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Enter the battery size, the charge level before and after, and the price per kWh. Charging losses are included, because you pay for more energy than ends up in the battery. Add the car's consumption to see the range and the cost per 100 km.

Enter your values

Usable battery capacity of the car.
Where do I find this?

It is in the car's manual, the spec sheet or the vehicle settings. Use the usable capacity if both are given.

State of charge when you plug in (0 to 100).
Where do I find this?

Read it from the dashboard or the car's app.

State of charge when you unplug (0 to 100).
Where do I find this?

Many people charge to 80 % for daily use. Fast chargers slow down above that.

Energy lost between the socket and the battery. Home charging often loses about 10 to 15 %.
Where do I find this?

Compare the kWh your wallbox or meter shows with the kWh the car says it added: the difference is the loss.

If you do not know, 10 is a reasonable start.

Your home tariff, or the price shown at the charging station.
Where do I find this?

For home charging use the price per kWh on your electricity bill. Public chargers show the price in the app or on the display.

Shown on the car's trip computer. Leave empty to skip range and cost per 100 km.
Where do I find this?

The trip computer shows the average consumption in kWh per 100 km. Use your own figure: it varies a lot with speed, weather and load.

18 is only an example.

Only changes the symbol; no exchange rate is applied.

Result

Enter your values to see the result.

Cost of this charge
–
Added to the battery
– kWh
Paid for (with losses)
– kWh
Range added
– km
Cost per 100 km
–

Want this tracked for you? UtilityControl logs your meters and costs automatically.

How it is calculated

  • Energy added = battery size × (end % − start %) ÷ 100
  • Energy paid for = energy added ÷ (1 − losses ÷ 100)
  • Cost = energy paid for × price per kWh
  • Range added = energy added ÷ consumption × 100; cost per 100 km = consumption ÷ (1 − losses ÷ 100) × price

Example

A 60 kWh battery charged from 20 % to 80 % takes 36 kWh. With 10 % losses you pay for 36 ÷ 0.9 = 40 kWh, which at 0.30 per kWh is 12.00. At 18 kWh per 100 km those 36 kWh give about 200 km.

What this estimate leaves out

Fast chargers, cold weather and preconditioning change the losses. Public tariffs may add session or blocking fees, and some have different prices by speed.

Written and reviewed by QLines, Cologne · Last reviewed

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

Multiply the energy you add (battery size × the charge difference) by your price per kWh, and add the charging losses. A 60 kWh car charged from 20 % to 80 % at home for 0.30 per kWh costs about 12.

What are charging losses?

Some energy is lost as heat in the charger, the cable and the battery. You pay for the energy that leaves the socket, so it is more than the car shows as added. Home AC charging often loses around 10 to 15 %.

How do I calculate the cost per 100 km?

Multiply the car's consumption in kWh per 100 km by the price per kWh, adjusted for losses. 18 kWh per 100 km at 0.30 per kWh is 5.40, or about 6 with 10 % losses.

Is home charging cheaper than public charging?

Usually yes, because your home tariff is often lower than public fast-charging prices. Compare the price per kWh from your bill with the price at the charger.

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