Calculator
EV Road Trip Cost Calculator
Plan the energy cost of any EV road trip — home charging plus public DC fast charging — and see exactly how it compares to driving the same route in a gas car.
EV trip cost
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How road trip cost is calculated
Total energy is trip miles divided by EV efficiency. The cost is a weighted average of home and DC fast rates based on where you charge:
total kWh = miles / efficiency
weighted rate = (home% × home rate) + ((1 − home%) × DC rate)
EV cost = total kWh × weighted rate
Example: 400 miles, 3.5 mi/kWh = 114 kWh. At 60% home ($0.16) and 40% DC ($0.43), weighted rate is $0.27/kWh → $31 trip cost, vs $55 for a 25 MPG gas car at $3.45/gal.
Frequently asked questions
How much more does it cost to road trip in an EV vs charging at home?
DC fast charging at public stations costs $0.40–$0.55/kWh — about 3x the home rate of $0.10–$0.20/kWh. A 400-mile road trip charged entirely on DC fast costs about $51, vs $19 at home. The longer your trip, the more you depend on fast charging and the higher the average cost per mile.
Is an EV road trip still cheaper than gas?
Almost always yes, even relying heavily on DC fast charging. A 400-mile trip in an EV charging 60% home / 40% DC fast costs about $30. The same trip in a 25 MPG gas car at $3.45/gal costs $55. The EV saves $25 per 400 miles — though gas cars don't need charging stops, which has real time value on a long trip.
Which charging network is cheapest for road trips?
For Tesla owners, the Supercharger network is consistently the cheapest at $0.32/kWh member rate ($0.43 non-member with adapter). Among non-Tesla networks: EVgo and Electrify America at $0.36/kWh with subscription, $0.48 without. ChargePoint and Blink prices vary by host station — anywhere from $0.30 to $0.69/kWh.
Should I plan around free chargers on road trips?
Probably not. Free Level 2 chargers at hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers add 5–25 miles per hour. For a typical road trip with 2–4 hour driving segments, you'd save $3–5 per stop but burn 1–4 hours of waiting. DC fast charging at $0.45/kWh adds 150–200 miles in 20–30 minutes and is almost always the better trade.