How much does it cost to charge an EV in Australia?
Charging at home costs about $3.97–$6.70 per 100 km for a typical EV, depending on your state, and a full 60 kWh charge costs about $14.88–$25.14. Public fast chargers cost roughly $11.20 per 100 km. A petrol SUV costs about $20.30 per 100 km at Sydney's average price.
EV charging costs by state
A typical EV using 16 kWh per 100 km, on each state's 2026–27 default or regulated flat electricity rate. Per week assumes 90% of charging at home. Cheapest state in green.
| State | Home rate / kWh | Per 100 km at home | Per week (250 km) | Full 60 kWh charge | Petrol SUV per 100 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 33.9c | $5.42 | $15.00 | $20.34 | $20.30 |
| Victoria | 28.4c | $4.54 | $13.02 | $17.04 | $20.08 |
| Queensland | 28.0c | $4.48 | $12.88 | $16.80 | $20.18 |
| South Australia | 41.9c | $6.70 | $17.88 | $25.14 | $19.83 |
| WA | 33.3c | $5.33 | $14.79 | $19.98 | $19.99 |
| Tasmania | 24.8c | $3.97 | $11.73 | $14.88 | $20.89 |
| ACT | 37.0c | $5.92 | $16.12 | $22.20 | $20.94 |
| NT | 30.1c | $4.82 | $13.64 | $18.06 | $20.83 |
Home vs public charging
Public fast chargers in Australia typically charge 59–79c per kWh. At 70c that's about $11.20 per 100 km, against about $5.42 charging at home in NSW. Fast charging is fine for road trips, but relying on it every week roughly doubles your running cost. If you can't charge at home, see whether a hybrid works out cheaper.
Bigger cars cost more to charge
Energy use varies a lot by car. NSW home rate, 250 km a week.
| Car size | Energy per 100 km | Per 100 km (NSW home) | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small hatch | 14 kWh | $4.75 | $617 |
| Mid-size SUV | 16.5 kWh | $5.59 | $727 |
| Large SUV | 19 kWh | $6.44 | $837 |
Every car page shows its own charging cost by state, for example the BYD Sealion 7 or Tesla Model Y.
How to cut your charging bill
- Check your electricity plan for a cheaper overnight or EV rate, and set the car to charge in that window.
- If you have rooftop solar, charge during the day when you can. Solar you use yourself is usually worth more than the feed-in credit.
- A normal power point is enough for most daily driving. See whether you need a wallbox before paying $1,000–$3,000.
- Use public fast chargers for trips, not your weekly top-up.
Common questions
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in Australia?
About $3.97–$6.70 per 100 km for a typical EV on 2026–27 default electricity rates. Tasmania is cheapest at about 24.8c per kWh and South Australia dearest at about 41.9c.
How much does a full charge cost?
A 60 kWh battery costs about $14.88–$25.14 to fill from empty at home, or about $42.00 at a public fast charger. Most people top up rather than charging from empty.
Is charging an EV cheaper than petrol?
Yes, when you charge at home. A typical EV costs about $5.42 per 100 km to charge at home in NSW, against about $20.30 for a petrol SUV using 8.5 L/100 km.
How much do public EV chargers cost?
Usually 59–79c per kWh at fast chargers from networks like Chargefox, Evie, NRMA and Tesla. That's about $11.20 per 100 km for a typical EV.
More guides
How we work it out
Weekly cost is the car's claimed energy use (kWh per 100 km) × your distance × your electricity price. "Per week" figures on this site assume 250 km a week with 90% of charging at home. Petrol comparisons use the fuel use and price you choose. Prices are list prices at October 2026 and change often; check with the dealer.
- Electricity: 2026–27 default or regulated flat rates from the AER Default Market Offer (NSW, SE QLD, SA), Victorian Default Offer, Aurora Energy (TAS), Jacana Energy (NT), Synergy (WA) and ActewAGL (ACT).
- Public charging: Sydney survey of Chargefox, Evie, NRMA, Tesla and BP Pulse prices, July 2026.
- Car specs and prices: manufacturer figures as published by CarExpert, AEVA EV fact sheets, Drive and EV Central's car guide. Some prices are the publisher's estimates; check with a dealer.
- Servicing: published capped-price schedules (BYD Sealion 7, BYD Seal, Geely EX5, Jaecoo J5 EV, Kia EV5, Zeekr 7X). Tesla has no fixed service schedule and CarExpert's EV servicing comparison. Where a model's pricing isn't published yet we use the brand's nearest model and mark it as an estimate.
- Tyres: RACV puts EV tyre life at 20,000–40,000 km; replacement set prices from Gridly's 2026 EV tyre cost guide.
- Petrol and diesel: ACCC average retail unleaded and diesel prices in each capital city, 21 October 2026 (ACCC weekly fuel price monitoring).
- Plug-in hybrids: prices, battery sizes and claimed electric range from CarExpert, Cars24, Zecar and The Beep. Real-world electric range is taken as 80% of the claim; plug-ins charged at home each night are assumed to do up to 85% of driving on electricity. Petrol use with a flat battery is our estimate from reviews where makers don't publish one.
- Diesel utes and SUVs: claimed combined fuel use and prices from CarExpert, 4X4 Australia and CarSauce. The HiLux automatic and Prado are 48-volt mild-hybrid diesels; their small battery assists the engine but can't drive the car on its own.
- Hybrids: claimed fuel use, prices and capped-price servicing as published by CarExpert and CarsGuide. Petrol and hybrid tyres usually last 40,000–60,000 km (RACV); we use 50,000 km.
- Home chargers: typically $1,000–$3,000 installed, about $2,000 typical (What's the Damage, October 2026).
- Novated lease rules: PwC summary of the May 2026 FBT changes.