The average cost to charge an electric car at a public charging station is $0.30 to $0.60 per kWh, which is three to six times as much as the average American would pay to charge at home. Depending on the size and make of your car, it could cost you anywhere from $10 to $50 for a full charge. Contact online >>
The average cost to charge an electric car at a public charging station is $0.30 to $0.60 per kWh, which is three to six times as much as the average American would pay to charge at home. Depending on the size and make of your car, it could cost you anywhere from $10 to $50 for a full charge.
Although a Level 2 charging system can cost anywhere between $400 to $6,500, plus the cost of installation, the cheaper rates for home charging versus public charging pay off over time.
The cheapest time to charge your car at home is overnight, when energy rates are generally the cheapest. Electric providers often increase prices at peak times—about 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily—so it's best to charge outside those hours.
If you compare the cost of fuel to the cost of electricity, the answer varies: Sometimes public charging stations do cost more than fuel. Ultimately, electric vehicles wind up being vastly cheaper than gas-powered cars in the long run.
David Kuchta, Ph.D. has 10 years of experience in gardening and has read widely in environmental history and the energy transition. An environmental activist since the 1970s, he is also a historian, author, gardener, and educator.
A watt is a unit of power, whereas a watt-hour is a measure of how much power is used. If you leave a 100-watt light bulb on for 10 hours, you have used 1000 watt-hours, or 1 kilowatt-hour, abbreviated as kWh.
An eGallon is the amount of electricity an EV would need to travel the same distance as a similar gas-powered car.
"Table 5.6.A. Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State, July 2021 and 2020 (Cents per Kilowatthour)." U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Hardman, Scott, et al. "A Review of Consumer Preferences of and Interactions With Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure." Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, vol. 62, 2018, pp. 508-523., doi:10.1016/j.trd.2018.04.002
Harto, Chris. "Electric Vehicle Ownership Costs: Today's Electric Vehicles Offer Big Savings for Consumers." Consumer Reports, October 2020.
"eGallon," U.S. Department of Energy, 2021.
"Average Age of Automobiles and Trucks in Operation in the United States." U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Smith, Margaret and Jonathan Castellano. "Costs Associated With Non-Residential Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment." U.S. Department of Energy, 2015, pp. 11-12.
"Search Federal and State Laws and Incentives." U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
As the overall cost of owning an electric car declines, the question of how much you''ll be spending at the charging station remains for many. Is it comparable to a tank of gas? The answer depends on several factors, including where and how you charge.
Multiple charging methods exist for electric vehicles (EVs). Which one you use will determine how quickly your battery is full again and how much money it''ll run you. For most EV owners, the average cost of charging will include a mix of public stations and the cost per kilowatt-hour paid for energy from the local power grid when they plug in at home.
Related: How Much Does It Cost to Recharge a Battery?
As for how much you''ll pay, it varies. Fees at EV charging stations are anywhere from free to a certain price per kiloWatt-hour (kWh) depending on which you use. The major charging equipment manufacturers in the U.S., as well as auto manufacturers like Tesla and Ford, all have their own apps drivers can use to pay. The apps have subscription plans available, and some offer discounts. So how much you pay to charge your EV also depends on the kind of car you drive and whether you have a subscription to, say, Electrify America.
For EV owners who plug in at home instead, the question becomes how much will the cost of power they use to charge affect their utility bill. Charging infrastructure might also need to be installed, which can be a considerable extra expense. Factors like how efficiently your vehicle uses electricity, its battery capacity in kilowatt-hours, and how far you drive per day also impact the cost of charging an electric car at home.
There isn''t necessarily a "best" way to charge that saves the most money. The vehicle, battery, and driving habits of the person behind the wheel are what will most determine the cost of charging an electric car.
Some public charging is available for free. Free stations can be anything from a level 1 wall outlet to a stand-alone level 2 charging station. Most apps that help you search for one tell you the level of charging available and the per kWh rate. Free charging stations are usually found near businesses, say in the parking lot of a restaurant or mall. The idea is that people can plug in and regain at least some power while they''re inside.
Level 2 public EV charging stations are either pay-as-you-go for infrequent use, or you can purchase a subscription via the provider''s app for a discounted kWh rate. If you know you''ll use one type of charging station more than others, a dedicated app could be useful. But for most people using whatever nearby station is compatible with their vehicle is the best option. Pay-as-you-go charging is usually billed at whatever the local electricity provider charges per kWh. So if you used a level 2 charging station in Texas, where the average electricity cost is 12.8 cents per kW/h as of March 2022, you''d pay $3.25 for 25kWh of power. For context, that''s about half the battery capacity of a base model Tesla Model 3.
Level 3 charging stations are the most expensive at the time of this writing, charging drivers a premium for their relative speed. In California, for example, the average DCFC rate per kWh is $.40. At that rate, it would cost $10 to charge that same 25kWh of juice. Tesla Supercharger stations and other varieties of DCFC charging are available to use alongside level 3 stations in most groups of public charging ports. Not every EV is built to accept the higher amounts of electricity these stations use though, so be mindful of that before you connect --- you''ll still pay the higher rate without the benefit of a faster recharge.
Related: How to Find an EV Charging Station Near You
Most public charging stations in the U.S. are managed by a small group of companies, though that number is growing. Those companies, including EVgo, ChargePoint, Electrify America, and others, often offer reduced rates at their stations if drivers use their apps and pay a subscription fee. EVgo charges customers a per-minute rate depending on which plan they sign up for and where in the US they charge. Other companies like EVCS offer a flat monthly rate for unlimited charging (with fine print caveats, of course) at their stations.
According to Treehugger, people in the U.S. pay an average of three to six times more to charge at a public charging station than it would cost to charge at home. People who live in, for example, an apartment complex or other form of housing with no charging infrastructure should be aware of the rates at public charging stations near them and opt for free ones when possible.
Charging at home is the cheapest option for EV owners, at least as of this writing. If you have the time to use a level 1 charger, or already have a 240-volt outlet you can reach with your EV''s included adapter cord, no equipment installation is necessary. You can get a level 1-2 charge in your garage and just pay the per kWh rate to your utility provider. That rate varies by state, so do the math before you bank on home charging.
Related: How Much Does a Home EV Charger Really Cost?
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