EV charging cost calculator (EU)
Charging an electric car at home in the EU costs far less than fuelling a petrol or diesel one — typically 60–75% less per kilometre — while public DC fast charging can cost roughly the same as petrol. Starting on the EU-average preset (household electricity around €0.29/kWh, public charging around €0.55/kWh, petrol near €1.75 and diesel near €1.65 a litre), this calculator works out the cost of a full charge, the cost per 100 km, and your monthly and yearly spend, splitting home and public charging.
These are EU-average figures: electricity prices, fuel duty and grid carbon intensity vary widely between member states, so the in-widget country dropdown switches to Germany, Poland, Spain, Italy, Austria and more for national numbers. Switch to the comparison tab to put your EV against an equivalent petrol and diesel car and see the annual and five-year saving, the payback time on the EV's price premium, and the CO₂ saved. Every default is editable and the result is saved in the page address so you can share or bookmark it.
A full charge fills the battery from empty — in daily use you usually just top up, so a day's driving costs a small fraction of this. The cost per 100 km blends your home and public prices by how much you use each, and the yearly total applies that across your annual distance.
Home electricity price: €0.29 · Blended home + public electricity. €0.34 per kWh
Methodology & sources
Cost of a full charge = battery capacity (kWh) × electricity price (per kWh). Cost per 100 km = your EV's consumption (kWh per 100 km) × a blended electricity price, where the blend weights your home rate and your public rate by the share you charge at home. Annual electricity = consumption × annual distance × blended price; the monthly figure is that divided by twelve.
For the comparison, petrol and diesel running cost = consumption (litres per 100 km) × distance × pump price per litre. The five-year saving is the annual EV-vs-petrol difference multiplied by five. It counts energy and fuel only — not purchase price, depreciation, tax, servicing or insurance — so it isolates the running-cost gap. For a full line-by-line five-year total of ownership, see the EV vs petrol vs diesel article.
Consumption is expressed per 100 km and fuel per litre (never mpg) so the maths is unambiguous; the km/miles toggle converts distances for you. EU-average defaults: household electricity ~€0.29/kWh, public DC fast ~€0.55/kWh, petrol ~€1.75/l and diesel ~€1.65/l, grid ~250 g CO₂/kWh, EV efficiency ~17–19 kWh/100 km (a real-world figure that already absorbs charging losses). Because energy prices and grid mix differ sharply by country, treat the EU-average result as a starting point and pick your country preset for a figure that reflects your national grid and taxes.
CO₂ is shown on two selectable accounting boundaries (compare tab). Well-to-wheel (the default) is the full energy chain: the EV uses the grid's generation intensity (EU-average ~250 g/kWh) plus ~8% transmission and distribution losses, and petrol/diesel add upstream extraction, refining and distribution (well-to-tank) on top of combustion — about +0.61 kg CO₂e per litre of petrol and +0.63 per litre of diesel (DEFRA 2024 GHG conversion factors, vintage 2024). Tank-to-wheel counts point-of-use only: the EV is zero at the wheel and fuel is direct combustion (petrol 2.31 kg/L, diesel 2.68 kg/L). Neither boundary includes vehicle or battery manufacturing.
Primary sources
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to fully charge an electric car in the EU?
For a typical 75 kWh battery, a 0–100% charge at home costs about €22 at the EU-average household rate of ~€0.29/kWh. On public DC fast charging at ~€0.55/kWh the same charge is roughly €41. National prices vary a lot — from cheaper grids like Spain to pricier ones — so pick your country preset for an accurate figure, and change the battery size and price for your exact car and tariff.
Is it cheaper to charge at home or in public?
Home, by a wide margin. Household electricity is typically two to three times cheaper per kWh than public DC fast charging across the EU, so a driver who charges mostly at home pays far less per 100 km than one who relies on rapid chargers. The home-share slider shows exactly how your blend changes the result.
Why does my country differ from the EU average?
Because electricity prices, fuel duty and grid carbon intensity vary widely between member states. A coal-heavy grid emits far more per kWh than a nuclear- or renewables-heavy one, and household electricity can be twice as expensive in one country as another. The EU-average preset is a starting point — use the country dropdown to load Germany, Poland, Spain, Italy, Austria and others for national figures.
How much can an EV save versus petrol or diesel?
For a home-charging driver doing average distance, an EV typically saves several hundred euros a year on energy versus petrol, which compounds to a four-figure five-year saving on fuel alone. The exact number depends on your electricity price, fuel price and distance — switch to the comparison tab to see yours.
Well-to-wheel vs tank-to-wheel — which CO₂ number is right?
Both are valid; they draw the boundary in different places. Tank-to-wheel counts only emissions at the point of use, so the EV is zero at the wheel and a petrol or diesel car emits just its combustion (2.31 and 2.68 kg CO₂ per litre). Well-to-wheel — the default here — is the more complete, like-for-like number: it adds the grid's generation emissions plus grid losses for the EV, and fuel extraction, refining and distribution for petrol and diesel. On the EU-average grid (~250 g/kWh) the EV still comes out far cleaner; well-to-wheel simply stops the comparison flattering fuel by ignoring its upstream emissions. Neither figure includes building the car or its battery.
Can I share my result?
Yes. Every input is stored in the page address as you change it, so you can copy the link (or use the copy button) and anyone who opens it sees exactly your numbers and result.