EV Charging Cost Calculator
Find the cost to charge an EV and the cost per mile from battery size, charge levels, price per kWh, and efficiency.
If the target is at or below the current level there's nothing to add, so the cost is zero. Cost per mile depends only on your price and efficiency — a 3.5 mi/kWh car on $0.15 electricity runs a bit over 4 cents a mile.
How it works
Charging an EV is really just buying electricity by the kilowatt-hour. The energy you add is the battery's capacity times the gap between your current and target charge percentages.
Multiply that energy by your price per kWh and you have the cost of the session. The calculator also divides your price by your efficiency in miles per kWh to show the cost of driving one mile — a handy way to compare against gasoline.
For example, adding 60% to a 60 kWh battery draws 36 kWh; at 15 cents that's about 5.40 dollars. A car doing 3.5 miles per kWh on that same 15-cent power costs a little over four cents per mile to drive.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use home or public charging prices?
Enter whichever you're paying. Home electricity is usually the cheapest at your normal residential rate, while public DC fast chargers often cost two to three times more per kWh. Run it twice to compare the two.
What efficiency should I enter?
Most EVs land between roughly 3 and 4 miles per kWh in mixed driving, though cold weather, high speeds, and big SUVs lower it. Your car's trip computer usually shows a lifetime miles-per-kWh figure you can use.
Why charge to 80% instead of 100%?
Routinely topping up to 100% can accelerate battery wear, so many owners cap daily charging around 80% and only fill fully before long trips. That's why the calculator lets you set both a start and a target level.