EV Charging Cost Calculator
Convert road efficiency into electricity drawn from the wall, then compare home, public, and gasoline energy costs on equal miles.
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Changes calculate instantly and are written to this page’s URL.
Residential energy statement
Instant planning estimate · not a utility invoice
- Energy from wall
- 333.3 kWh
- Home cost per mile
- $0.05/mi
- Public charging
- $150.00
- Gasoline comparison
- $116.67
- Ideal charge time
- 5 hours
How the ev charging cost calculator works
An EV's dashboard efficiency describes battery energy used on the road, while the meter also supplies charging losses. This calculator converts miles and kWh per 100 miles into wall energy, compares home and public prices, and places the result beside a gasoline vehicle.
Road energy equals miles times rated kWh per 100 miles divided by 100. Dividing by one minus charging loss estimates energy from the wall. Cold weather, speed, tires, cabin heat, and towing change road efficiency.
Home cost uses the marginal electricity price during charging. Public stations may price per kWh, per minute, or session and may add parking fees; enter an equivalent per-kWh rate when possible.
Ideal charge time divides energy added to the battery by charger power. The car's onboard charger can cap AC power, and DC fast charging tapers sharply at a high state of charge.
Worked example
Driving 1,000 miles at 30 kWh/100 mi uses 300 kWh at the battery. With 10% losses, the wall supplies 333.3 kWh. At 15¢/kWh, home charging costs $50, or 5¢ per mile.
How to read the result
Compare marginal energy cost, not the whole household bill. Gas comparison covers fuel only; purchase price, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation are outside this tool.
Planning inputs are deliberately editable because two homes in the same state can have different tariffs, roof conditions, equipment, and operating schedules. Save a scenario with “Copy link,” then change one assumption at a time. This makes the result useful for comparing decisions without implying false precision.
Common questions
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home?
Why is wall energy higher than battery energy?
How long does Level 2 charging take?
Is public charging always more expensive?
Sources
Formulas and defaults are documented in our data method. The principal references for this page are:
- U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center — Electric vehicle charging (2025) — Charging power and equipment context.
- U.S. EPA — Fuel Economy: All-Electric Vehicles (2025) — EV energy-efficiency and operating context.
- EIA — Electric Power Monthly (2024 annual) — Residential rate basis.