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EV Trip Cost Calculator — Home vs Public (AC/DC Fast)

Calculate your electric car trip cost instantly. Enter a distance or From/To, choose efficiency, set your home vs public charging split, and add tariffs (per-kWh for AC/DC, plus session & idle fees). Get total cost, cost per 100 km or per mile, energy used, and a clear cost breakdown—then share, print, or open the full route-aware EV planner.

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Type city/station (autocomplete), or enter a manual distance below.
Applies a factor to efficiency to reflect speed / temp / weather.

Charging mix

Public: 30% Home: 70%
AC: 40% DC: 60%
Used to estimate time-based fees; DC average power factor ≈ 0.65 (10–80%).

Prices & fees

Mini note on prices updates automatically, e.g., “Home: €0.28/kWh • Public DC: €0.59/kWh”.
Open full EV trip calculator
Enter two cities (or a distance) and click Calculate.
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    🧭 Overview

    The EV Trip Cost Calculator estimates your trip’s total cost, cost per 100 km (or per mile), energy used, and a clear breakdown across Home, Public AC, and Public DC fast charging. Enter a distance or pick From/To cities, set your home vs public split, choose tariffs (per-kWh) and optional session / per-minute / idle fees, and pick a driving profile (Eco / Normal / Fast). You can share, print, or open the full route-aware planner for detailed stops and planning.

    ⚙️ How the calculator works

    • Distance — by default, the tool uses a great-circle distance between city coordinates (a good quick estimate). You can override with a manual distance. Round trip simply doubles the distance.
    • Energy — TripEnergy = Distance × (Efficiency / 100). Efficiency starts in kWh/100 km (or Wh/mi) and can be adjusted by Eco / Normal / Fast to reflect speed, temperature, or weather.
    • Charging mix — specify the % charged at Home vs Public. The Public portion can be split between AC and DC fast.
    • Tariffs — enter prices in your chosen currency (the math is done in EUR internally and converted back for display). Public charging can include session fees, per-minute fees, and idle minutes.
    • DC time fees — DC minutes are estimated with: (kWh_dc / DC_kW) × 60 × 0.65, where 0.65 is a typical average-power factor for the mid-charge window (≈10–80% SOC). Idle minutes are added on top.
    • Outputs — Total cost, cost per 100 km (or per mile in mi-mode), total kWh used, and a breakdown bar for Home / Public AC / Public DC. A quick petrol comparison is shown for context.

    🛠️ Inputs & tips

    • Distance source: Use From/To for quick estimates, or paste a known route distance into the manual box (especially if detours/elevation are material).
    • Efficiency: Start with your car’s real-world value (kWh/100 km or Wh/mi). Use Eco for slower driving/mild weather; Fast for higher speeds/cold.
    • Home vs Public: Bigger Home share usually lowers cost. If Home = 100%, the Public AC/DC split won’t affect results.
    • Tariffs: If your provider adds session or per-minute charges, include them. Higher-power DC cuts minutes (and €/min exposure) if your car can sustain that power.
    • Currency & units: Pick your display currency and km/mi. The tool converts correctly; your values keep meaning when switching units.
    • Share & print: “Share Link” packs all inputs into the URL so others can reproduce exactly. Print/PDF produces a clean summary.

    🧮 Cost model & formulas

    TripEnergy (kWh) = Distance_km × (Eff_kWh_per_100km × ProfileFactor) / 100

kWh_home   = TripEnergy × HomeShare
kWh_public = TripEnergy × (1 − HomeShare)
kWh_ac     = kWh_public × (1 − DCShare)
kWh_dc     = kWh_public × DCShare

HomeCost   = kWh_home × HomePrice

ACCost     = kWh_ac × AC_price_per_kWh + (kWh_ac > 0 ? AC_session : 0)

DCMinutes  = (kWh_dc / DC_kW) × 60 × 0.65 + IdleExtraMinutes
DCFees     = DC_session + DCMinutes × DC_price_per_min
DCCost     = kWh_dc × DC_price_per_kWh + DCFees

TotalCost  = HomeCost + ACCost + DCCost
Cost/100km = TotalCost / (Distance_km / 100)

    Notes: Energy/cost math runs in EUR baseline for consistency; display currency uses live FX. The DC average-power factor (0.65) approximates mid-charge behavior and time spent; adjust the DC kW and per-minute fee to reflect your charger and plan.

    📌 Worked examples (reproducible)

    Example 1 — Berlin → Munich, one-way (defaults)

    • Distance: ~504 km (great-circle)
    • Efficiency: 18 kWh/100 km (Normal)
    • Mix: Home 70% • Public 30% → within Public: AC 40% / DC 60%
    • Tariffs (EUR): Home €0.28/kWh • AC €0.39/kWh • DC €0.59/kWh • DC session €1 • no per-min/idle

    Energy: 504 × 0.18 = 90.72 kWh

    Split: Home 63.50 kWh • AC 10.89 kWh • DC 16.33 kWh

    Costs: Home €17.78 • AC €4.25 • DC €10.63 → Total €32.66

    KPIs: €6.48 /100 km • €0.065 /km • Energy 90.7 kWh

    Example 2 — 300 km, round trip (600 km total), Public DC heavy

    • Efficiency: 18 kWh/100 km (Normal)
    • Mix: Home 0% • Public 100% → AC 20% / DC 80%
    • Tariffs (EUR): AC €0.39 • DC €0.65 • DC session €1 • DC per-min €0.25 • DC power 150 kW • no idle

