EV Charging Cost Calculator
Enter how far you drive, how efficient your electric car is and what you pay per kWh. The calculator shows the energy you buy, what it costs and how it compares with a gas car.
How to use this EV Charging Cost Calculator
- Enter the miles you drive in a typical month.
- Enter your car efficiency in kWh per 100 miles.
- Enter the electricity price from your bill, or the price at the public charger you use.
- Keep or change the charging loss. Home charging often loses around 10 percent, but this is only a starting figure.
- Add the miles per gallon and the gas price of a car you would compare with, then press Calculate.
How to calculate EV charging cost
The cost is the energy you buy times the price. Losses mean you buy more than the car stores.
- Energy used = miles x kWh per 100 miles / 100
- Energy bought = energy used / (1 – losses)
- Charging cost = energy bought x price per kWh
- Cost per mile = charging cost / miles
- Gas cost = miles / mpg x gas price
Worked example
You drive 1,000 miles a month in a car that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles. The car uses 300.0 kWh. With 10% charging losses you buy 333.3 kWh from the grid. At $0.16 per kWh the monthly cost is $53.33, which is $0.053 per mile, or $640.00 a year. A 30 mpg gas car at $3.50 a gallon would burn 33.3 gallons and cost $116.67 for the same miles, so the difference is $63.33 a month.
Where you charge matters as much as the car. Home charging on an off-peak plan can be much cheaper than a public fast charger, which may cost two or three times as much per kWh. Try the calculator with a higher price to see how a mix of home and public charging changes the monthly total. Cold weather and high speeds also raise the kWh per 100 miles, so test a higher efficiency figure for the winter months.
Assumptions & limits
- Efficiency, price and losses are inputs. Real values change with temperature, speed, tires, terrain and charger type.
- A single flat price is used. Time-of-use plans, demand charges and public charging fees can differ.
- The calculator does not include the cost of a home charger, installation, insurance or maintenance.
- The gas comparison uses one fixed mpg and one gas price.
- Incentives and taxes are not included.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
Multiply the energy the car uses by the electricity price, and add charging losses. At 30 kWh per 100 miles and $0.16 per kWh it costs about $4.80 per 100 miles before losses.
How do I find my EV efficiency?
Check the trip computer or the manual. It is shown in kWh per 100 miles, or in miles per kWh, which you can invert.
Are public fast chargers more expensive?
Often yes. Prices vary by network and location, so enter the price you actually pay.
What are charging losses?
Some energy is lost as heat in the charger and battery. The calculator uses an editable loss figure.
Is charging at home cheaper than gas?
It depends on your electricity rate, the car and local gas prices. Enter your own numbers to compare.
Does cold weather change the cost?
Yes. Cold air and cabin heating raise energy use, so the cost per mile rises in winter.
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Last updated: November 2026