EV Charging Cost Calculator
Estimate what it costs to charge an electric vehicle from your battery size, start/target charge, and electricity rate — with a home vs public cost comparison, cost per mile/km, a monthly estimate, and Level 1/Level 2/DC-fast charging times.
Input
Usable battery size of the vehicle, in kilowatt-hours.
Your price per kWh at home. Used when the preset is set to Custom.
Optional. Used for the home vs public charging comparison. Leave blank to skip.
Distance travelled per kWh consumed (in the unit selected below).
Optional. Used for the monthly cost estimate (30-day month).
Output
| Metric | Home Charging | Public Charging |
|---|---|---|
| No data yet | ||
| Charger Type | Power | Est. Time |
|---|---|---|
| No data yet | ||
Guides
The EV Charging Cost Calculator works out what it actually costs to charge an electric vehicle. Enter your battery size, the charge level you're starting from and topping up to, and your electricity rate — the tool returns the energy you'll add, the price at home versus at a public charger, a per-mile or per-kilometre running cost, an optional monthly estimate, and how long the session takes on Level 1, Level 2, and DC fast charging.
It's built for EV owners comparing home and public tariffs, prospective buyers estimating running costs, and anyone sanity-checking a charging bill. Everything is computed instantly in your browser as you type.
How to use it
- Enter your battery capacity in kWh (the usable pack size — check the spec sheet).
- Set the start and target charge percentages. Target must be higher than start.
- Pick a rate preset for a country average, or choose Custom and type your own home rate per kWh.
- Optionally add a public rate to compare home charging against public stations.
- Enter your vehicle efficiency (distance per kWh) and choose miles or kilometres.
- Optionally add your average daily distance to get a monthly cost estimate.
The results update automatically. Use the copy or download buttons to export either table as CSV.
How the numbers are calculated
- Energy needed = battery capacity × (target% − start%) ÷ 100.
- Total cost = energy needed × your rate.
- Cost per mile/km = rate ÷ efficiency.
- Monthly cost assumes a 30-day month: (daily distance ÷ efficiency) × 30 × rate.
- Charging time = energy needed ÷ charger power, using 1.4 kW for Level 1, 7 kW for Level 2, and 50 kW for DC fast charging. DC fast times apply a 0.7 taper factor, because real fast-charge speed drops well before the battery is full.
Why is the DC fast charging time longer than 50 kW suggests?
Fast chargers only sustain peak power in the middle of the charge curve; they slow down as the battery fills to protect the cells. The 0.7 taper factor approximates this real-world average, so the estimate is realistic rather than a best-case number.
What efficiency value should I use?
Efficiency here is distance per kWh. Typical EVs run around 5–7 km/kWh (roughly 3–4 mi/kWh), but cold weather, highway speeds, and climate control lower it. Use your car's trip computer for the most accurate figure.
Why do home and public energy needed match?
Energy needed depends only on the battery and the charge range, not on where you plug in — so it's identical in both columns. Only the cost differs, driven by the home versus public rate.
Are the country presets exact?
No — they're rough national averages to get you close quickly. Electricity prices vary by provider, plan, and time of day, so enter your own rate for an accurate result.
Privacy
This calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your battery size, rates, and distances are never uploaded, logged, or shared — the math happens locally on your device.