With electric vehicles becoming the next big thing for everyone, it has become imperative to investigate how financially intensive it is. One of the major concerns that most potential owners of an electric vehicle may have is “how much it costs to charge an electric car”.
Charging an electric vehicle is usually among the recurrent costs of owning such a vehicle, but the actual value varies according to different factors. Those variables include where you charge the car, how much energy your electric vehicle consumes, and the kind of vehicle you have.
In this article, we are going to examine what it takes to charge an electric car, the factors that influence the pricing, and how much it takes to recharge a Tesla. We will also see what it costs to charge an electric car at a public charging station, at home, and for specific ranges traveled, for example, 300 miles.
Understanding the Cost of Charging EVs
Before going into the nitty-gritty of specific costs, it is also good to have an overview of the main considerations determining the cost of charging an electric vehicle:
The cost of electricity household comparative and time-of-day differential is regional concerning whether charging was done at home or via a public charging station.
Battery capacity The bigger the batteries, the more energy they consume, and often results in more expensively charging the car fully.
Charging speed thoroughly depends on how much you charge within whether via Level 1, Level 2, or a fast charger.
Vehicle efficiency- This is because different EV types consume different amounts of energy for consumption, so charging will take a different overall cost.
Now let us look at each of these factors in detail.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car at a charging station?
The cost to charge the electric vehicle at the charging stations will differ greatly depending on the type of charging station, location, and provider. There are generally two types of public charging stations: Level 2 charging stations and DC fast charging stations.
Level 2 charging stations
Level 2 is the most common public charging station. It charges the electric vehicle in about 4 to 6 hours, depending on the vehicle and battery condition. Charges at the level 2 stages, how much does it cost to charge an electric car? On average, it is between $0.10 and $0.30 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), but this can vary according to the region. Some stations charge customers on a per-minute basis, which can be around $1-$2 per hour of charging.
As an example, for an EV that requires 30 kWh for a full charge, charging at a Level 2 station would cost a user between $3 and $9, depending on the price per kWh.
DC fast charging stations
DC fast chargers also referred to as Level 3 chargers, can fast charge an EV from 30 minutes to 1 hour. With that high speed and power comes the greater cost of usage. How much does it cost to charge an electric car at the charging station with a DC fast charging station? When fast charging, prices range from $0.25 to $0.80 per kWh, with some stations instead implementing a flat fee per session.
Therefore, in the instance of a larger EV battery, it could cost $15 to $30 to charge it at a DC fast charger, depending on battery size and charging rate. Usually, DC fast charging stations are located at highway rest stops, gas stations, and other important intersection points, thus making this option truly a great way to charge an electric vehicle when going on long-distance road trips, whereas they could be heavy on the pocket for daily charging.
How Much Will It Cost to Charge an Electric Car for 300 Miles?
An EV owner will often consider how much it costs to charge an electric car for 300 miles on long trips. The cost would depend on the vehicle’s efficiency (miles per kWh) and local electricity rates. Most electric vehicles consume, on average, around 0.25 kWh per mile. So, for a trip of 300 miles, you have:
300 miles x 0.25 kWh/mile = 75 kWh
Multiplying the first quantity (in kWh) with the cost per kWh should give you the total cost:
Thus, if the local rate is $0.12 per kWh, charging for 300 miles would set you back 75 kWh x $0.12 = $9.
On fast charge at $0.50, it would be up to 75 kWh x $0.50 = $37.50.
That is just a rough estimate-good for a ballpark figure regarding the charging cost of a 300-mile trip. Do bear in mind that there could be variances in charging efficiencies due to the model in question, driving conditions, and the particular charging procedure.
How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car at Home?
While charging an electric car at home is the most convenient and cost-effective solution, just what is the cost of charging an electric car at home? This essentially revolves around local electricity rates, battery size, and type of charger in use.
Home Charging Using Level 1 Charger
Level 1 charger (regular 120V outlet) can be considered the slowest route for charging an electric car but usually is the cheapest. Charging generally adds 3 to 5 miles of range for every hour. On average, charging an electric car at home with a Level 1 charger can cost about $0.12 per kWh depending on the electric utility provider. Charging a 60-kWh battery would cost roughly $7.20 for a full charge.
Home Charging Using Level 2 Charger
Level 2 chargers (240V outlet) can better and faster charging, giving around 25 to 30 miles of range for every hour of charging. The cost of owning Level 2 chargers at home stands at approximately $0.12 per kWh, with charging benefitting royally from it time-wise. A full 60 kWh battery charge should also cost around $7.20 with Level 2 charging.
How Much Does It Cost to Charge a Tesla?
If you are an owner of a Tesla, one question that is likely to cross your mind is how much it costs to charge a Tesla minus other electric vehicles. The charging cost depends on the number of the model (such as Model 3, Model S, Model X, or Model Y) and the size of the battery in use.
For instance, the Tesla Model 3 has an average battery size of around 54-82kWh, depending on the variant. Charging at home would cost between $6.50-$9.84 for a full charge, assuming a typical residential rate of $0.12 per kWh.
At a public charging station, the latest Tesla Supercharger stations charge anywhere from $0.25 to $0.45 per kWh, depending upon location. Therefore, if one uses a Supercharger for full charging (approximately the 60-kWh mark), cost estimates will run from about $15 to $27.
Average Cost to Charge Electric Car
Well, several factors intervened in determining the average cost of charging an electric vehicle. Factors such as battery size, vehicle efficiency, and also the rates of electricity in the region where you live are influencers of the average cost. However, the average amount in a general sense:
Charging at home would cost between $7 and $15, mostly dependent on a full charge from a typical 60 kWh battery and the rate of $0.12 per kWh.
At a public station, it can cost you about $10 to $30; this varies according to the type of the station (i.e., Level 2 or Direct Current fast charger) and from one local electricity rate.
EVs will average approximately $0.10 to $0.25 per mile in electric utility costs. That beats conventional cars by affordable margins in long-term driving costs.
Are EV Charging Stations Free?
There are notably rare instances where charging at an electric vehicle charging station would be free. Many retail outlets, shopping malls, and hotels may provide complimentary charging for patronage purposes. Most public charging stations, more commonly around fast chargers, attract a fee besides being freely used.
So, for the question of are EV charging stations free, it would depend on your response. The availability of free KWh and zero-fee charging stations exists in certain areas, especially where government and local business incentives come into play in providing “complimentary” charging. However, as a general rule, most charging stations charge percentages based either on the amount of electricity consumed (per kWh) or on the duration of the charging session (per minute or hour).
How much to fully charge an electric car?
How much it costs to charge an electric car fully depends on its battery capacity and electricity rates. As a rule of thumb:
-smaller EVs with a 30-40 kWh battery will cost around $3-$5 to charge from empty to full.
-medium-size EVs using a 60-75 kWh battery may require a charge of about $7-$10.
-A larger one such as this would not cost less than $12-$15 for charging at home, at least for units above the 100-kWh range.
Conclusion
Well, as much as it’s going to cost you to charge an electric car does depend on all such aspects as where it is that you do the charging not to mention which kind of charger you would use, in addition to possibly the volumetric capacity of your vehicle’s battery storage. Retail charging options at home can generally be the cheapest and typically fall between the $7-$15 range for a full charge. Public station charging could cost anywhere from $10-$30 per charge, especially for fast charger facilities.
Armed with this knowledge about the electric vehicle charging requirements matching with electricity consumption in their area, one would be placed better to optimize his or her expenditure on EV charging and identify the cheaper charging alternatives available.