EV Road Trip Charging Cost Calculator
Estimate the energy and charging cost for a trip when part of the energy comes from home and part from public chargers.
How it works
Trip energy = distance × kWh per 100 miles ÷ 100. Home energy = trip energy × home share; public energy = the rest. Cost = home energy × home price + public energy × public price.
Worked example: 500 miles at 30 kWh/100 mi = 150 kWh. 40% at home (60 kWh × $0.16 = $9.60) plus 60% public (90 kWh × $0.42 = $37.80) = $47.40.
Assumptions
- Public chargers may bill per kWh, per session, by time, or through a subscription (DOE AFDC). This calculator assumes per-kWh pricing; use the per-kWh vs per-minute calculator for time-based pricing.
- Idle fees, session fees, membership fees and free charging are not included.
- Constant efficiency for the whole trip. Highway speed and weather can raise consumption.
- All prices are editable estimates. The defaults are placeholders, not current market prices; use your own bill or charger's posted price.
Frequently asked questions
How do public chargers charge for electricity?
According to the DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, common pricing structures include by kWh, by session, by length of time, or through a subscription, and more than 20% of public charging is free to use.
Does the trip energy include charging losses?
If you enter an EPA label kWh/100 mi or MPGe value, yes: EPA says those values include Level 2 AC charging losses.
Related calculators
- EV charging cost calculator
- Per-kWh vs per-minute charging price
- Gas vs electric cost per mile
- EV range calculator
Sources
Formulas and reference values are from these sources. Page last reviewed 2026-10-19.