If you are thinking of purchasing an electric vehicle, you are probably wondering “how much will it cost to charge my EV?”

The answer to this question can vary significantly depending on a number of factors. For instance:

• Will the vehicle be charged at your home or at a commercial charging location?
  If you charge the vehicle at home, the rate that you currently pay for electricity (per kWh) will apply. However, this rate will likely differ from what you would pay at a parking garage or public charging station.

• If you do charge your EV at home, will you use a level 1 or level 2 charger?
  See “Charging my EV” for more information on charging options.

• How often will you drive your EV and how many miles per kilowatt-hour will it get?
  The more often you drive your vehicle, the more often you will need to charge it. And, just as a traditional vehicle that gets low miles per gallon will cost more to drive, so will an EV that gets low miles per kilowatt-hour (for miles per kilowatt-hour estimates, consult your vehicle’s manufacturer).

Example

Below is a chart comparing the energy usage of two EV owners. For this example, we will assume that both customers’ home energy consumption is 500 kilowatt-hours per month (or roughly 16 kilowatt-hours per day). This does not include EV charging.

Because of differences in the type of vehicle that each customer owns, their driving habits and the level at which each charges his or her EV, the customer on the left consumes an additional 10 kilowatt-hours per day for electric vehicle charging, while the customer on the right consumes an additional 30 kilowatt-hours per day.

As you can see, by the end of the month, the customer on the left’s energy usage has increased by about 50 percent as a result of EV charging. The customer on the right’s usage, however, has nearly tripled. And, since the customer on the right has used more energy to charge his or her EV, his or her resulting energy charges will be higher as well.

What’s next?

Although Con Edison does not currently offer a rate specifically for electric vehicles, customers do have options when it comes to the electric rate that they pay.