There’s A Lot Of Confusion Around The Cost Of Charging An Electric Car Here Are The Facts
Unlike with petrol or diesel cars, where one only has the forecourt fuel price to consider, there are a lot of variables when it comes to the cost of charging an electric car or a plug-in hybrid. When you charge an electric car at home or at a public charging station, the cost can fluctuate depending on when you charge, which tarif or charging network you use, how big the battery is and how much energy you need.
Other Costs For Charging At Home
When you buy an electric car, you can typically charge it at home with level one electric vehicle supply equipment , using your existing electrical outlets and a dedicated branch circuit. However, a level one EVSE can be slow, making it difficult to charge your car quickly.
For that reason, many homeowners opt for more advanced, level two charging stations. With a level two EVSE, you can get 10 to 60 miles of increased range per hour of charging time.
A level two EVSE requires special charging equipment and a separate, more powerful electrical circuit. You also have to pay installation fees. On average, a level two EVSE system costs $500 to $2,000 to set up.
Enhancement And Improvement Costs
Pedestal Kit
Most people opt for eitherportable or wall-mounted chargers, but it is possible to purchase a pedestalkit for your charger, particularly when using it to charge two cars. Pedestalsadd anywhere from $500 to $2,000 to the total cost, depending on thebrand and installation location.
Wi-Fi-Enabled System
Some chargers come with WI-FI andsmartphone apps that allow you to monitor your cars charging from your phone.This is beneficial because it lets you see the level of charge and how long itwill take to reach the desired amount. Having an app allows you to makeadjustments as needed more easily. These systems are available on select modelsonly, with no extra charge for those units.
Garage Modifications
Your charger will likely bemounted on a wall, connected by a cable up to 25 feet in length. Most of thetime, this can be easily done in your existing garage or driveway, butsometimes, you need to modify your garage to make it easier to use and reach.Expect to pay around $150 a square foot for any modifications to thegarage floor plan.
New Breaker Box
You may need to upgrade yourcircuit panel if it cannot handle the additional load of the car charger. Thiscosts between $1,300 and $3,000, depending on the distance and load youneed to carry.
Dual Charging and Powersharing
Solar Panels
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The Average Costs Of Using Car Charging Stations
The new trend is using chargeable cars due to their effectiveness in causing less pollution and for their convenience. Using an electric vehicle gives you multiple advantages over those using gas because a gas vehicle has fewer moving parts than a gasoline-powered car meaning that it requires less maintenance than a regular car.
Just like gas stations put fuel in your car, there are multiple car charging stations to help you charge your vehicle whenever you need it to power up. Different gas stations will have varied prices of fuel per liter. The same applies to charging stations. They charge according to the charger level you are using and the demand for charging ports when youre changing.
During rush hours, when everyone needs a charging port to recharge their cars, thats when the price goes up per kilowatt. The level of chargers youre using also determines how much it will cost to charge your vehicle entirely. When at a public charging station, you can either use a level 1 or level 2 charger. The level 2 charger is always cheaper than the level 1 charger, but it takes much longer to charge your car at a level 2 charger fully.
How Do Costs Compare With Gas
While electric vehicles are usually more expensive to purchase than their gas-powered counterparts, their maintenance and fuel costs tend to be cheaper. According to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, average lifetime fuel cost savings range from $3,000 to $10,500.
You can use the U.S. Department of Energys vehicle cost calculator to estimate your fuel costs with an electric vehicle vs. a gas-powered one.
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Cost Of Charging Vs Price Of Gas
Most EV charging is done at home and public fast charging is limited to about six times per year, a 2020 study by Consumer Reports concluded that fueling an electric vehicle costs 60% less than fueling a comparable gas-powered car.
However, this discount may very depend on where you charge. Like gasoline costs, electricity costs vary from state to state.
In late March 2021, the lowest price for an eGallon in the United States could be found in Oklahoma, at $0.81, while in Hawaii , an eGallon cost $2.65. But in every state, EV charging was always far cheaper than gasoline.
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Easy Ways To Reduce Electric Vehicle Electricity Use
How many miles per kilowatt-hour an EV gets is out of the owners control, but there are still ways to reduce high usage at home without cutting back on the miles you drive. Below are three simple ways to do just that.
Charge at Public Stations
The easiest way to dramatically reduce electricity consumption at home is by charging up for free when youre out and about. Right now there are 31,287 electric charging stations across the U.S. and Canada. Before heading out make sure to check and see if youll be stopping in an area that has one.
Charge at Night If You Have a Time-of-Use Electric Plan
People that have a time-of-use plan need to be very mindful of when they charge at home. With this type of electricity plan the kWh rate changes throughout the day depending on demand. Generally, rates are lowest between midnight and 6am. Charging during these hours wont impact how much electricity is used, but it will make a difference on your monthly bill.
