Working out how much it costs to charge an electric car is simple. All you need to do is take the price per kWh on the electricity tariff and multiply it by the battery capacity (also measured in kWh) to get an accurate price.
For example, if you pay 13p per kWh, and your car battery is 60kWh, the cost to charge from 0-100% is £7.80 (13p x 60).
Electricity rates are priced in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The average price per kWh differs depending on whether you charge at home or at a public charging station.
Charging at home, the average peak electricity rate is 17p per kWh. However, if you charge off-peak, the average price per kWh drops to 13p per kWh.
Charging at public charging stations that charge money (many chargers are free, but this won’t last forever as demand grows), the average price per kWh is 25p. Charging a 60kWh battery from 0-100% at this price would cost £15.00.
Some manufacturers offer incentives for using their rapid public chargers. For example, Tesla gives owners free charging up to 40kWh, after which they charge 20p per kWh. Some owners also get free charging, depending on their deal.
