EV Charging Cost Calculator
What home charging really costs — per full charge, per mile, per month — and how it stacks up against a gas car.
Home charging cost
| Cost of a full charge | — |
| Cost per mile (EV) | — |
| Charging cost per month | — |
| Gas cost per mile (comparison car) | — |
| Gas cost per month | — |
| You save per month | — |
| You save per year | — |
Defaults: 10% Level 2 charging losses; gas at the recent AAA national average ($3.82/gal, July 2026) — enter your local price. Electricity rates: EIA, April 2026. Assumes home charging; DC fast charging typically costs 2–4× more per kWh.
How this is calculated
Energy from the wall per month = miles ÷ efficiency ÷ (1 − losses). Monthly cost = that energy × your rate. Full charge = battery kWh ÷ (1 − losses) × rate. The gas comparison is miles ÷ MPG × gas price. Off-peak EV tariffs (many utilities offer them) can cut the electricity numbers substantially — enter your off-peak rate to see it.
FAQ
How much does it cost to fully charge an EV at home?
Battery size (kWh) × your electricity rate, plus roughly 10% charging losses. A 75 kWh battery at the US average of 18.83¢/kWh costs about 75 ÷ 0.9 × $0.1883 ≈ $15.70.
Is charging an EV cheaper than buying gas?
For home charging, almost always. At the US average rate a typical EV costs about 5–7¢ per mile, versus ~13.6¢ per mile for a 28 MPG car at $3.82/gallon. Public DC fast charging narrows or eliminates the gap.
What are charging losses?
Energy lost as heat in the charger and battery — typically 5–15% for home Level 2 charging. You pay for electricity at the wall, not what lands in the battery, so the calculator adds a configurable loss factor.
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