--- title: "kWh per Mile vs Miles per kWh: How to Convert EV Efficiency" description: "A typical EV uses 33.5 kWh per 100 miles, which is 0.335 kWh per mile or 2.99 miles per kWh. Conversion formulas and a ready-made table." url: https://evchargecosts.com/guides/kwh-per-mile-vs-miles-per-kwh/ updated: 2026-10-26 --- # kWh per Mile vs Miles per kWh: How to Convert EV Efficiency To convert, divide 1 by the number you have. A typical EV rated 33.5 kWh per 100 miles uses **0.335 kWh per mile** (335 Wh/mi), which is **2.99 miles per kWh**. At 18.16¢/kWh that is 6.1¢ per mile. By [EV Charge Cost Editorial Team](https://evchargecosts.com/about/). Published September 28, 2026, updated October 26, 2026. ## Four ways to say the same thing EV efficiency shows up in several units depending on where you look: - **kWh per 100 miles**: the EPA label figure; lower is better. - **kWh per mile** or **Wh per mile**: the same idea per single mile; lower is better. - **Miles per kWh**: common on car dashboards and apps; higher is better. - **MPGe**: miles per 33.7 kWh; higher is better. See [MPGe explained](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/mpge-explained/). ## The formulas - kWh per mile = kWh per 100 miles ÷ 100 - Wh per mile = kWh per mile × 1,000 - Miles per kWh = 1 ÷ kWh per mile = 100 ÷ kWh per 100 miles - MPGe = 33.7 × miles per kWh = 3,370 ÷ kWh per 100 miles - Cost per mile = kWh per mile × price per kWh ## Conversion table Cost per mile uses the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢/kWh (EIA, August 2026). **EV efficiency unit conversions and cost per mile at 18.16¢/kWh** | kWh/100 mi | kWh/mi | Wh/mi | mi/kWh | MPGe | ¢ per mile | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 24 | 0.24 | 240 | 4.17 | 140 | 4.4 | | 28 | 0.28 | 280 | 3.57 | 120 | 5.1 | | 32 | 0.32 | 320 | 3.13 | 105 | 5.8 | | 36 | 0.36 | 360 | 2.78 | 94 | 6.5 | | 40 | 0.40 | 400 | 2.50 | 84 | 7.3 | | 45 | 0.45 | 450 | 2.22 | 75 | 8.2 | | 50 | 0.50 | 500 | 2.00 | 67 | 9.1 | | 60 | 0.60 | 600 | 1.67 | 56 | 10.9 | The most efficient model in our data, [Tesla Model 3](https://evchargecosts.com/vehicles/tesla-model-3/), is rated 26.4 kWh/100 mi (3.79 mi/kWh). The least efficient, [GMC Hummer EV](https://evchargecosts.com/vehicles/gmc-hummer-ev/), is 70.3 kWh/100 mi (1.42 mi/kWh). ## Worked examples - **From the EPA label.** A car rated 33.5 kWh/100 mi uses 0.335 kWh per mile and goes 2.99 miles per kWh. A 40-mile round trip needs 13.4 kWh, about $2.43 at 18.16¢/kWh. - **From a dashboard reading.** If your car shows 3.5 mi/kWh, that is 1 ÷ 3.5 = 0.286 kWh per mile, or 28.6 kWh per 100 miles (before charging losses). - **From Wh per mile.** 250 Wh/mi is 0.25 kWh per mile, 25 kWh per 100 miles and 4 miles per kWh. ## Metric units Outside the U.S. you will often see kWh per 100 km. Because one mile is 1.609344 km, kWh per 100 km = kWh per 100 miles ÷ 1.609344. A 33.5 kWh/100 mi car is about 20.8 kWh/100 km. To go the other way, multiply by 1.609344. Km per kWh is simply 100 ÷ kWh per 100 km. ## Dashboard numbers vs the EPA label There is one trap. The EPA figure is measured at the wall, so it includes energy lost while charging. A car's trip computer usually measures energy leaving the battery, which excludes those losses. The dashboard number therefore tends to look better than what you pay for. As an illustration, if 10% of the energy drawn from the wall were lost in charging, a dashboard reading of 4.0 mi/kWh would correspond to about 3.60 miles per kWh bought, or 27.8 kWh/100 mi from the wall. Real losses vary with charger level, temperature and the car. See [EV charging losses](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/ev-charging-losses-explained/). ## Turning your own number into a cost - Read miles per kWh from your car's trip computer over a few weeks. - Convert: kWh per 100 miles = 100 ÷ mi/kWh. Adjust for charging losses if you want a wall-based figure. - Multiply by your price per kWh. At 18.16¢/kWh, every 1 kWh per 100 miles costs $0.18 per 100 miles. Whichever unit you start from, keep one rule in mind: for cost, convert to energy per distance (kWh per mile or per 100 miles), because that is what multiplies cleanly by a price. Distance-per-energy units such as mi/kWh and MPGe are fine for comparing cars but awkward for budgeting. Or enter the kWh/100 mi value directly in the [charging cost calculator](https://evchargecosts.com/). For a wall-based figure from your own records, divide the kWh your charger reports by the miles driven. ## Run your own numbers - [Charging cost calculator](https://evchargecosts.com/) - [EV vs gas calculator](https://evchargecosts.com/ev-vs-gas/) - [Charging time calculator](https://evchargecosts.com/charging-time/) - [Cost in your state](https://evchargecosts.com/states/) - [How we calculate](https://evchargecosts.com/methodology/) ## Related guides - [What kWh per 100 Miles Means (and How It Relates to MPGe)](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/what-kwh-per-100-miles-means/) - [How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Truck?](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/cost-to-charge-an-electric-truck/) - [How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric SUV?](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/cost-to-charge-an-electric-suv/) - [The Cheapest Electric Cars to Charge (Most Efficient EVs)](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/cheapest-evs-to-charge/) - [Does Cold Weather Increase EV Charging Cost?](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/cold-weather-ev-charging-cost/) - [Highway Speed and EV Efficiency: What It Costs to Drive Fast](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/highway-speed-and-ev-efficiency/) [All 59 guides](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/) ## Questions people ask ### What is a good miles per kWh for an EV? A typical EV in our data works out to about 2.99 miles per kWh at the wall. Anything higher is more efficient than typical; small, low cars tend to score best. ### How do I convert Wh per mile to kWh per 100 miles? Divide Wh per mile by 10. For example, 300 Wh/mi is 30 kWh per 100 miles. --- Source page: https://evchargecosts.com/guides/kwh-per-mile-vs-miles-per-kwh/ Data: EIA (electricity August 2026, gasoline 2026-10-19), EPA fueleconomy.gov. License: CC BY 4.0.