Charging your electric vehicle at home is where the majority of your charging will be done. It’s generally cheaper to charge overnight since many utility companies provide lower rates when the electricity demand is lowest. The U.S. Department of Energy gives an example to calculate the cost per mile of an EV: “If electricity costs $0.13 per kWh and the vehicle consumes 33kWh to travel 100 miles, the cost per mile is about $0.04. If electricity costs $0.13 per kilowatt-hour, charging an EV with a 200-mile range will cost about $9 to reach a full charge.”
I am on an Electric Vehicle Price Plan with my local utility company. The energy is priced per kilowatt-hour. Prices will vary based on time of year and weekend or weekday hours. In the winter it is cheapest to charge during “EV Super Off-Peak” hours between midnight and 5am which will cost 5.75 cents per kWh. Since temperatures get over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, electricity usage in Phoenix, Arizona skyrockets. Therefore, prices during Summer Peak season are a little higher. During the months of July and August the cheapest is to charge from midnight and 5am at 6.14 cents per kWh. It is most expensive to charge during Summer Peak season on weekdays from 2pm to 8pm which will cost 24.09 cents per kWh!
I charge from a 240V outlet in my garage. I have a daily commute of approximately 30 miles round trip and I drive a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus with a range of 240 miles. In the summer I charge it up to 60% and in the winter I charge it up to 80%-90%. Generally, I charge 2-3 times a week either overnight at home or at free level 2 chargers within walking distance of my workplace. Recently, I haven’t been driving as much to work due to the pandemic. Therefore, I have provided a snapshot of what my electricity bills looked like in 2019 during the winter and summer.
Below are bills from the months of July 2019 and November 2019. I charge during the “Super Off Peak Energy” hours. One of the early videos I created on YouTube was titled, “My electricity bills! Cost of charging your Electric Vehicle at home,” if you wish to see a comparison of bills prior to owning an EV and after ownership. I do have to warn you the audio and camera set up isn’t the best since I was just starting to experiment in creating videos.
Happy Charging!