How Much Does It Cost to Charge?

Are you budgeting for life with an EV? Or are you looking to understand EV savings compared to driving a conventional car? Check out the estimates below for a range of costs to charge an EV.

Charging at home:

If you’re charging at home, the average cost to charge is $2.75-$3.50 per 100 km for cars and SUVs. That amounts to less than $40 per month on your power bill, and under $1.00 a day for the average Monday-to-Friday commute.

Charging on the road:

Charging on the road costs more than charging at home, averaging $5 to $6 per 100 km for fast charging at public charging stations. Charging exclusively at public fast chargers would amount to $1.50 to $1.80 per day for a daily commute of 30 km.

Keep in mind these estimates represent a range in driving location (city driving is more efficient than highway driving thanks to regenerative braking). Also, estimates allow for a range in type of vehicle and driving style.

Are you interested in more detailed costing? Check out the Charging section of our EV Handbook.

Charging tips to help your EV go further

• To ensure you get the most life out of your battery, keep the charge level between 20% and 80%. This protects the battery from depletion and overcharging. It prevents overheating of the battery and helps to preserve battery life.
• Preheat (precool) your EV before unplugging. Once the cabin has been heated (or cooled) it takes much less energy to keep it at your preferred temperature.
• During winter, using heated seats to help stay warm uses far less power than heating the cabin. 
• Generally, a warm battery with a partial charge will charge faster than a battery that’s hot or cold, or close to fully charged, or almost fully discharged. Because of this, it is usually faster and cheaper to charge from 10-20% to 80-90% at each stop.
• Help the EV community by checking in on plugshare.com when you charge.
  • EV drivers looking to charge can tell at a glance which chargers are already in use.
  • If you have problems using a charger you can indicate that on plugshare.com which will warn other EV drivers.
  • Chargers can break down or have intermittent issues so seeing that a charger has had lots of recent successful check-in’s can be very reassuring.
  • Adding a comment or photo to the charging station on plugshare.com can help the next driver find and use the station especially if it has any special quirks.

Winter charging tips

When an EV is parked in the cold (especially below 0°C) it will use battery power to keep the battery itself from getting too cold. That means, if you do need to park in cold weather for an extended period, ex. days, then it’s a good idea to keep your EV plugged in.

To minimize the effects of temperatures extremes on range try these tips:

1. Warm up the cabin air before unplugging your EV from the charger.
2. In cold weather, schedule charging so that it finishes just before you leave since charging warms the battery.

Use these features freely as they use very little power:

1. Radio and/or sound
2. GPS
3. Phone
4. Electrically heated seats
5. Heated steering wheel

EV Charging Station Etiquette

Help make the EV charging network better for everyone by following these five friendly tips:

1. Move your vehicle as soon as your charging session is complete. Make way for the next EV in need of a charge.
2. Check in on plugshare.com when you charge. EV drivers looking for a charge can tell immediately which chargers are already in use.
3. Charge to 80% rather than 100%. For many EVs, getting the last 20% will take as long or longer than getting the first 80%. If there is another driver waiting, and you can get where you need to go with 80% charge, move along.
4. Help keep the charger tidy. Return the charger connector to its storage port and wrap cables in their proper place.
5. Report charger issues. If you have problems using a charger, indicate that on plugshare.com which will warn other EV drivers.