What's it cost to charge an EV?
The refueling costs of an EV are typically significantly less than a traditional petrol car. In an average electric car, with charging costs based on an assumed rate of $0.33 per kWh*, 100km can cost between $5 and $6**.
While the same distance in an average petrol car is likely to cost around $13 to $15, depending on the fuel price and the vehicle’s fuel efficiency***.
It will take a Level 2 smart charger one to two hours to recharge 40-100 kms, while a Level 3 charger can give you between 150-300km per hour. This is a lot more than your Level 1 charger using a standard electrical point, which gives you around 10-20km in range per hour. These times are a guide and depend on the conditions and the type of car you have.
If we were to compare electric vehicles by model, cars with bigger batteries, like the Tesla Model S at 100kWh, for example, would cost around $33 to charge fully (assuming an electricity rate of $0.33 per kWh*).
Whereas a BYD Dolphin with a 44.9 kWh battery size would be fully charged (from 0-100%) for $14.82 (assuming an electricity rate of $0.33 per kWh*). So, like larger petrol-powered vehicles have higher fuel costs and tank capacity than smaller models, electric vehicle charging costs largely depend on the model and battery size.
*Figure is for demonstrative purposes only. The actual electricity rate depends on the customer’s home energy plan rates and how much they charge at home as opposed to via public charging stations, which attract higher fees. See an estimate for potential running cost savings for your circumstances by using AGL's Electrify Now estimator tool.
**This calculation assumes an EV efficiency rate of 17kWh per 100km which is an average used by the Electric Vehicle Council. Different EVs will have different baseline efficiency rates and multiple other factors (including temperature, driving conditions, driving style and terrain) will impact the real-world efficiency rate achieved.
***This calculation assumes a fuel price of between $13-$15 and fuel efficiency rate of 6.9 litres per 100km which is the average fuel efficiency for new cars in Australia cited by the Climate Council