Use a Smart AC Level 2 Charging Station at Home
If youre going to invest in an at-home charging station, AC level 2 charging equipment may be the best option. Level 2 equipment comes with smart features like a charging timer and data collection. These features make it easier to charge up when its cheaper and get a better idea of how far youre driving on a given day.
Power to help doesnt exist anymore
Youll get an electricity plan you can really feel good about!
How Much Does An Ev Cost To Buy And Run
Electric vehicles start from as low as $27,000 and most sell for $35,000 to $45,000. Electric vehicles come in different sizes from compact to midsize to SUV, with more than 35 makes and models currently available, and more being announced every year. The average Canadian driver, travelling 20,000 km each year, can save as much as $2,000 per year on fuel alone. For example, battery-electric EVs cost up to 75 per cent less to drive than a gas car, saving the typical EV driver $1,500-$2,000 every year on fuel.
EVs are also much cheaper to operate and maintain than gas cars, saving EV owners thousands of dollars over the EVs lifespan.
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Benefits Of Ev Charging Stations
If you have an electric car,having a charging station at home provides freedom and opportunity. Chargingwhen you are home allows you to save money by choosing the time of day and,therefore, the rate of electricity. Electric vehicles can save a lot of moneyover the cost of gas and do not require oil changes or regular maintenance,making them a more affordable long-term choice for some owners. Having acharger at your home provides greater freedom and convenience, rather thanneeding to find public chargers, business chargers, or pay-as-you-go chargeroptions.
What Do I Need To Know About Getting An Ev Charging Station Installed In My Home
If you would like to install a Level 2 EV charging station in your home, here are some important facts to remember:
- You must hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor to install the charging station and to ensure that the installation complies with all regulations under the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.
- You should make sure that the installer takes out a permit with the Electrical Safety Authority before starting the installation of your EV charging station.
- You should confirm that all the installed equipment is certified for use in Canada by a nationally recognized certification agency CSA, cUL, cETL or displays other certification marks approved by the ESA.
- You and/or your contractor will receive a Certificate of Inspection from the ESA once the installation is deemed in compliance with the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.
For more information about EV charging station installation, visit www.esasafe.com.
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The Costs Of A Solar System: $7000 And Up
Unless you’ll be charging electric cars for many years to come, it can be difficult to make an economic case for installing a solar system just to serve your EV.
In the Los Angeles area, a 1-kilowatt solar system produces an average of 4 kWh of power per day. A Chevrolet Bolt, which is EPA-rated at 29 kWh/100 miles and is one of the more efficient EVs available, would need at least a 3.6-kW system to get 50 miles of range per daily charge. Such a system costs about $7,000 and doesn’t include the cost of a storage battery to hold power for overnight charging. That feature could double the cost. Put another way, a $7,000 system would purchase over 134,000 miles’ worth of power for a Bolt, assuming a rate of 18 cents per kWh.
Solar starts to make more sense if you install a system capable of providing electricity for the household as well as the EV. Upfront costs of owning a solar system outright can be steep. But on average, a properly sized whole-house solar system will pay for itself over about seven years and will last for at least 25 years. Costs are largely dependent on the size of the system, regional labor rates, the quality of the solar panels and power inverter used, and the complexity of the installation.
The national average installed cost of a 6-kW system is $12,920, or $2.15 per watt, after applying the 30% federal tax credit, according toEnergySage, a Boston-based service that links homeowners with solar system providers across the country.
So How Much Does It Cost To Charge An Electric Car
Based on the national average, a 100 kWh battery will cost you $13 to recharge.
- If you were to charge the Tesla X P100D in the state of New York, where the electricity rate is 17.62 cents per kWh, you can expect to pay $17.62 per charge.
- Charging that same Tesla in Nebraska, where the rate is 10.04 cents per kWh, will only cost you $10.04 per charge.
- Drive that Tesla to Maine, where the cost is 14.66 cents per kWh, and youll pay $14.66 per charge.
This is assuming you are using home charging and not using fee-based charging stations. The cost of using public charging stations can vary, with some even being free. Charging costs at these stations can depend on charging time and location. For a closer look at public charging, we recommend this resource.
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Are There Any Incentives For Electric Vehicle Owners In Canada
Below, weve sorted the incentives for electric vehicle owners in Canada by province:
- British Columbia The CleanBC Go Electric light-duty vehicle rebate program offers up to:
-$3,000 for the purchase or lease of a new battery-electric vehicle, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, or longer-range plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
$1,500 for the purchase or lease of a shorter-range plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
Electric car rebates are available to BC residents, businesses, non-profit organizations and local government organizations however, zero emission vehicles with a manufacturer suggested retail price above $55,000 are not eligible for rebates.
