When you compare the cost of driving a gas-powered car one mile to the cost of driving an electric car the EV almost always comes out ahead. Gas prices are advertised in large numbers at every local gas station, so drivers of gas-powered cars are always aware of the price. The cost of electricity is less important to people than the cost of using an EV charging station.
It is possible to calculate EV charging costs in a couple of minutes. The average cost for electric car charging is about 60 percent lower than the equivalent fueling costs for an internal combustion vehicle, according to the Department of Energy. There are three ways to calculate the cost to charge and drive an electric vehicle.
The chart shows the cost to fully charge a Volkswagen ID.4 as well as the cost per mile and annual cost to charge for each state in the US. We will show you how we arrived at this number.
| Cost of Charging an Electric VehicleAssuming annual driving distance of 14,263 miles in a 2022 VW ID.4 Pro RWD | ||||
| Average Price of Residential Electricity by State | *Cents per kWh (June 2022) | Cost to fully charge 77 kWh battery, 0-100% (in dollars) | Cost per mile (in cents) | Annual Charging Cost |
| Alabama | 14.79 | $11.39 | 4.14 | $590 |
| Alaska | 24.01 | $18.49 | 6.72 | $958 |
| Arizona | 13.21 | $10.17 | 3.70 | $528 |
| Arkansas | 12.56 | $9.67 | 3.52 | $502 |
| California | 28.98 | $22.31 | 8.11 | $1157 |
| Colorado | 14.42 | $11.10 | 4.04 | $576 |
| Connecticut | 25.43 | $19.58 | 7.12 | $1016 |
| Delaware | 13.37 | $10.29 | 3.74 | $533 |
| District of Columbia | 13.74 | $10.58 | 3.85 | $549 |
| Florida | 13.90 | $10.70 | 3.89 | $555 |
| Georgia | 15.27 | $11.76 | 4.28 | $619 |
| Hawaii | 44.09 | $33.95 | 12.35 | $1761 |
| Idaho | 11.38 | $8.76 | 3.19 | $455 |
| Illinois | 16.79 | $12.93 | 4.70 | $670 |
| Indiana | 14.81 | $11.40 | 4.15 | $592 |
| Iowa | 14.98 | $11.53 | 4.19 | $598 |
| Kansas | 14.52 | $11.18 | 4.07 | $581 |
| Kentucky | 13.13 | $10.11 | 3.68 | $525 |
| Louisiana | 12.79 | $9.85 | 3.58 | $511 |
| Maine | 24.22 | $18.65 | 6.78 | $967 |
| Maryland | 14.67 | $11.30 | 4.11 | $586 |
| Massachusetts | 25.20 | $19.40 | 7.06 | $1007 |
| Michigan | 18.11 | $13.94 | 5.07 | $723 |
| Minnesota | 15.00 | $11.55 | 4.20 | $599 |
| Mississippi | 12.64 | $9.73 | 3.54 | $505 |
| Missouri | 14.07 | $10.83 | 3.94 | $562 |
| Montana | 11.61 | $8.94 | 3.25 | $464 |
| Nebraska | 11.60 | $8.93 | 3.25 | $464 |
| Nevada | 13.18 | $10.15 | 3.69 | $526 |
| New Hampshire | 22.72 | $17.49 | 6.36 | $907 |
| New Jersey | 17.27 | $13.30 | 4.84 | $690 |
| New Mexico | 14.14 | $10.89 | 3.96 | $565 |
| New York | 22.38 | $17.23 | 6.27 | $894 |
| North Carolina | 11.83 | $9.11 | 3.31 | $472 |
| North Dakota | 13.11 | $10.09 | 3.67 | $523 |
| Ohio | 14.33 | $11.03 | 4.01 | $572 |
| Oklahoma | 13.16 | $10.13 | 3.68 | $525 |
| Oregon | 11.79 | $9.08 | 3.30 | $471 |
| Pennsylvania | 16.51 | $12.71 | 4.62 | $659 |
| Rhode Island | 23.63 | $18.20 | 6.62 | $944 |
| South Carolina | 14.21 | $10.94 | 3.98 | $568 |
| South Dakota | 13.31 | $10.25 | 3.73 | $532 |
| Tennessee | 12.35 | $9.51 | 3.46 | $493 |
| Texas | 13.30 | $10.24 | 3.72 | $531 |
| Utah | 11.24 | $8.65 | 3.15 | $449 |
| Vermont | 20.47 | $15.76 | 5.73 | $817 |
| Virginia | 13.53 | $10.42 | 3.79 | $541 |
| Washington | 10.49 | $8.08 | 2.94 | $419 |
| West Virginia | 13.76 | $10.60 | 3.85 | $549 |
| Wisconsin | 16.15 | $12.44 | 4.52 | $645 |
| Wyoming | 11.75 | $9.05 | 3.29 | $469 |
| U.S. National Average | 15.42 | $11.87 | 4.32 | $616 |
The costs of energy come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Cost Per “Gallon”
The eGallon was created by the DOE when mass-market electric vehicles were still relatively new. The average efficiency of the top five best-selling electric vehicles was used to calculate a realistic national average by the DOE. We can use the formula to calculate the cost of an eGallon for any vehicle.
The miles per gallon rating of a gas-powered car is the first thing you need to do. The formula above shows the fuel economy. The most recent data available shows the average U.S. rating for model year 2020 vehicles at 25.4 miles per gallon.
The next step is to find the electricity consumption. The number can be found on the EPA website. The best-selling electric vehicle in the U.S. last year was theTesla Model Y. Each version has a different rating. The Model Y RWD uses 26 kWh per 100 miles and is the most efficient model. The number needs to be expressed by the mile so we can divide it by 100 kWh.
The next step is to find your electricity price. The monthly number from a recent utility bill can be used for home charging. If you don’t mind rough estimates, you can use the average cost for your state or the national residential average, whichever is less.
The next step is to break out the calculator. The cost of an eGallon in the Model Y looks like this: 25.4 x.26 x 15.2 is the national average. It’s like gassing up a traditional vehicle for a dollar a gallon if you use an EV charging station.
Cost Per Charge
The charging cost can be calculated if you want to move beyond gallons. You need to know how much electricity you need and how much it costs. The average cost of electricity for a home is 10.49 cents per kWh in Washington State, 28.98 cents in California and 44.09 cents in Hawaii. The national average is close to 15 cents.
EV drivers need different amounts of electricity depending on the distance traveled and the size of the EV battery. Today’s packs range from 30 kWh to 100 kWh and are provided by the automakers. The usable battery capacity is the most important factor in determining driving range. You can estimate usable battery capacity by decreasing total capacity. For a full charge, an empty 70kWh pack would need 63 kWh. Your calculations will be more accurate if you know the battery’s net capacity.
All you have to do is add up the numbers. It will cost around $11.87 to charge from zero to full with the VW ID.4 Pro RWD’s 82kWh battery.
It is hard to discuss average costs at public fast charging stations. Depending on the charging network you use, it can cost anywhere from 30 to 40 cents per kWh. Your cost could be impacted by the time of day.
DC fast charging and the SuperCharger network will cost you more than a level 2 system at your house. If your EV has a compatible charging system, you can get from 10 to 80% battery capacity in 30 minutes.
The Nissan Leaf can’t take advantage of fast charging, which can mean up to 250 miles of range. For more information on how long it takes to charge an electric car, refer to the guide.
Cost Per Mile
It is useful to know the cost per kWh of an EV. Divide the cost of refilling the battery by the vehicle’s range to arrive at a figure. According to the Department of transportation, the average American drives 14,263 miles a year. The table above shows the cost to drive the ID.4 for a year.
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