How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car?

The simple formula

Charging cost comes down to two numbers: how efficient your EV is (miles per kWh) and what you pay for electricity (dollars per kWh).

Most EVs get 3 to 4 miles per kWh. The U.S. average residential electricity rate is around $0.16/kWh. That works out to roughly $0.04–$0.05 per mile when charging at home.

For comparison, a gas car getting 28 mpg at $3.50/gallon costs about $0.13 per mile — roughly three times more.

Want to see what this looks like for your specific vehicle and zip code? The EV Readiness Check factors in your local electricity rate and driving pattern to give you a real per-mile estimate.

What that looks like monthly

Here's the math applied to real driving patterns, assuming home charging at the U.S. average rate:

The monthly savings range from $60 to $150 depending on how much you drive. Over a year, that's $700 to $1,800 staying in your pocket.

Why your state matters

Electricity prices vary dramatically across the U.S. — from about $0.10/kWh in Washington and Louisiana to over $0.25/kWh in California and Hawaii, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Here's how that shifts the cost per mile, assuming a 3.5 mi/kWh EV:

Even at the high end, EV charging stays cheaper than gas. But if you live in a high-cost state, time-of-use (TOU) electricity plans can drop overnight charging to $0.08–$0.10/kWh — turning a $86/month bill into roughly $35.

Not sure what rate applies to your area? The EV Readiness Check uses your location to factor in local electricity costs and whether off-peak plans are available to you.

Public charging is different

DC fast charging on networks like Electrify America, EVgo, and Tesla Superchargers costs more than home charging — typically 20–30% more, sometimes more during peak hours.

Expect $0.40–$0.60/kWh at most public fast chargers, which translates to roughly $0.12–$0.17 per mile. The U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center tracks public charging station counts and pricing trends by network. That's similar to gas car costs.

Here's why that's still fine for most owners: 80% of EV charging happens at home. Public fast charging is for road trips and occasional top-ups, not your daily routine. If you do most charging at home and use DCFC a few times a year, your weighted average cost still lands close to the home rate.

Sarah, a 10-year Tesla owner from the Midwest, runs this pattern. Home charging covers her commuting and errands. The Supercharger network handles ski trips and longer drives. Her per-mile cost over the year is dominated by the cheap home electrons.

When EV charging costs more than expected

There are real scenarios where EV charging costs aren't dramatically lower than gas:

For more detail on running your specific numbers, see our EV vs Gas Savings Calculator walkthrough, or the deeper breakdown in How Much You’ll Actually Save on Fuel vs Gas.

The real cost question

The headline number — $35 to $55/month for most home chargers — is the easy part. The harder question is whether your charging access supports that cost structure.

If you can charge at home or at work, you get the cheap electricity prices. If you're stuck on public DCFC, your costs climb closer to gas. That's why the “where will I charge most of the time?” question matters more than the sticker price of the car.

The EV Readiness Check walks through your charging access, local electricity rates, and driving patterns to give you a real per-mile cost estimate — not the EPA-sticker version.