How Much Do Electric Car Charging Stations Cost?

If you are considering purchasing an electric vehicle, your next question after what its range is might be what it will cost to charge it. The answer is complicated — more so than with a conventional gas or hybrid vehicle, where fueling stations are numerous and prices are prominently displayed. But as a rule, charging at public stations will cost more than a home charger.

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Home, Sweet Home

The cheapest and most convenient way to charge an EV is with a home charger, which is what Cars.com editors recommend for regular charging. The cost of installing a charger can vary substantially, as Cars.com editors have found, but it also can add value to your property. Once it’s installed, you can do most of your charging overnight at home and not have to give it much thought.

How much it costs to plug in at home will depend on the prices charged by your local utility company, including any daily time of use and seasonal variations, but the price will be consistent with the costs for any other appliance in your home. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. cost for electricity in December 2022 was 16.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. To help you figure the cost to drive a given distance with home charging, the Department of Energy has an online calculator available that’s based on your rates and your EV’s EPA-rated efficiency.

On the Road Requires Planning

There will be times, however, when you need to charge on the road, and keeping costs down requires planning ahead.

Public charging stations are becoming more numerous — as this is written, the DOE estimates there are about 51,000 public charging stations in the U.S., with approximately 131,000 ports to charge a vehicle. Roughly 7,000 of those stations offer around 29,000 ports that offer DC fast charging, which can offer 50-350 kilowatts in capacity and, in ideal conditions, charge many EVs to 80% in under a half-hour. The rest are slower Level 2 chargers that offer a typical output of 7-19 kW and can add miles on the go when needed, but a full charge would be measured in hours.

It’s important to know the charging capacity of your EV since not all can take full advantage of higher charging speeds. Fast charging is more expensive overall than Level 2. It’s also hard on battery life if you use it all the time, so it’s best left for needed pit stops on road trips. If the trip includes an overnight stay, you could plan for cheaper Level 2 charging at that stop.

Numerous in-car and public-charging smartphone apps can help plan charging along your route. While your route might offer limited options, minimizing costs also requires planning; that’s because the stations available might be on different networks with different pricing and payment plans. Some offer lower rates to subscribers who pay a monthly fee, which can pay off for heavy users, but likely not occasional ones. Even on the same network, the cost to charge at a given location could vary based on the rates charged by the utility serving it and, in many areas, whether you’re using the station in peak or off hours. Individual networks or stations might charge by the kilowatt-hour or minute, have a one-time charge per session, charge a fee to reserve a charger, or charge a fee for sitting at the charger after the session ends — not to mention different networks make it easier or more difficult to pay.

The Networks

Among the largest U.S. networks are Tesla Superchargers, ChargePoint, Electrify America and EVgo, though there are other smaller and regional networks. All have apps to help you locate stations and determine pricing and availability. There also are third-party apps (such as PlugShare) that offer similar information across networks and help in locating non-networked public stations. Charger information also can be found in Waze, Apple and Google navigation apps.

Here are some examples of networks and pricing policies for fast charging; slower charging where available will be cheaper if you have the time.

• Tesla has a proprietary fast-charging network called Superchargers, as well as slower destination chargers at hotels and other venues where you might spend more time that amount to about 17,000 chargers in the U.S. Rates can vary widely by location and by time of day; some charge by kilowatt-hour, while others are priced by the minute via four tiers of charging speeds. The Tesla phone app and in-car screen provide full details and availability for the stations. Tesla also charges “idle fees” ranging from 50 cents to $1 per minute at crowded stations if you don’t move the EV when charging is finished. Currently, only Tesla vehicles can use these stations thanks to a Tesla-specific connector; however, that will change down the road as part of President Joe Biden’s plan for 500,000 EV chargers in the U.S. by 2030.
• ChargePoint is a charging equipment and services company that provides charging solutions for homes, businesses and governments; it also oversees a large network of chargers, though many of them are Level 2. But while it provides equipment and services to businesses and governments for public stations, these independent owners set the pricing for their station. That means charges and fees can vary widely, though the ChargePoint app provides information for each station.
• Electrify America has a network of 800-plus stations with around 3,500 fast chargers and is rapidly expanding. Its current charges in most states are 43 cents per kilowatt-hour for general users and 31 cents per kilowatt-hour for subscribers, who also pay a $4 monthly fee; however, the company announced pricing will increase in March to 48 cents and 36 cents, respectively. In some states, pricing is by the minute, which is also going up. Electrify America also charges 40 cents per minute if you don’t move the EV within 10 minutes after charging ends. The company lists rates by state here.
• The EVgo network has about 850 stations in 36 states and ambitious plans to expand. The network’s charges vary by state, as does whether the charge is by kilowatt-hour or per minute. Charges also can vary by time of day; the basic rate for DC fast charging in Illinois, for example, is 30 cents per minute for general users plus a $3 flat fee per session. But the company offers lower tiers of rates for subscribers who pay a monthly fee of 99 cents (28 cents per minute plus $3 session fee), $6.99 (24 cents per minute, no session fee) or $12.99 (22 cents per minute, no session fee). EVgo’s state-by-state pricing is here.

What About the Plug?

Tesla owners have the easiest time getting a fast-charge fill-up. The proprietary Tesla connector fits the Tesla Supercharger stations, and a Tesla adapter allows owners to use other public stations, as well. Non-Tesla stations mostly are equipped with Combined Charging System connectors, which are becoming an industry standard, and some also offer the less common CHAdeMO connectors used by the Nissan Leaf and some other EVs.

Don’t Overlook Freebies

Some EVs come with varying amounts of free public charging, which could be one factor in your choice of vehicle. Also, in many areas, there are free chargers — the best kind — available in shopping areas, parking garages and other public spaces, as well as at workplaces as an employee benefit. The Volta network, which is in 31 states and is being acquired by Shell, has pay stations but also operates more than 2,000 free-to-use Level 2 chargers at shopping and entertainment locations subsidized by ads on a digital kiosk at the charger.

More From Cars.com:

• How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car?
• What It Cost to Outfit 6 Homes With EV Chargers
• Electric Vehicles: Understanding the Terminology
• EV Owners Frustrated by Public Charging, Says J.D. Power Study
• How to Find EV Charging Stations
• Which New Electric Vehicles Come With Free Charging?

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