How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car?

The basic sum

Electricity is priced per kilowatt-hour (kWh), so a charge costs the number of kWh you add times that price. Put 40 kWh into the car at $0.17 per kWh and it costs 40 × 0.17 = $6.80. That is the whole idea — unlike a fuel pump's gallons and a fluctuating pump price, an EV charge is a simple multiplication you can do before you plug in.

Home vs public charging

Where you charge changes the price a lot. Charging at home, especially on an off-peak overnight tariff, is usually the cheapest by far. Public chargers cost more per kWh, and rapid DC chargers on motorways are the priciest of all, trading money for speed. A good habit is to do most charging slowly at home and use fast public charging only on long trips.

Cost per 100 miles

To compare with a gas car, work in cost per 100 miles. A typical EV uses around 29 kWh to cover 100 miles; at $0.17 per kWh that is 29 × 0.17 = $4.93 per 100 miles. A gas car doing 30 mpg needs 3.3 gallons for the same distance, which at $3.20 a gallon is about $10.67 — more than twice as much. Charging at home is where the running-cost gap is widest.

What changes the cost

A few things move the number. Your tariff matters most — an off-peak rate can halve the cost. Charging isn't perfectly efficient, so about 10% more energy is drawn than reaches the battery. Bigger batteries cost more to fill but go further per charge, so cost per mile is what counts. And cold weather cuts range, meaning more kWh — and money — for the same distance.

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to charge at home or in public?

Home, especially on an off-peak tariff. Public fast chargers charge a premium per kWh.

How much to fully charge a 60 kWh battery?

At $0.17/kWh, roughly $10 from empty to full, plus a little for charging losses.

Is charging an EV cheaper than gas?

Usually yes; per 100 miles it's often a third to a half of gas, depending on your electricity and fuel prices.