026 model data) — Combined electric energy-consumption references; table figures are rounded.
2. U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center — Electric vehicle charging (2025) — Charging equipment, power, and loss context.
3. U.S. EIA — Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (2024 annual) — Optional state residential rate defaults.
4. Vehicle manufacturer specifications (2024–2026) — Battery configurations cross-checked against public specification sheets; trims vary.

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