As the total cost of owning an electric vehicle drops, the question remains for many how much to spend at a charging station. Can it be compared to a gas tank? The answer depends on several factors, including where and how you pay.
A Comprehensive View of Costs
There are many charging methods for electric vehicles (EVs). Which one you use will determine how quickly the battery will recharge and how much money it will save you. For most EV owners, the average cost of charging includes a mix of public stations and the cost per kilowatt-hour paid for power from the local grid when plugged into the home grid.
At the time of this writing, there are three levels of public EV charging available. Level 1 is basically a wall outlet like you use to charge your cell phone, and it can take days to charge a fully depleted battery. DC fast charging (DCFC) stations, on the other hand, can get you up to about 80 percent power in about half an hour, but are more expensive to use.
As for how much you’ll pay, that varies. Charges at electric charging stations range from free to a set price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) you use. Major charging equipment manufacturers in the US, as well as automakers like Tesla and Ford, all have their own apps that drivers can use to pay. Apps have subscription plans and some offer discounts. So how much you pay to charge your EV also depends on the type of car you drive and whether or not you subscribe to Electrify America, for example.
Instead, the question for EV owners who plug in at home is how much the cost of the energy they use to charge will affect their utility bills. Charging infrastructure may also need to be installed, which can lead to significant additional costs. Factors such as how efficiently your car uses electricity, the capacity of its kilowatt-hour battery, and how far you drive in a day also affect the cost of charging an electric car at home.
It’s not necessarily the “best” way to charge that saves the most money. The car, battery, and driving habits of the person behind the wheel will most determine the cost of charging an electric vehicle.
Public Charging Stations Will Be Different
Some public charging is free. Free stations can be anything from a level 1 wall outlet to a standalone level 2 charging station. Most apps that help you find one tell you the current charge level and kWh rate. Free charging stations are usually located near businesses, such as in the parking lot of a restaurant or shopping center. The idea is that people can plug in and get at least some power while they’re inside.
Level 2 public charging stations either rarely charge for use, or you can subscribe to a discounted kWh rate through the provider’s program. If you know you’ll be using one type of charging station more than others, a dedicated app can be helpful. But for most people, using the nearest station that fits their car is the best option. Pay as you use, regardless of what your local electricity provider charges per kWh. So if you use a Tier 2 charging station in Texas starting in March 2022, when the average cost of electricity is 12.8 cents per kWh, you will pay $3.25 for 25 kWh of energy. For context, that’s about half the battery capacity of the base model Tesla Model 3.
Level 3 charging stations are the most expensive at the time of this writing and charge drivers a premium for their relative speed. For example, the average DCFC rate in California is $.40 per kWh. At this rate, filling the same 25 kWh of water will cost $10. Tesla Supercharger stations and other types of DCFC charging can be used alongside Level 3 stations in most public charging port clusters. Not every EV is built to accept more electricity than these stations use, so keep that in mind before plugging in – you’ll still be paying a higher rate without the benefit of faster charging.
Most public charging stations in the US are operated by a small group of companies, although that number is growing. Those companies, including EVgo, ChargePoint, Electrify America and others, often offer discounted rates at their stations when drivers use their apps and pay a subscription fee. EVgo charges customers a per-minute rate based on which plan they sign up for and where in the US they pay. Other companies like EVCS offer a flat monthly rate (with fine print warnings, of course) for unlimited recharge at their points.
According to Treehugger, people in the US pay an average of three to six times more to charge at a public charging station than to charge at home. For example, people living in an apartment complex or other residential building with no charging infrastructure should be aware of the rates at nearby public charging stations and choose free ones whenever possible.
Home Refueling Costs Less (In the Long Run)
Charging at home is the least expensive option for EV owners, at least as of this writing. If you have time to use a level 1 charger or already have a 240-volt outlet that you can connect to with the EV’s included adapter cable, no hardware installation is necessary. You can get 1-2 tiers of billing in your garage and simply pay your utility provider a per kWh rate. This rate varies by state, so do the math before paying at home.
If you don’t have a 240-volt outlet, you’ll need to install either a wall plug or a dedicated Level 2 charging station to get Level 2 charging in your home. Installing one can be expensive—about $1,200 on average. If you know you’ll be in an EV for a long time, however, the upfront cost pays off over time in savings on gas and public charging.
Many federal and state government incentives are available to offset the cost of installing home charging equipment. Amounts and qualifications vary by state, so check to see if you qualify for any in your area.
Other Factors: Battery Capacity, Efficiency and Driving Habits
Like a gas tank, the bigger the battery, the more expensive it is to “fill up”. Smaller battery packs cost less, but provide less mileage per charge than larger capacity options.
For a real-world example, let’s look at Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 EV. The base model has a 58 kWh battery. So in Texas, where we’ve determined the rate to be 12.8 cents per kWh, a driver would pay about $7.54 to fill up at home. At a paid Level 2 public charging station like this one in Houston, they would pay $12.18 to charge a depleted battery at a maximum rate of $0.21/kWh. At this DCFC station near Walmart owned by Electrify America, our hypothetical driver would pay $0.32 per minute with a maximum of 350 kW of power, which adds up to $9.60 for half an hour of charging time.
Chances are, however, that the battery won’t run out every time someone goes to a public charging station to recharge. The rate will depend on how much power they actually use or, in the case of per-minute rates, how long they spend charging. Some stations charge a session fee of several dollars in addition to the rate per kWh. If you’re paying for a subscription through a provider like the EVgo app, that’s another cost.
How efficient the battery pack is and the demands placed on it during daily driving will also determine your mileage per charge. Sporty models like the Porsche Taycan are designed to put a lot of power into the engine for more speed, so it uses more energy per drive and gets less range as a result. This means more charging sessions and more monthly payments.
Unlike gas cars, lots of long highway driving drains an EV’s battery faster than city driving. If you regularly commute long distances, this is another thing to consider. Heavy use of climate control and infotainment systems will also affect battery life. The more you use the battery, the faster it drains and the more often you have to pay to recharge it.
Costs are Unique to the Driver
So is it cheaper to fill up an EV than fill up the tank with gas? As of this writing, yes. Even in markets where electricity is more expensive, charging up an EV is still cheaper than filling up a tank of gas.
In summary, how much it costs to charge an electric car depends on many factors, from battery capacity to what charging methods are available to you. When shopping for an electric vehicle, consider things like how many miles you drive, the battery capacity of the EV you want, and whether you can charge it at home.
Electricity prices in your area will affect whether it’s best to charge at home or at public stations. If you must use public ones, consider your access to free stations and how reliably you can use them.
All these factors will determine the average cost of charging an EV. Ultimately, the price for you will depend on the math specific to your driving habits and needs.
RELATED: How does charging an EV battery compare to charging a tank of gas?