- Ontario Plug n Drive offers two incentives:
Up to $1000 is provided towards the purchase of a used fully electric car by Used EV incentive program.
Up to $1000 is offered towards the purchase of a used fully electric or plug-in hybrid electric car when you scrap your old gas-powered car via the Scrappage Incentive Program.
- Québec The Québec government is offering individuals, businesses, organizations, and Québec municipalities a rebate of up to $8,000 on the purchase or lease of a new electric vehicle. A table summarizing current available rebates in Québec is below:
| Vehicle Type | |
| Limited-speed electric motorcycles | $500 |
- Newfoundland and Labrador Drivers can receive incentives from $2,500 for shorter range plug-in hybrids to $5,000 for all-electric and longer-range plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
New PHEV: $2,500
Electric Charging Station Cost Bytype Of Connection
In addition to the charger levelyou choose, you also have a choice of how it is connected to your home. Thereare two types of electric vehicle supply equipment connectors -plugged-in and hardwired. With a plugged-in connector, you need a 240-volt walloutlet installed. This is a large outlet, like the type a clothes dryer plugsinto. The plugged-in station is plugged into this outlet, making it portableand easy to move, remove, or repair when needed. If you need a replacement, youdo not need to pay for the installation because your outlet is alreadyinstalled and waiting. If you own two properties, you can take the charger withyou to each one and use it in both locations.
A hardwired EVSE is wireddirectly into your home. It has an internal connection to your electricalwiring, like a light fixture. You cannot easily remove it, so it is notportable. However, it can be used outdoors and is often less expensive. Keep inmind that if it needs replacement or repair, this can be a more complicated andexpensive job. Both work equally well, so choosing between them is often a caseof what works better for your home and lifestyle.
|
EVSE Type |
|
$1,300 – $1,500 |
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The Cost Of Level 2 And Faster Charging
When talking about public Level 2 charging and Level 3 fast-charging systems, the prices are harder to narrow when compared to standard at-home costs. Thats because charging networks vary in price, not to mention availability around the country.
You can always opt to have a Level 2 charger installed in your garage. The cost isnt cheap. About $2,000 for parts and installation is a reasonable ballpark figure. Moving up to Level 2 means youll more than halve your charge time. And it can potentially add value to your home.
Every electric car can use public Level 2 stations, says Voelcker, but Nissan Leafs use one fast-charging standard while every other EV uses a different fast-charging standard called CCS.
What Is An Electric Vehiclecharging Station
Electric vehicles run off arechargeable battery, rather than gasoline or oil. Your battery needs to berecharged, ideally when your car is not in use. To do this, you need an electricvehicle charging station 1. Essentially, it is a way to plug your carsbattery into an outlet that charges it. Because charging stations are notnecessarily common in public spaces, most owners of electric vehicles install acharging station at home. In fact, according to the Natural ResourcesDefense Council , over 80 % of EV charging happens at home.Depending on your car, your home, and how long you need to charge betweentrips, you have numerous choices available for the charging station.
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When Is The Best Time To Charge An Electric Vehicle
In the United States, electricity usage is lowest between midnight and 6AM. This off-peak period is when most people are asleep, and an ideal time to charge since the electrical power grid has very little load. Electricity usage tends to peak around 6PM, when people come home from work, turn on the lights, and use various appliances. Based on this, the best time to start charging your vehicle is usually after midnight.
To help ensure the grid isnt overloaded, some utility companies offer reduced rates during off-peak hours. Rates during peak hours may also be higher, incentivizing owners to recharge their electric vehicle when it costs less. Additionally, rates may be different during the summer and winter. If your local provider offers off-peak pricing, its a good idea to keep track and adjust your charging schedule accordingly.
How Much Does It Cost Per Kwh To Charge An Electric Car
Electric cars may be cheaper to refuel than petrol or diesel cars, but the actual cost to charge can vary substantially between charging stations.
As a general rule: the higher the charging speed in kW, the more you pay per kWh.
For example, charging at home using a 7kW AC wallbox would cost around 18p per kWh, the average rate for electricity.
A BP Pulse public AC charger starts at around 18p per kWh.
However, 50kW DC and 150kW DC chargers cost much more, starting at 32p and 38p per kWh respectively.
At the top end of the price range is Ionitys ultra-rapid 350kW charger. If you have a compatible car, you can expect to charge from 10-80% in less than 20 minutes. However, the added convenience comes at a price: 69p per kWh!
To calculate how much it would cost for a full charge, simply multiply the cost per kWh by your EVs battery capacity in kWh.
You can learn more about how much it costs to charge an electric car here.
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