HowMuchIt

HowMuchIt / EV charging

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

Two numbers decide it: how much electricity your car uses per 100 miles, and what your utility charges per kWh. We give you the first one from the window sticker; you bring the second from your bill.

Work out your cost to charge

The same rule, without the form: energy for 100 miles
Car (EPA rating)Energy for 100 miles
2024 Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD26 kWh
2021 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD27 kWh
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD31 kWh
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD Standard Range31 kWh
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E RWD Extended Range35 kWh

Then: energy x your rate per kWh = your cost. For 50 miles, take half; for 300 miles, three times.

Where to find your two numbers

The car's number is on its window sticker, in kWh per 100 miles, next to the bigger MPGe figure. If the sticker is gone, the maker's specification page or the government fuel economy site lists it for each model year and trim. Pick the exact version: the same model can use noticeably more energy with bigger wheels or two motors.

Your number is on your electricity bill: the rate per kWh. Some plans charge less at night; if you charge overnight on such a plan, use the night rate. Public fast chargers set their own prices, so this calculator is for charging where you pay the electricity bill.

Why the result is an estimate

The window sticker figure comes from a standard test. Highway speed, cold weather and heating or air conditioning make a car use more energy than the test, gentle city driving can use less. The government's MPGe figures already count the energy lost while charging, so we do not add a second loss on top of the sticker number.

Charging time depends on the charger and the car. As a rule of thumb, a regular household outlet puts back a few miles of range per hour, and a 240-volt home charger puts back a few dozen. Overnight on a 120-volt outlet suits short daily trips; long daily drives are where a Level 2 charger earns its place.

Before you buy a home charger

  • Check your car's own charging limit: a charger faster than the car accepts does not speed it up.
  • A 240-volt circuit is wiring work: have a licensed electrician check your panel and install it.
  • Keep the cord off walkways and away from water, and follow the charger maker's instructions.

Good to know

  • A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is 1,000 watts used for one hour, and a home electricity bill charges for the kWh used.1,2
  • In the US, an electric car's efficiency is published in kWh per 100 miles, on the window sticker next to MPGe.3,4
  • A lower kWh per 100 miles is better: the car needs less electricity for the same distance.4,5
  • To estimate the cost, multiply the car's kWh per 100 miles by your electricity rate per kWh.4,6
  • Charging loses some energy on the way to the battery: studies put it in the mid 80s to low 90s percent efficient.7,8
  • EPA's MPGe ratings include charging losses: the energy is measured at the wall outlet.9,10
  • Level 1 charging uses an ordinary 120-volt outlet and adds roughly 3 to 5 miles of range per hour.11,12,13
  • Level 2 charging uses 240 volts at home and commonly adds around 25 miles of range per hour.11,12,13
  • EPA rates the 2024 Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD at 26 kWh per 100 miles.14,15
  • EPA rates the 2021 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD at 27 kWh per 100 miles.16,17
  • EPA rates the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD at 31 kWh per 100 miles.18,19
  • EPA rates the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD Standard Range at 31 kWh per 100 miles.20,21
  • EPA rates the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E RWD Extended Range at 35 kWh per 100 miles.15,22

How we checked this page

Checked on October 25, 2026. We kept a fact only when two independent publishers agree, and each one is numbered to its sources below. Where sources give different numbers, we keep only what they share. We never write a price. This page was written with an AI assistant and checked against the sources below.

Sources

  1. How to Read Your Electric Meter, U.S. Department of Energy
  2. What Is A Kilowatt-Hour? A Guide to Understanding Your Electric Bill, EcoWatch
  3. Text Version of the Electric Vehicle Label, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  4. What is kWh per 100 Miles?, J.D. Power
  5. Range Anxiety and Fuel Comparison, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
  6. How to calculate an electric vehicle's charge costs, Edmunds (via AP)
  7. All-Electric Vehicles, fueleconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA)
  8. Why doesn't your battery get all the energy you pay for?, Recurrent
  9. Fuel Economy and EV Range Testing, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  10. MPGe Explained: How EV Efficiency Is Calculated, The Drive
  11. Developing Infrastructure to Charge Electric Vehicles, Alternative Fuels Data Center (U.S. DOE)
  12. How to Charge Your Electric Vehicle, Orange and Rockland Utilities
  13. Ask the EV Experts: Different Charging Levels Explained, Plug In America
  14. 2024 Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD, ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA)
  15. Electric car range and consumption: EPA vs. Edmunds, Edmunds
  16. 2021 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, fueleconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA)
  17. New EPA Range/Efficiency Ratings For 2021 Tesla Model Y, InsideEVs
  18. 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD, fueleconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA)
  19. 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV Review and Test Drive, Capital One Auto Navigator
  20. 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD (Standard Range), fueleconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA)
  21. 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV electric range EPA, Autoblog
  22. 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, fueleconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA)
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