EV Charging Cost Calculator
Enter your battery size, the charge you start and finish at, your charging loss and your electricity price to see the cost of one charge. Add your car’s efficiency to get cost per mile and range added, and add a gas car’s MPG and fuel price to compare the two.
Last updated November 4, 2026
Energy lost as heat. Home charging is often around 10%; use your own figure.
Your own rate from your bill or charging app.
Needed for cost per mile. Leave blank to skip.
Enter with MPG to compare.
Result
Cost per charge = $6.00
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Energy added to battery | 36 kWh |
| Energy drawn from the wall | 40 kWh |
| Lost in charging | 4 kWh |
| Cost per charge | $6.00 |
| Range added | 120 miles |
| Cost per mile | $0.050 |
| Cost per 100 miles | $5.00 |
Estimate only. Real charging loss, rates and efficiency vary with temperature, speed and charger. Prices are the values you enter.
Show the work
Formula: added = capacity x (end% - start%) / 100; wall = added / (1 - loss%); cost = wall x price per kWh
- Entered: 60 kWh battery, 20% to 80%, 10% loss, $0.15 per kWh.
- Energy added: 60 x (80 - 20) / 100 = 36 kWh.
- From the wall: 36 / (1 - 10 / 100) = 40 kWh.
- Cost: 40 kWh x $0.15 = $6.00.
- Cost per mile: (30 / 100) / (1 - 10 / 100) x $0.15 = $0.050; per 100 miles = $5.00.
- Range added: 36 kWh / (30 / 100) = 120 miles.
Result: Cost per charge = $6.00
How EV charging cost is calculated
added = capacity × (end% − start%) ÷ 100
wall = added ÷ (1 − loss%)
cost = wall × price per kWh
The battery only stores the energy that reaches it. The size of the charge is the battery capacity multiplied by the change in state of charge. Charging from 20% to 80% on a 60 kWh battery adds 60 × 0.60 = 36 kWh.
Some energy is lost as heat in the charger, the cable and the battery, so the wall supplies more than the battery receives. With a 10% loss, the wall supplies 36 ÷ 0.90 = 40 kWh. You pay for the 40 kWh, not the 36. Multiply that by your price per kWh to get the cost of the charge.
Efficiency turns energy into distance. A car that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles needs 0.30 kWh per mile from the battery, and about 0.333 kWh per mile from the wall at a 10% loss. At $0.15 per kWh that is about $0.05 per mile, or $5.00 per 100 miles. If you know miles per kWh instead, the calculator converts it: 100 ÷ miles per kWh gives kWh per 100 miles.
See how we calculate for the formulas, sources and review schedule behind every calculator.
Also useful alongside this calculator: Vehicle Cost Calculator.
Comparing charging with gasoline
To compare, enter a gas car’s MPG and a price per gallon. Gas cost per mile is the price per gallon divided by MPG. At 30 MPG and $3.50 a gallon that is about $0.117 per mile, or $11.67 per 100 miles. The calculator subtracts the EV cost per mile from that figure and shows the difference per 100 miles and, if you enter a trip distance, for the whole trip.
The comparison covers fuel and electricity only. It leaves out maintenance, insurance, depreciation and any public charging fees, so treat it as a running-cost estimate.
Choosing a charging loss
Charging loss varies with the charger, the temperature and how full the battery already is. If you do not know your figure, start with about 10% and adjust it. You can measure your own by comparing the kWh shown on your meter or charger with the kWh the car reports adding. Set the loss to 0% to see the cost of the energy the battery receives with no losses.
How to use the EV Charging Cost Calculator
- Enter the battery capacity in kWh and the start and end state of charge as percentages.
- Enter your charging loss and the electricity price per kWh from your own bill or charging app.
- Optionally add efficiency (kWh per 100 miles or miles per kWh) and a trip distance for cost per mile.
- Optionally add gas MPG and price per gallon to compare, then use Copy, Print or Share.
Worked example
A 60 kWh battery charged from 20% to 80% adds 36 kWh. With a 10% loss the wall supplies 36 ÷ 0.90 = 40 kWh. At 30 kWh per 100 miles that charge adds 120 miles. The table shows what that charge and each 100 miles cost at four example prices, which are only placeholders for your own rate.
| Price per kWh | Cost per charge | Cost per mile | Cost per 100 miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.10 | $4.00 | $0.033 | $3.33 |
| $0.15 | $6.00 | $0.050 | $5.00 |
| $0.20 | $8.00 | $0.067 | $6.67 |
| $0.30 | $12.00 | $0.100 | $10.00 |
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the cost to charge an electric car?
Multiply the battery capacity by the percentage charged, divide by one minus the charging loss, then multiply by your price per kWh.
Why does the wall energy exceed the energy added to the battery?
Charging loses some energy as heat, so the wall must supply more kWh than the battery stores. You pay for the wall energy.
Which electricity price should I enter?
Use the rate on your own bill or charging app. Time-of-use plans and public chargers can differ, so run each rate separately.
How do I find my car’s kWh per 100 miles?
Check the trip computer or the manufacturer’s figure, or divide kWh used by miles driven and multiply by 100. Real driving varies.
Does the gas comparison include maintenance or insurance?
No. It compares only fuel and electricity running costs per mile, using the values you enter for both vehicles.