Free tool · Charging cost
Electric Vehicle Charging Cost Calculator
Find out what charging actually costs you — per km, per full charge and per month. Pick your EV, your city's electricity tariff and how much you charge in public, and see the real number including the charging losses most calculators quietly leave out.
Your setup
Compare against petrol
Monthly charging cost
₹1,960
for 1,200 km · ₹1.63/km
Full charge at home
₹738
0→100%, 81.2 kWh
One DC session
₹775
20→80%, adds ~312 km
Versus a petrol vehicle
≈ ₹60,477 a year
Cost per km by charging source
Figures include charging losses — roughly 12% on AC and 6% on DC. That energy is billed to you but never reaches the battery. Your blend uses 80% home + 20% Public AC (3.3–7.4 kW).
What actually determines your charging cost
Three numbers: price per unit, how many units you need per kilometre, and energy lost between wall and battery. Domestic tariffs vary widely by city and slab; public DC is often two to three times home rates — so the same car can cost ₹1–₹4/km depending purely on where you plug in.
Home charging: the number that matters most
Most Indian EV charging happens at home or work. Units are billed at your highest slab, not your average. A dedicated EV meter (where offered) can cut that sharply — Delhi’s EV tariff is about ₹4.50/unit — and often pays for itself within a year if you drive ~1,000+ km/month.
Public charging: convenience has a price
Public AC sits around ₹12–15/kWh; 50–60 kW DC around ₹20–24; ultra-fast hubs ₹24–28. Your charging mix matters more than the car: 95% home can be ~₹1.20/km; all DC can be ~₹3+/km — still below petrol, but no longer transformative. Use the public-share slider to see your mix.
The charging losses nobody mentions
AC round-trip loss is typically 10–15%; DC closer to 5–8%. A 40 kWh pack may draw ~45 units for a full home charge. This tool includes that, so figures run slightly higher than a simple battery × tariff estimate.
Cutting your charging bill
- Apply for an EV meter if your state offers one.
- Charge overnight on time-of-day tariffs where available.
- Prefer a 7.4 kW wall box over a slow socket when you can.
- Treat DC as a top-up, not a daily habit.
- Pre-cool while plugged in so cabin load comes from the grid.
- Consider rooftop solar if you own the roof.
Frequently asked questions
For a typical 40 kWh car at ~₹8/unit home, a full 0–100% charge costs roughly ₹360–400 once losses are counted. A 60 kWh pack is about ₹540–600. On public DC at ₹22/kWh the same full charge is closer to ₹950–1,400 — which is why most owners charge at home and use public points for road-trip top-ups.
Home charging is typically ₹1.00–₹1.60/km. Exclusive public DC is roughly ₹2.80–₹4.00/km. A petrol car at 18 km/l and ₹105/litre is about ₹5.80/km — so home charging is often four to five times cheaper.
Operators recover hardware, commercial power tariffs, site rent, connectivity, maintenance and payment fees. The ₹18–26/kWh you pay covers all of that, not just electricity.
Yes. Your meter measures energy into the charger, not into the pack. AC typically loses ~10–15%; DC ~5–8%. A 40 kWh battery may draw ~45 units on a full AC charge. Ignoring that understates cost by about a tenth.
Several states offer one (e.g. Delhi ~₹4.50/unit). Most require a dedicated EV meter — you usually cannot get the EV rate on an ordinary household socket. Check with your DISCOM.
Slightly, via efficiency rather than tariff. AC and thermal management cut real-world km per kWh, so cost/km can rise 10–20% in peak heat. Overnight charging is often both cooler and cheaper on time-of-day rates.
Cost per unit is the same; a full charge simply costs more because you put more energy in. Daily 80–90% at home is common; save 100% for long trips. On DC, the last 20% is slow due to tapering.
A typical 3 kWh scooter costs about ₹27 to fill at ₹8/unit including losses — roughly ₹0.30/km. A 50 km/l petrol scooter at ₹105 is about ₹2.10/km, which is why two-wheeler payback is often much faster than cars.
Tools to help you decide
Tariff figures are indicative residential and commercial rates and vary by slab, city and DISCOM. Use the custom-rate field with your bill for an accurate result. Estimation only — not a quotation.