By EV Charge Cost Editorial Team. Published September 28, 2026, updated October 26, 2026.
How to work out a full charge
Battery capacity is not the best starting point, because some energy is lost between the wall and the battery and part of the pack is held back as a buffer. The EPA numbers get around both problems:
- kWh from the wall for a full charge = EPA range × kWh per 100 miles ÷ 100
- Cost = that kWh × your price per kWh
Because the EPA efficiency figure is measured at the wall outlet, the result already includes charging losses. It describes a charge from empty to full, which few people actually do, so treat it as an upper bound for a home session.
Full-charge cost for popular models
Each row uses one representative trim per model and the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢/kWh (August 2026). The range runs from $8.23 for the Nissan Leaf to $27.84 for the Ford F-150 Lightning.
| Model | EPA range | kWh/100 mi | kWh from wall | Full charge | 10–80% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Leaf | 149 mi | 30.4 | 45.3 | $8.23 | $5.76 |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 206 mi | 31.6 | 65.1 | $11.82 | $8.27 |
| Nissan Ariya | 205 mi | 35.3 | 72.4 | $13.14 | $9.20 |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | 261 mi | 29.1 | 75.9 | $13.78 | $9.65 |
| Subaru Solterra | 278 mi | 28.9 | 80.4 | $14.60 | $10.22 |
| Toyota bZ | 288 mi | 28.0 | 80.6 | $14.64 | $10.25 |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | 240 mi | 33.6 | 80.7 | $14.66 | $10.26 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 6 | 316 mi | 28.0 | 88.5 | $16.07 | $11.25 |
| Tesla Model Y | 337 mi | 26.9 | 90.5 | $16.44 | $11.51 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 346 mi | 26.4 | 91.3 | $16.57 | $11.60 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 269 mi | 34.5 | 92.8 | $16.85 | $11.80 |
| Kia EV6 | 295 mi | 31.6 | 93.2 | $16.92 | $11.84 |
| BMW i4 | 287 mi | 33.4 | 95.9 | $17.41 | $12.19 |
| Chevrolet Equinox EV | 307 mi | 32.6 | 100.1 | $18.18 | $12.73 |
| Honda Prologue | 294 mi | 34.1 | 100.2 | $18.19 | $12.73 |
| Chevrolet Blazer EV | 283 mi | 35.6 | 100.9 | $18.32 | $12.82 |
| Lucid Air | 396 mi | 27.3 | 108.1 | $19.64 | $13.75 |
| Tesla Model X | 329 mi | 34.2 | 112.7 | $20.46 | $14.32 |
| Tesla Model S | 348 mi | 32.5 | 113.1 | $20.53 | $14.37 |
| Kia EV9 | 283 mi | 40.0 | 113.2 | $20.56 | $14.39 |
| Cadillac Lyriq | 319 mi | 38.0 | 121.2 | $22.00 | $15.40 |
| Rivian R1S | 317 mi | 43.1 | 136.7 | $24.83 | $17.38 |
| Rivian R1T | 317 mi | 43.1 | 136.7 | $24.83 | $17.38 |
| Tesla Cybertruck | 325 mi | 42.9 | 139.4 | $25.32 | $17.72 |
| Chevrolet Silverado EV | 286 mi | 49.6 | 141.7 | $25.74 | $18.02 |
| Ford F-150 Lightning | 320 mi | 47.9 | 153.3 | $27.84 | $19.49 |
Trims differ. Bigger wheels, dual motors and long-range packs change both range and efficiency, so check your exact trim on its vehicle page.
The 10–80% session is the real-world number
Most owners plug in before the battery is nearly empty and stop well short of 100% for daily driving. A 10–80% session covers 70% of the range, so it costs about 70% of the full-charge figure. For the typical 294-mile EV that is about 68.9 kWh and $12.52 at home.
Whether to go to 100% is a separate question from cost. See should you charge your EV to 100%.
Where you live changes the price of a full charge
The same full charge of a 2025 Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD (337 miles, 26.9 kWh/100 mi) costs:
- Nevada (12.72¢/kWh): $11.52
- Alabama, a middle-ranked state (16.33¢/kWh): $14.78
- U.S. average (18.16¢/kWh): $16.44
- Hawaii (47.18¢/kWh): $42.71
At a public fast charger with an example price of $0.45/kWh (enter your own in the calculator), the same energy would cost roughly $40.74. Fast chargers bill for the energy they deliver, which is usually a bit less than the wall-based EPA figure, so treat that as an approximation.
Full-charge cost vs cost per mile
A bigger battery costs more to fill, but that alone does not make a car expensive to run. A long-range model may cost more per full charge simply because it holds more energy and goes further on it. For comparing running costs, the cost per 100 miles is the fairer number: $6.08 for a typical 33.5 kWh/100 mi EV at 18.16¢/kWh. The full-charge figure is most useful for budgeting a single session, or for checking what a public charger bill should look like.
What this number leaves out
- Cold weather. The kWh needed to fill the battery is similar, but you get fewer miles from it, so the cost per mile rises.
- Battery aging. An older pack holds less, so a full charge costs slightly less but also delivers fewer miles.
- Your real rate. Use the price on your bill, not a state average. See how to find your rate per kWh.