EV charger types explained:

• Electric Vehicles come with a slow-charger that plugs into the wall like a TV or a kettle but these are very slow and most people opt to get a charger installed at home.

• Most chargers installed at a normal residential location, like a house, or small apartment block, are ‘single phase’ 16 amps.

• Very large houses, medium and larger apartment blocks, and industrial locations may have ‘three phase’ power available. Put simply this offers three times the electricity, and charging speed, of a ‘single phase’ charger.

• EV owners who can’t install a home-charger, or those on road trips can use fast public charging stations which typically use very rapid Direct Current (DC) electricity charging technology. These public fast-chargers cost more than residential-charging, though they still cost far, far less than filling with petrol/gasoline/diesel/LNG fuels.

Batteries charge fastest in the middle range of their capacity, and slowest at the furthest edges of their overall capacity. It’s probably smart to plug-in before you get much lower than 15% to avoid the stress of getting stranded, or actually getting stranded! Our calculator shows the time, the cost, and the range, of 65% of the capacity of the car selected.

For EVs we have taken the publicly available figures from manufacturers and sites such as EV Database. The prices for electricity are taken from a variety of sources, using averages, but tending to lean to above-average in cases where the average is not clear. Electricity prices vary wildly within countries, for example in the North East of the USA users might pay around 30c/KWh, while in the Midwest prices can be in the low-teens. This calculator was built to provide a quick and intuitive way to find what to expect when planning to buy and use an electric vehicle. Let us know if you want a more advanced calculator.

I run a dealership/brand, would you be interested in knowing more or reviewing Electric Vehicles?

Yes, any dealers, brands, or car owners are encouraged to get in contact with us with, tips, information, or opportunities to drive new models. We are interested in releases and updates globally, but keep in mind that we are in Sydney, Australia.

Can your I compare the costs of charging an Electric Vehicle (EV) to my current car?

We’ve given you one example in the form of a V6 petrol (gasoline) Mercedes-Benz E240T station wagon. We have put it nearer to its highway consumption which is typical of many large passenger cars (not SUVs) of the last twenty years. We might add a few more sample cars, like a micro-car, a modern hybrid, and an SUV or massive pick-up truck. If you think a one-for-one calculator to compare your exact current gasoline/petrol/diesel car to an electric vehicle would be of great use, let us know using the contact form below.

Are Electric Vehicles (EVs) cheaper to own than fuel cars?

• There are many cost factors in car ownership. Our calculator is focused on the price to charge your electric car. The cost of refuelling with electricity rather than petrol, gasoline, or diesel is almost universally cheaper, except perhaps somewhere like Saudi Arabia which has wildly cheap fuel.

• Electric cars have less moving parts in terms of engines and drivetrains, so less can go wrong. However, they obviously have significantly more complex electronics, and electronics-management systems which may be prone to issues overtime, and a less likely to be user-repairable.

• There are no $1500 old EVs on the market, like there are with fossil fuel cars. However in some countries with EV tax benefits, you may find that between upkeep and fuel, over the long term an EV may come out cheaper, and have modern safety and functioning A/C in the meantime.

• Ultimately we can give no advice on your finances, and you should drive whatever you calculate you can afford, and that suits your lifestyle.