worldofcalcsEV Charging Cost Calculator
How much does it cost to charge an EV?
Charging an electric car at home is one of the cheapest ways to drive in India. The cost depends on the battery energy you add, how much is lost while charging, and your rate per unit, which is far lower at home than at public fast chargers. This calculator works out the cost of a charge, the cost per km and how long it takes.
How charging cost is worked out
About 10% of the energy is lost as heat while charging, so 90% efficiency is a sensible default. Cost per km is the rate per kWh divided by the kilometres the car covers on one kWh, allowing for the same losses. Real-world range is usually well below the ARAI-certified figure, so use 6–8 km per kWh for most cars.
Charging tips
- Home charging is usually 3–4 times cheaper per km than public DC fast charging. Use fast chargers for trips, not every day.
- Several states offer special EV or time-of-day tariffs that make night-time charging cheaper; check with your electricity company.
- Keeping the battery between about 20% and 80% for daily use is easier on it; charge to 100% before long trips.
- Fast-charging speed drops as the battery fills, so 80–100% takes much longer than 20–80%.
- Public charger prices often add GST and sometimes a session or parking fee, so the real cost per kWh can be higher than the headline rate.
Worked example
- A Tata Nexon EV with a 45 kWh battery, charged from 20% to 80%
- Energy added: 45 × 60% = 27 kWh; drawn from the socket at 90% efficiency: 30 kWh
- At home at ₹8 a unit: ₹240; at a public fast charger at ₹22 a kWh: ₹660
- Cost per km at home, at 7 km per kWh: ₹1.27, against ₹6.33 for a petrol car doing 15 km/L at ₹95
- Time: about 4 hours 10 minutes on a 7.2 kW wallbox, or around 36 minutes on a 50 kW fast charger
EV running cost per km
At 7 km per kWh and 90% charging efficiency, compared with a petrol car doing 15 km/L at ₹95.
| Where you charge | Rate per kWh | Cost per km | Cost per 1,000 km |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home (low tariff) | ₹6 | ₹0.95 | ₹952 |
| Home | ₹8 | ₹1.27 | ₹1,270 |
| Home (high slab) | ₹10 | ₹1.59 | ₹1,587 |
| Public AC charger | ₹15 | ₹2.38 | ₹2,381 |
| Public DC charger | ₹18 | ₹2.86 | ₹2,857 |
| Public DC charger | ₹22 | ₹3.49 | ₹3,492 |
| Public DC charger | ₹25 | ₹3.97 | ₹3,968 |
Petrol at 15 km/L and ₹95 a litre costs about ₹6.33 per km, or ₹6,333 per 1,000 km.