EV Charging Cost Calculator
Enter the battery size, where you start and finish, and the price per kWh. You get the cost of the charge, the range it adds and the cost a mile.
This is an estimate. The prices shown are examples, so use the price from your tariff or the charger.
Worked examples
A top-up at home
60 kWh battery, 20% to 80%, 25p per kWh, 3.5 miles per kWh, 7 kW charger, 10% losses
£10.00 for 126 miles, 7.9p a mile, about 5 h 43 min
36 kWh reaches the battery and 40 kWh is drawn from the supply.
About EV Charging Cost Calculator
An EV charging cost calculator tells you what a charge will cost before you plug in. Enter the usable size of the battery in kilowatt hours, the level you start and finish at, and the price you pay for a kWh. The energy added is the battery size times the percentage you charge, and the cost is that energy, plus charging losses, times the price.
About 10% of the energy from the supply is lost as heat in the charger and the car, so you pay for more than reaches the battery. From the miles you get per kWh the tool works out the range added and the cost a mile, which you can set against a petrol or diesel car. If you enter your charger power, you also get the time, though charging slows above about 80% and in the cold.
How to use EV Charging Cost Calculator
- Enter the usable battery size and the start and end charge.
- Enter the price per kWh and your miles per kWh.
- Adjust the charging losses and enter the power of the charger.
- Read the cost, the range added, the cost a mile and the time.
Common uses
- Comparing home and public charging
- Planning a long journey
- Checking an electricity tariff
- Working out the cost of a company car
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
A 60 kWh battery charged from 20% to 80% takes 36 kWh. With 10% losses you draw 40 kWh, and at 25p a kWh that costs £10.00.
How many miles does that give?
At 3.5 miles per kWh the 36 kWh added gives about 126 miles, a cost of 7.9p a mile.
Why is public charging dearer?
Rapid chargers cost more to install and run, and the price often includes a margin and a connection fee. Charging at home on an overnight tariff is normally the cheapest way to charge.
How long does charging take?
Divide the energy drawn by the charger power. 40 kWh at 7 kW takes about 5 hours 43 minutes. Fast chargers slow down as the battery fills, so real times are longer.
What are charging losses?
The charger and the car convert power from alternating to direct current, which wastes some as heat. Around 10% is typical for home AC charging, and less at a rapid DC charger.