Formula
EV charging cost formula
Charging cost = miles x kWh per 100 miles / 100 x electricity price / (1 - charging loss)Use your actual vehicle efficiency and electricity rate for a useful estimate.
EV Charging Cost Calculator for Tesla and Other EVs
Use this EV charging cost calculator for Tesla and other EVs to estimate trip and monthly costs from vehicle energy use and local electricity prices.
Planning estimate
Live calculator
EV charging cost
Charging cost$20.53
73.3 kWh drawn from the charger.
Monthly charging cost$82.13
4 similar charging sessions per month.
Cost per mile$0.093
30 kWh per 100 miles before charging losses.
Energy breakdown
| Part | Energy |
|---|---|
| Battery energy | 66 kWh |
| Wall energy with losses | 73.3 kWh |
Use the actual EV efficiency and applicable electricity rate. Home tariffs, public-charging fees, time-of-use pricing, weather, driving conditions, and charging losses can change real cost.
How to use
Steps
- Enter the miles covered by the charging scenario.
- Enter energy use in kWh per 100 miles.
- Add electricity price per kWh.
- Include charging loss as a percentage.
- Set how many similar charging sessions happen per month.
Example
Sample calculation
Miles driven220
Efficiency30 kWh/100 mi
Electricity rate$0.28/kWh
Trip costAbout $20.53 with 10% losses
Calculator use
Best for
- Comparing trip, commute, and monthly charging cost for a Tesla or another EV.
- Testing how vehicle efficiency, electricity price, and charging loss change the estimate.
- Comparing home charging with a separately entered public-charging rate.
- Preparing an energy-cost estimate before checking the actual vehicle, charger, and tariff details.
Before relying on it
Check first
- Do not treat the estimate as a live Tesla Supercharger price, utility quote, or charger invoice.
- Using a generic efficiency value instead of the actual EV's kWh per 100 miles.
- Ignoring charging loss, time-of-use pricing, session fees, idle fees, weather, or driving conditions.
- Comparing charging scenarios with different mileage or efficiency inputs without noticing the change.
Details
What to know before using the result
Vehicle efficiencykWh per 100 miles
Higher speeds, cold weather, cargo, hills, and tire setup can raise energy use.
Charging lossWall energy vs battery energy
Losses account for energy drawn from the outlet that does not become usable battery energy.
Rate sourceHome or public tariff
Use your utility rate for home charging and station price for public charging.
Benchmarks
How to read the result
Home rate: Usually lower.
Home charging is often cheaper per kWh when available.
Public AC: Mixed pricing.
Useful for errands or destination charging, but pricing varies by location.
DC fast charging: Often higher.
Useful for road trips, but usually worth modeling separately from home charging.
Calculator accuracy
Methodology and assumptions
Formula, inputs, limitations and review record
Formula
Charging cost = miles x kWh per 100 miles / 100 x electricity price / (1 - charging loss)
Inputs used
Miles driven, kWh per 100 miles, Electricity price, Charging loss, Charges per month
Limitations
The estimate cannot predict actual range, charging speed, battery degradation, charger availability, live tariffs, session or idle fees, weather effects, or vehicle telemetry. It only applies the entered energy-use, price, distance, and charging-loss assumptions.
Review record
Method and sources checked on July 13, 2026. The documented method, source timing, validity conditions, and reliance limits were checked on this date.
Method provenanceEstimate · toolkitshelf.EV-charging-energy-cost.v1
- Maintained by
- Toolkit Shelf
- Calculation class
- Estimate
- Method version
- toolkitshelf.EV-charging-energy-cost.v1
- Primary source
- U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center
- Source date
- Accessed July 13, 2026
- Source checked
- July 13, 2026
- Intended audience
- Tesla and other EV drivers comparing trip or monthly charging-cost scenarios from vehicle efficiency, electricity price, and charging loss.
- Valid when
- Use the actual EV's kWh per 100 miles, the applicable home or public charging price, and a reasonable charging-loss estimate. Weather, driving conditions, fees, idle charges, and time-varying tariffs can change actual cost.
- Reliance boundary
- This is an energy-cost estimate, not a charger quote, utility bill, vehicle range prediction, charging-speed forecast, or brand-specific charging recommendation.
- Data freshness
- The general relationship between vehicle energy use and electricity price was checked on July 13, 2026. No live tariff, vehicle telemetry, or brand-specific rate is embedded.
Cite this page
Toolkit Shelf. EV Charging Cost Calculator for Tesla and Other EVs. https://toolkitshelf.com/tools/tesla-charging-cost-calculator
FAQ
Common questions
Does this work for Tesla and other EVs?
Yes. The same energy-cost method works for any EV when you enter that vehicle's energy use and the electricity price for the charging location.
Should I include charging losses?
Yes. Charging losses make the wall energy higher than the energy added to the battery, so including them is more conservative.
How do I compare home and public charging?
Run separate scenarios with each electricity rate, or use a weighted average rate if you know the share of miles charged at each price.
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