While there is no doubt that electric vehicles are indeed the future of mobility in India, one of the biggest factors that still hamper large-scale EV adoption is the current EV charging scenario. Despite significant growth in electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country, there is still a lot to be done, especially when it comes to reaching the nooks and corners of the entire nation. At the same time, EVs are also not restricted to being charged at a charging station as EVs can easily be charged at home without worrying about finding the nearest charging station.
However, no matter where you charge, the biggest question that bothers EV owners as well as prospective buyers is how much it costs to charge an Electric Vehicle. Well, we are here to answer just that. While you might know that EVs are cheaper than any conventional fuel option out there, here’s how much it’ll actually cost you to charge your electric vehicle.
Depending on your battery size and where you charge, a full charge at home costs about ₹150–₹400. At a public charger, the same charge can cost roughly two to three times as much, because public stations charge more per unit than home electricity.
Factors Affecting Charging Costs:
There are multiple factors that affect the charging cost of an electric vehicle which are shared below:
- Electricity Rates: Home electricity in most states costs about ₹6–9 per unit, depending on your slab and fixed charges.
- Charging Location: Public chargers charge drivers much more than home electricity. Expect around ₹12–18 per unit for AC charging and ₹18–25 per unit for DC fast charging, including GST.
- Charging Speed: Home and public AC charging take several hours. A DC fast charger can take a car from 10% to 80% in about 40–60 minutes, depending on the car and the charger.
- Battery Capacity: A bigger battery takes more units to fill, so a full charge costs more.
- Charging losses: About 10% of the electricity is lost as heat during charging. You pay for slightly more units than the battery actually stores.
How to Calculate EV Charging Cost: The Math
Before arriving at the Golden Figure, it is crucial to know the math that goes into it. For that, it is important to know the units involved. Starting off with the basics, no matter where you are in India, the typical unit of measuring energy consumed is kWh. This is the unit that defines your monthly consumption of electricity and largely determines the amount you pay as your electricity bill in addition to other factors. This is also the unit that defines your EV battery capacity, which generally ranges between 15 to 40 kWh. The bigger the battery pack onboard, the more range you’ll get. In fact, the range of your Electric Vehicle at any given point in time is also determined by the amount of charge left in your battery pack, which again is measured in terms of kWh.
Now that you know the basics, the next step is to know the per-unit electricity prices in your area. One unit of electricity consumed equals to 1 kWh. Depending upon the area you live in and the type of electricity meter, sanctioned load etc electricity rates may largely vary. For example, a home connection in Delhi usually costs about ₹7–8 per unit at the slab an EV pushes you into. This means that if you consume 1 kWh of electricity you will be charged Rs. 8 if you charge at home and Rs. 4 if you charge at a charging station. Now that you know your electric vehicle’s battery capacity and the rate of electricity in your area, you can easily go ahead and calculate the cost of charging your EV.
Assuming that you own one of India’s best-selling EVs, the The Nexon EV is sold with several battery options, including 30 kWh, 40.5 kWh and a newer 45 kWh pack. We’ve used the 40.5 kWh version here. At home (₹8 per unit): 40.5 × 8 = ₹324. With about 10% charging losses, that’s about ₹355 for a full charge. Similarly, if you happen to charge your Tata Nexon EV at a public charging station the approximate cost would be Rs. 4 X 40.5 = Rs. 162*.
Thus, the golden formula to calculate your EV charging cost is the Per Unit Consumption Rate multiplied by your EV’s battery pack capacity. With this formula, you can even calculate the efficiency of your EV by dividing your claimed EV range by the battery pack size. For example, If you use the Nexon EV’s claimed range of 465 km, it covers 465 ÷ 40.5 = 11.5 km per kWh, so it costs ₹8 ÷ 11.5 = ₹0.69/km. That’s the best case. This can also help you determine the running cost of your EV which can be arrived at by dividing the per unit cost of electricity by the efficiency figure of your EV, which in our case would be 8 divided by 11.48 which is approximately Rs. 0.69*.
Is EV Charging Cheaper Than Petrol or Diesel?
Now that you know all the numbers, it’s time to answer another million-dollar question: Is EV charging cheaper than petrol and diesel? Well, the simple answer is yes. But let us understand this with an example involving our Tata Nexon EV as compared to the Nexon Petrol as well as Diesel to know how cheap an EV actually is.
As already calculated above, the total cost of charging a Nexon EV (Long Range) with the residential rate of electricity consumption assumed at Rs. 8 per kWh, comes to around Rs. 324*. With this, the total cost of running per kilometre is Rs. 0.69*, and the overall efficiency of the EV is around 11.48 kilometres per unit/kWh*.
Comparing this with the Tata Nexon Petrol Manual, which comes with a claimed ARAI mileage of 17.44 km/l, considering the price of petrol in Delhi at Rs. 95 per litre, the total cost of completely refuelling the Tata Nexon’s 44-litre tank would be Rs. 4,180*. With this, the total running cost of the Nexon Petrol manual would be Rs. 5.4*. However, since the Nexon runs 17.44 km per litre, a completely filled-up tank of the Nexon would give you an approximate range of about 767 kilometres. Compared to the Nexon EV’s 465 km range, there is a difference of about 302 km. Now if we divide this additional distance with the Nexon EV’s efficiency figure, the Nexon would require about 26.3 kWh of additional charge to match the Petrol Nexon’s range. This means the total cost of Recharging the Nexon EV to match Nexon Petrol would be Rs. 324 + 210 = Rs. 534.4*. Therefore, recharging the Nexon EV saves Rs. 3,645.6* compared to refuelling the Nexon petrol.
