How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

Multiply the kWh you draw from the wall by your electricity rate. A 20% to 80% charge on a 75 kWh battery uses about 50 kWh from the wall. At 18 cents per kWh that costs $9.00. The US average home rate was 18.16 cents per kWh in August 2026, a preliminary figure.

That average comes from the Energy Information Administration, which reported 17.57 cents a year earlier. Your own bill may differ, and some utilities offer cheaper time-of-use rates for overnight charging. Public fast chargers set their own prices.

Use wall energy, not battery energy, because charging losses are part of what you pay for. The EPA's kWh per 100 miles figure on each car's label already includes those losses. The EV charging cost calculator uses your rate and also compares the cost with gas.