Where you charge changes what your EV costs to run by a factor of three or more - a bigger swing than the difference between the most and least efficient EV. Here is the 2026 picture, in the only unit that matters: cost per mile.
Cost per mile, side by side
| Charging pattern | Price per kWh (typical) | Cost per 100 miles* | 12,000 miles/year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home, off-peak / EV tariff | $0.08-$0.14 | $2.30-$4.00 | $275-$480 |
| Home, standard rate | $0.17 (US avg) | $4.85 | $580 |
| Public Level 2 | $0.25-$0.40 | $7.15-$11.40 | $860-$1,370 |
| DC fast charging | $0.35-$0.55 | $10.00-$15.70 | $1,200-$1,885 |
| Gas car, 30 mpg @ $3.40/gal | - | $11.35 | $1,360 |
*Assumes 3.5 miles per kWh. US figures, November 2026: EIA residential average, public network pricing pages (Electrify America, EVgo, ChargePoint averages), AAA gas price average. UK/AU ratios are similar; absolute numbers differ.
What the table says
Home charging is the entire economic argument for an EV. At the US average residential rate, fueling an EV costs about a third of fueling a comparable gas car; on a good off-peak tariff it is a fifth. Move to public Level 2 as your main supply and the advantage shrinks to roughly gas-car parity. Live on DC fast charging and you can pay more per mile than the gas car you traded in - before counting the subscription fees and idle fees some networks add.
The no-home-charging math, honestly
About a third of US households (and more in dense UK cities) cannot install a home charger. The workable patterns and their real annual fuel cost at 12,000 miles:
| Pattern | Mix | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace charging (often free or subsidized) | 80% work / 20% DC | $240-$600 |
| Public Level 2 anchor + occasional DC | 70/30 | $960-$1,520 |
| DC fast only | 100% | $1,200-$1,885 |
Workplace or free destination charging flips the math back to EV-favorable. DC-only works financially only if your alternative is an unusually thirsty car. This is why we tell renters to solve charging before buying the car - our renter's guide walks the options.
The hidden costs on both sides
- Home: the install itself - $800-$2,000, or $560-$1,400 after the 30% federal credit. At home-vs-DC savings of roughly $800-$1,400/year, it pays back in 1-2 years.
- Public: session and idle fees, membership subscriptions ($5-13/month per network for the best rates), parking fees at some sites, and your time - 30-45 minutes per DC session versus zero for plugging in at home.
- Battery wear: heavy DC-fast reliance accelerates degradation modestly; mostly-AC charging is gentler. Real-world effect is small but nonzero.
UK and Australia in one paragraph
The same shape, different numbers. UK: home off-peak at 7-10p/kWh (~2-3p/mile) vs public rapid at 65-85p/kWh (~19-24p/mile) - public rapid in the UK costs more per mile than petrol, full stop. Australia: home solar-diverted charging approaches A$0.00-0.05/kWh vs public DC at A$0.50-0.70/kWh. In every market, the rule holds: home charging is 3-6x cheaper than public DC.
What to read next
- EV vs gas: the full 2026 fuel-cost comparison
- Home charging cost per month by state and country
- Off-peak tariffs: how home charging gets even cheaper
Sources: US EIA, AAA, UK Zap-Map price index, Australian public network rate cards, public charger network pricing pages. Checked November 2026.