Source: Free Pik
Note: We are aware that some fast-charging stations have a tariff of up to $1/kWh, much more than but we decided that this is something of interest in any case.
You’ll pay substantially less to charge an electric vehicle (EV) than if you were refuelling a petrol car to go the same distance.
But what often surprises new EV owners is how much the cost of a charge can vary. Using a smart charger to draw from rooftop solar at home can cost as little as 10 cents per kilowatt-hour — or almost nothing if you use “excess” solar that would otherwise be exported for a low feed-in tariff or not paid for at all. Charging from the grid off-peak might cost around 20 cents per kWh.
For an EV with a 60kWh battery, paying 10 cents per kWH means it would cost about A$6 for a full charge – enough to drive 300–400 kilometres. But if you’re on a road trip and want to charge quickly at an ultra-fast public charger, it might cost up to 60c per kWh – or about $36 for a 60kWh battery. By contrast, driving the same 350km in a new petrol car would cost almost $50 at Sydney’s recent average of 203.5c per litre – and likely more, given petrol cars often burn more fuel than their manufacturers claim.
It makes sense to charge your EV as cheaply as possible, given many drivers are switching to save on running costs and help tight household budgets. Here’s how.
Charging an EV is like charging your phone, but on a larger scale.
How much driving range you gain per hour depends on the charging speed (measured in kilowatts) and the battery’s total capacity (measured in kilowatt-hours). On average, EVs use about 18kWh per 100km of driving, and most EVs have battery capacities between 40kWh and 120kWh.
There are three main charger levels. Each offers different speeds of charging and are designed for different situations.
EV drivers in Australia will come across three different charger speeds. Here’s how they work.
Trickle chargers are essentially slow portable chargers plugged into a standard home power point. They add 10–15km of range per hour, making them best suited to overnight charging or emergency top-ups. On the plus side, these chargers come with the car and typically only need access to a standard plug.
Level 2 chargers include home wallbox chargers and destination chargers at hotels, car parks and shopping centres. These AC chargers are faster, adding about 40–120km of range per hour – great for when your car is parked for a while.
You’ll find these fast and ultra-fast DC chargers at motorway rest stops and along major travel routes. They can add 150–300km of range per hour. They’re ideal for long trips and short breaks with quick turnarounds, but they usually cost more.
If you live in a standalone house with off-street parking, home charging is generally the cheapest option. You can easily use Level 1 or 2 chargers at home, although Level 2 speeds require a wallbox charger. These can cost $1,000–2,000, plus installation.
If you have solar power, it makes sense to plug in your car on sunny days. Over the past 15 years, the value of home solar power exports has fallen 99% as the market hits saturation point. It’s now much more useful to just use the power at home.
Alternatively, charge from the grid overnight on off-peak rates. With the right electricity plan, charging at 20c per kWh is possible.
Making the EV transition fair will mean ensuring broad access to affordable charging. Apartment residents and regional drivers may be forced to rely on more expensive public options due to a lack of access to dedicated chargers or the need for strata approval.
Community chargers, standardised pricing and smart grid incentives can help here. New South Wales is now offering grants to help apartment residents get EV-ready.
Public charging stations often offer Level 2 destination chargers for longer stops and Level 3 rapid chargers for quick top-ups. There’s a wide range of pricing models and fees.
Australia’s major public charging networks include Chargefox, Evie, BP Pulse and Tesla Superchargers.
These networks may charge by kilowatt-hour or by time. Many apply idle or congestion fees to encourage drivers not to leave their cars plugged in after charging – especially at busy highway sites.
Level 3 fast chargers are great for topping up quickly, but speed usually means they cost more.
Apps such as PlugShare and NextCharge offer useful ways to find available chargers in real time and check the price.
It’s smart to limit charging to between 20% and 80% of your battery capacity. Charging slows down substantially when almost full, meaning more time and cost for relatively little gain.
It’s hard to give definitive answers on the cheapest way to charge your EV, as costs can vary by charger type, location, electricity tariff, EV efficiency and driving habits. But it is possible to offer general estimates.
Timing, planning and avoiding unnecessary fees will help too, such as:
Overall, EVs are more affordable to drive than petrol cars. But you can make the most of the technology by charging smartly.
Charging at home on solar or off-peak electricity offers the best value by far. Public charging adds flexibility but comes at a cost, especially at ultra-fast motorway sites. With a little planning, most drivers can avoid expensive options most of the time.
Making the EV transition fair will mean expanding access to affordable, reliable charging for everyone – not just those with off-street parking or rooftop solar.
