What Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car?

There are two primary ways to charge your electric vehicle: at home or at a public charging station. Each comes with different costs.

The cost of home charging comes down to your utility bill. How much do you pay per kWh, once generation and delivery are factored in, and are there any peak/off-peak times when that pricing will vary?

Once you know your rate per kWh, simply multiply that number by the capacity of your EV’s battery pack and you have an approximate price per “fill-up”.

For example, a Chevrolet Bolt EV has a 65 kWh battery pack. With the national average electricity price of $0.16 in 2022 as our price per kWh, here’s the simple cost calculation:

• $0.16 per kWh x 65 (kWh capacity in Bolt EV battery pack)
• = $10.40 for a full charge

We say “approximate” because there are some losses to charging and scenarios where you might want to use a little extra juice from the wall even when your EV is charged, such as warming the cabin while plugged in on a cold morning.

Charging in public is typically a little more expensive than charging at home, especially for high-power, direct current fast charging (also known as DCFC). Prices for these more convenient yet costly chargers typically range from $0.35 to $0.50 per kWh, which puts the cost closer to $20-30 per charge.