    Energy: 600 × 0.18 = 108.0 kWh

    Split: AC 21.60 kWh • DC 86.40 kWh

    DC time: (86.4/150)×60×0.65 ≈ 22.46 min → time fees €5.62 incl. session

    Costs: AC €8.42 • DC €62.78 → Total €71.20

    KPIs: €11.87 /100 km • Energy 108.0 kWh

    Example 3 — 310 mi one-way, USD tariffs, custom efficiency

    • Distance: 310 mi (~499 km), Fast profile
    • Efficiency: 300 Wh/mi → Fast = 345 Wh/mi (21.44 kWh/100 km)
    • Mix: Home 70% • Public 30% → AC 40% / DC 60%
    • Tariffs (USD): Home $0.20 • AC $0.45 • DC $0.69 • DC session $1.50 • DC per-min $0.35 • 150 kW

    Energy: 106.95 kWh

    Costs (USD): Total ~$37.28 • ~$0.120 /mi • ~$7.47 /100 km • Efficiency display: 345 Wh/mi (21.44 kWh/100 km)

    🎯 Common use cases

    • Trip budgeting: Estimate EV charging cost for business or vacation routes.
    • Home vs Public optimization: Test how increasing home charging lowers total cost.
    • Tariff comparisons: Compare networks or peak vs off-peak scenarios.
    • Hardware planning: Explore how higher DC power (if supported) cuts per-minute fees.
    • ICE vs EV cost context: Use the built-in petrol compare line for ballpark context; open the full planner for multi-mode comparisons.

    ❓ Frequently asked questions

    Why is DC fast charging often more expensive than home charging?
    Public DC usually has higher per-kWh prices and may add session and per-minute fees, while home electricity is commonly cheaper—especially off-peak. The calculator models both so you can see the impact.
    How do per-minute fees interact with charger power?
    For tariffs with €/min, fewer minutes at higher power generally means lower time fees—if your EV can actually hold that power (battery temperature, SOC window, and taper matter). Adjust the DC kW to reflect the charger you’ll use.
    Does Fast/Eco change the total a lot?
    Yes, it scales consumption (kWh/100 km). Fast (e.g., +15%) increases energy and cost; Eco (e.g., −10%) reduces both. Use it as a quick sensitivity slider for speed, temperature, wind, and accessories.
    What distance does the tool use when I select cities?
    A great-circle distance (shortest path over the Earth’s surface). It’s a robust estimate for quick budgeting. For a known route length, enter a manual distance.
    How many charging sessions does it assume?
    One AC session if any AC kWh are used, and one DC session if any DC kWh are used. Use the full route-aware planner for multi-stop trips and SOC-based stop counts.
    Why are my totals different from a network’s bill?
    Networks may add parking, connection, idle fees, card surcharges, taxes, or membership tiers. Enter session/idle/per-minute fees where applicable; for more complex billing, use the full planner.
    Can I switch between km and miles (and keep my values)?
    Yes. The calculator preserves meaning when changing units and converts appropriately (e.g., a manual mile value becomes the corresponding km internally).
    Does currency selection change the math?
    Your inputs are in the display currency. Internally, the math runs in EUR for consistency. We convert your inputs to EUR using current FX and convert results back for display, so totals match your currency selection.
    What does the “0.65” DC average power factor mean?
    It’s a simplified average of real charging curves in the mid-range (≈10–80% SOC). It approximates that you don’t hold peak power for the entire session. Set DC kW/fees to match your station/car for realistic time fees.
    How do I share a scenario?
    Click Share Link. The URL includes all inputs (distance, tariffs, shares, unit, currency, etc.). Opening the link reproduces your result and auto-runs the calculation.
    Can I compare EV cost with petrol?
    Yes. A quick petrol line is shown for context. For detailed ICE assumptions (fuel economy, regional prices), use the full planner or the Fuel Cost Calculator.
    Where do the city locations and FX rates come from?
    City data is from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Exchange rates use exchangerate.host with EUR as the baseline.
    Does this tool calculate CO₂ emissions?
    This thin tool focuses on cost. For CO₂ and radiative-forcing options (and region-specific grid factors), open the full route-aware planner.
    Will battery size or degradation change the result?
    Cost depends on energy taken from the grid, not usable battery size. Degradation can influence how your car holds power at fast chargers, indirectly affecting time fees; use the DC kW and profile as sensitivity dials.
    Is this financial advice?
    No. This calculator provides educational estimates. Actual prices and taxes vary by provider and region.

    🧩 Interpreting the results

    • Cost/100 km vs per-mile: Use cost/100 km for planning in metric regions; use cost/mi in mi-mode for US-centric comparison.
    • Breakdown bar: If Public DC dominates the bar, consider shifting more energy to Home or AC to lower total cost—especially where session/per-minute fees are high.
    • Sensitivity: Try toggling Eco/Fast, raising DC kW, or changing idle minutes to see how each input moves the total.
    • Share scenarios: Share links keep your exact assumptions so teammates can review and adjust.

    📚 Sources & methodology

    • City data © GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).
    • CO₂ methodology (used in the full planner): UK Government Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2025.

    ℹ️ Disclaimer

    Educational use only — not financial advice. Results are estimates; actual tariffs, fees, and taxes vary by provider and region.

    Last updated: 1 October 2025