Applying the same calculation to the Nexon Diesel Manual’s 23.23 km/l mileage, with a per-litre Diesel price of Rs. 88 and tank capacity of 44 litres, the total cost of completely refuelling the Nexon Diesel’s tank would be Rs. 3,872*. With a full tank, the Nexon Diesel returns a range of 1,022* kilometres which is 557 kilometres more than the Nexon EV’s full charge range of 465 km. This means that the Nexon EV would require 48.5* additional kWh to match the Nexon Diesel’s range. Thus, the total cost of Recharging the Nexon EV to match the Nexon Diesel would be Rs. 712, which means a saving of about Rs. 3,160.
*All figures are approximate values.
What are the costs of EV charging at home?
So for those wondering about the total cost of charging your EV at home, the final total would depend on various factors such as:
- Sanctioned Load
- Rate of per unit energy consumption
- Type of metre; Residential/Commercial
These factors may lead to the cost jumping higher or lower depending upon the circumstances.
Charging an EV at home adds units to your electricity bill, which can move you into a higher tariff slab. If you drive about 1,200 km a month, a Nexon EV adds roughly 165–170 units. That’s about ₹1,300–₹1,700 a month, depending on your slab. Most EVs come with a portable charger that plugs into a 15A socket. A 7.2 kW AC wall box costs about ₹30,000–₹60,000 installed, depending on the brand and the wiring needed. Some car brands include installation in the price.
Standard Charging vs Fast Charging
Now that you know how much it will cost to charge your EV at home, the next big question is whether to go in for fast charging or to stick with conventional/standard charging. To answer the question in a better manner it is important to know the difference between standard and fast charging.
There are two types of currents that can be used to charge your electric vehicle. These include alternating current (AC) and direct current. However, the battery of an electric vehicle can only accept DC energy. This is why at-home AC wall chargers, whether they be the a regular 15A 230-volt socket or a dedicated AC wall box, the alternating current from both passes through an internal converter before it can charge your EV’s battery. This is why AC at-home wall chargers take a considerable amount of time to fully charge your EV. This is why these chargers are also dubbed as standard/slow chargers.
In comparison, fast chargers come with built-in convertors that can directly provide DC current to the battery and are also equipped with a much higher power, usually 30–60 kW or more at public stations in India. By bypassing the need for DC conversion and with a substantially higher voltage level, these chargers can “quick charge” your EV in significantly less time. However, in order to preserve the battery’s longevity, DC charging slows down sharply after about 80% to protect the battery, so most drivers unplug at that point, since lithium-ion batteries are not really meant to take up high voltage charge for prolonged periods.
Therefore, for everyday charging needs, it is recommended that you charge your EV through an at-home AC wall charger. It is also recommended that the batteries be charged up to 80% unless you really need to charge up to 100%. However, if you are in a hurry, such as when in the middle of a road trip, DC fast charging costs more per unit, roughly ₹18–25 compared with ₹7–8 at home. That’s why it’s best kept for road trips.
FAQs about Cost to Charge an Electric Car
Q. How much does it cost to have an EV charger?
Most EVs come with a portable charger that works from a 15A socket. If you want faster charging at home, a 7.2 kW AC wall box costs about ₹30,000–₹60,000 installed.
Q. What is the cost per km of EV?
If you charge at home, real-world costs are about ₹0.80–₹1.00/km for small EVs such as the MG Comet and ₹1.10–₹1.40/km for compact SUVs such as the Nexon EV. Public DC charging can cost two to three times as much.
Q. What is the charging rate of EV?
At home, you pay your normal electricity tariff, usually ₹6–9 per unit. At public chargers, expect about ₹12–18 per unit for AC and ₹18–25 per unit for DC, including GST. Rates vary by operator and city.
Q. How long do EV batteries last?
Today’s EV batteries ought to last a good deal past their warranty period, with these packs’ service lives clocking in at between 12 and 15 years if used in moderate climates.
Q. Do electric cars lose charge when parked?
Whilst lithium ion batteries do lose charge when the car is parked for an extended period, the good news is that this is usually a very minimal amount of the overall charge. Most electric cars can expect to lose only lose a few percent of their charge a month if sitting idle.
Q. Why EV is costly?
The battery is the most expensive part of an EV. Its cells need critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel (these aren’t rare earth metals). Most of these cells are imported into India, which adds to the price.
Q. Will EV become cheaper?
They’re already getting cheaper. Battery prices have fallen sharply over the past decade. More local cell production in India and more EV launches in lower price segments should keep pushing prices down. If you want to save now, used electric cars are a cheaper way to go electric, and their running costs are just as low.
Q. How much does charging an EV at home cost per month?
If you drive about 1,000–1,500 km a month, a compact EV like the Nexon EV adds around 140–210 units to your bill. That’s roughly ₹1,100–₹1,700 a month at ₹7–8 per unit. A smaller EV costs even less.
Q. Is DC fast charging much costlier than AC?
Yes. DC fast charging usually costs ₹18–25 per unit, compared with ₹12–18 for public AC and ₹6–9 at home. Even so, an EV running only on DC charging costs less per km than a petrol car.
Q. Is EV charging cheaper at night?
It depends on your state’s time-of-day tariff, which is gradually being introduced for homes with smart meters. Under the 2023 central rules, power during solar hours (usually daytime) is 10–20% cheaper, and peak hours (usually evenings) cost 10–20% more. Night-time may be charged at the normal rate. Check your discom’s time-of-day schedule and set your charging timer for its cheapest window.
