EV Charging an EV with solar (and free midday power)
Charging from your own solar panels costs only the feed-in credit you give up, about 5–6c per kWh, instead of 34c or so from the grid. For a typical EV driving 250 km a week that's about $125 a year instead of $705 in NSW. Even without solar, the new Solar Sharer offer gives households in NSW, SE Queensland and SA three free hours of power at midday, and Victoria has a similar offer.
Solar vs grid charging: yearly cost
A typical EV using 16 kWh per 100 km and driving 250 km a week needs about 2,080 kWh a year. Grid cost uses each state's 2026–27 default flat rate; solar cost is the feed-in credit you forgo (about 6c per kWh).
| State | All from the grid | All from your solar | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $705 | $125 | $580 |
| Victoria | $591 | $125 | $466 |
| Queensland | $582 | $125 | $458 |
| South Australia | $872 | $125 | $747 |
| WA | $693 | $125 | $568 |
| Tasmania | $516 | $125 | $391 |
| ACT | $770 | $125 | $645 |
| NT | $626 | $125 | $501 |
In practice most solar homes can't cover all their charging from the panels, because the car is often out during the day and winter output is lower. Covering half your charging from solar still saves a few hundred dollars a year.
Why using your own solar beats exporting it
Feed-in tariffs have fallen a long way. IPART's 2026–27 benchmark for NSW is just 3.4–6.5c per kWh, while grid power costs around 28–40c depending on your state. Every kWh you put into your car instead of the grid is worth roughly five times more.
Free midday power: the Solar Sharer offer
- Where: NSW, south-east Queensland and South Australia from 1 July 2026. Victoria's similar Midday Power Saver started on 1 October 2026.
- When: 11am to 2pm in NSW, Queensland and Victoria; 12pm to 3pm in SA. Up to 24 kWh free per day.
- Who: households with a smart meter who opt in with their retailer. You don't need solar panels.
- The catch: power outside the free window is charged at time-of-use rates, typically 1–4c per kWh higher. It suits people who can shift use, like charging the car, into the middle of the day.
From a normal power point (about 2.3 kW), three free hours adds about 7 kWh, enough for roughly 40–45 km of driving. A 7 kW wallbox can take the full 21 kWh, about 130 km, worth roughly $7.12 a day at NSW's flat rate. See what a wallbox costs.
Getting the most from solar charging
- Plug in whenever the car is home during the day, even for a short top-up.
- Use your car's app or a solar-aware charger to start charging only when the panels are producing a surplus.
- A home battery can store daytime solar for overnight charging, but at current prices it rarely pays for itself from car charging alone.
- Compare plans: a time-of-use or EV plan with cheap overnight power can suit people who are away during the day.
Common questions
Is it worth charging an EV with solar panels?
Yes. Solar power you use yourself only costs the feed-in credit you'd otherwise earn, about 5–6c per kWh, compared with roughly 34c from the grid in NSW. For a typical EV that can save several hundred dollars a year.
How many solar panels do I need to charge an EV?
A typical EV driving 250 km a week needs about 5.7 kWh a day. A 6.6 kW solar system makes about 25 kWh on an average day, so it can cover a lot of your charging if the car is home while the sun is up.
What is the Solar Sharer offer?
A government-set electricity offer, available from 1 July 2026 in NSW, south-east Queensland and South Australia, that gives households with a smart meter at least three free hours of power at midday. Victoria has its own version from 1 October 2026.
Can I charge my EV for free?
Partly. With the Solar Sharer or Victoria's Midday Power Saver, power is free for three hours around midday, up to 24 kWh a day. Charging from your own solar is close to free too, costing only the small feed-in credit you give up.
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, Prado and Mazda CX-60 D50e are 48-volt mild-hybrid diesels; their small battery assists the engine but can't drive the car on its own.
- Petrol mild hybrids (Suzuki Swift Hybrid, Mazda CX-60 G40e): claimed fuel use and prices from CarExpert.
- 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.
Printed from EV Pick · evpick.com.au. Prices and costs are estimates; check with the dealer.