EV Charging Costs by State

If you charge at home — and roughly 80% of EV charging happens at home — your state's residential electricity rate is the single biggest factor in your per-mile fuel cost. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive states (10.92¢ vs 39.79¢/kWh) is wider than the gap between the cheapest and most expensive public charging networks.

States with cheap electricity tend to share a few characteristics: access to low-cost hydropower (Washington, Idaho, Oregon), large wind capacity (Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas), or low-demand grids with legacy coal or natural gas plants (Nebraska, North Dakota). Expensive states — Hawaii, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine — often have island grids, high demand density, aging infrastructure, or heavy reliance on imported fuel.

Time-of-use (TOU) rates can cut your effective cost by 30–40% in many states. If your utility offers an EV-specific rate plan, off-peak charging (typically 11 PM to 6 AM) drops well below the statewide average shown above. California, for example, averages 30.29¢/kWh but offers TOU rates as low as 12–15¢/kWh overnight on certain utility plans. Check your utility's website or call them directly — the savings on 12,000 miles per year can exceed $300.

The "renewable" column reflects the percentage of each state's electricity generation from renewable sources (hydro, wind, solar, geothermal). States above 50% renewable — Vermont (100%), Maine (82%), Washington (80%), Idaho (78%), South Dakota (75%), Oregon (72%) — effectively let you charge your EV on low-carbon electricity without buying separate green energy credits. For climate-conscious buyers, this can matter as much as per-kWh cost.