The Conversation Australia and New Zealand is a unique collaboration between academics and journalists, and is the world’s leading publisher of research-based news and analysis.
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I have owned my EV for just on 4 months now, and so far all my charging needs have been met with a level 2 charger (7-22kWh) in my garage, fed from solar panels. Charge cost - ZERO.
Charger cost and installation?
Some chargers come with the car. Cost? You can make up your own mind on that one, but if it's included, then $0.00. Other cars don't, so of course it will cost. But once installed, the running costs are free to a few cent/kWh, depending on when you charge the car.
Installation cost? Sure. NOTHING comes for free, but once installed, the ongoing costs can be managed, again, from almost free to only a few cents/kWh, again, depending on when you charge the car. An INSTANT return on the install investment, so depending on how much driving you do, it can be very quick all the way to a reasonably long time. But WHO CARES??? Once the money is spent, the rest is EASY!!!!
I have a 7kW wifi connected charge point from DePow ($430). Installation by my electrician was $360. Evnex quoted more than $2000
well below market prices for an electrician
Depends on the situation. Our garage has a separate 50A service and the breaker box is right next to where the EVSE is mounted, so it was just a matter of screwing it to the wall and running the cable to the breaker box and adding a 40A RCBO. I opted to upgrade the breaker box at the time, but if I hadn't done that, it would have been a half hour job, an hour max.
Do you put that full cost on the very first charge?
Or do you average the cost per charge / per kWh over 10 years?
Sigenergy also offers 25kW DC for the home. I know some folks with CCS2 at home from batteries. That's just insane. At a big cost of course :)
There is no “Level 1”, “Level 2” and “Level 3” charging in Australia. They are American terms, designed to distinguish between 115V AC charging (L1) which is what most US household have, and 230V AC charging (L2) which commercial/industrial properties get.
That distinction is irrelevant in Australia, since we have 230V everywhere. Therefore the classifications are AC and DC charging. That’s it.
Not really correct, here in Australia it's Mode 1 to Mode 4, see https://renew.org.au/renew-magazine/electric-vehicles/is-your-home-ev-ready/
Hilarious that 3 people who must want Americanization of the Australian language to continue have down-voted me. It can’t be because what I said is factually incorrect, because it isn’t.
If anyone wants to talk about different EV charging modes then use the correct terminology, which in this case, is not “Levels” (American and not standardized terminology) but Modes 1 to 4 (European and standardized terminology). Look them up.
Mode 1 does not exist any more for EVs
Mode 2 is what the author here refers to as “Level 1”
Mode 3 is what the author here refers to as “Level 2”
And Mode 4 is what the author here refers to as “Level 3”.
Note Modes have nothing to do with the rate of charging, but everything to do with the type of connection. A distinction some people seem incapable of understanding 🤷♂️
So how would you distinguish between the various forms of AC charging then? Using a 'grannie' charge cable of fixed wall box?
Not really correct, here in Australia it’s Mode 1 to Mode 4.
Google "The EVs are coming! But is your home EV-ready?"
Actually, it all depends on the electricity retailer you use and your driving pattern. In my case, my OVO account gives me free electricity from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and imports @ 8c/kWh between Midnight and 6:00 AM. I trickle charge and, with my vehicle use, I rarely need to charge at stations, except when holidaying. 🤗
I charge with Red Energy EV plan with 7kW charge point in my garage that gives free power on Sat and Sunday 12:00 to 14:00. It is plenty for my typical week
Not even close. A 25kW charger can add 150km of range in and hour and a 250kW over 1500km of range in an hour, not that we have BEVs capable of that range in Australia yet.
In fact you should have divided this into 2 sections, below and above 120kW.
We are with Amber energy and have automated our charger using their forecast. Was charging today as low as 2¢ per kWh or about 32¢/100km.
Other times we need to soak up excess to our house battery capacity and usage so we are not charged for exports when there is too much cheap energy feeding into the grid and prices go negative.
We export stored house battery energy at peak prices to more than cover any charging costs.. Our export average over the last year is over 50¢/kWh.
We have ours set so that if FIT is negative Amber can curtail feed in.
I don't much like any of the terminology, but, I know I can charge almost any EV using a 10 amp GPO outlet at a rate of 2.3kW or 11.5kWh a day at a cost of 88cents. An average small EV will travel 30 to 40km a day so about 50 cents a day.
All this with no special anything - No battery, no solar, no box on the wall, no extra wiring, no special tariff.
$0.50 a day to travel in a fully charged car battery once a week without any problem.