Free tool · EV charging

What does it really cost to charge this EV?

Pick a model or enter your own numbers, choose a charging scenario, and see the real cost per 100 km — home electricity price pulled from Destatis' official household average, with all four scenarios compared.

10%
80%

Why charging costs more than battery capacity × price

Charging always draws more energy from the grid than ends up in the battery — AC charging loses roughly 12%, DC roughly 7%, to heat and conversion losses. The calculator accounts for this: energy drawn = energy to battery / efficiency, so the price you pay reflects what actually leaves the wall socket, not just what the battery gained.

The home price defaults to Destatis' official household electricity average (table 61243) — a real, independently published figure, though it blends every tariff on the market, including older and more expensive contracts. Public AC, public DC and fast-charging prices have no equivalent public data source (charging operators set their own, fragmented pricing), so those stay as editable typical averages.

Home price: Destatis 61243, updated twice a year. Public/fast prices: editable configuration defaults, not live data.

Frequently asked questions

Why does charging cost more than battery capacity times the price?

Because charging isn't 100% efficient. AC charging (via a wallbox) loses roughly 12% of the energy drawn from the grid to heat and conversion; DC fast charging loses roughly 7%. The calculator always computes cost from the energy actually drawn from the grid, not just what lands in the battery — otherwise the number would understate your real electricity bill.

How much more expensive is fast charging than charging at home?

Typically 1.4-1.5x more per 100 km, mainly because fast-charging operators charge a premium price per kWh (often 0.55-0.79 €/kWh) compared to a home electricity tariff (around 0.40 €/kWh on official average) — DC charging is also slightly less efficient than AC, which adds a small additional gap.

Is an EV cheaper to run than a petrol car per 100 km?

In almost all cases, yes, when charging at home or on public AC — even the official household electricity average works out cheaper per 100 km than petrol at typical consumption figures. Fast charging narrows or can even close that gap, depending on current fuel and electricity prices, which is why comparing your actual charging scenario matters more than a generic EV-vs-petrol claim.

AS
Reviewed by Artyom SemenovAutomotive Editor · Fact-checked by Yauheni Kapliarchuk, Editor-in-Chief
Home price sourced from Destatis (Federal Statistical Office of Germany), table 61243
Last verified: 08 Jul 2026 · Our methodology