How to compare home charging costs with supercharger costs

[GPinzone]

I can't find an easy calculator to compare the two. I have to pay for supercharging and I assume it would be more expensive than home charging, but I want to verify this. Are there any online calculators or is it easy to tell from looking at my electric bill?

 

[Sophias_dad]

Its easy to tell from your electric bill, IF the supercharger is priced in kwh(and I think most are).

Find on your electric bill the amount you pay per kwh. Compare that to the amount the supercharger charges per kwh.

Note that some electric bills can be a bit complex, with either different $/kwh charges based on the amount you use, or a separate generation charge and distribution charge. You'd have to add the generation and distribution charges to get to the amount you pay per kwh delivered.

 

[GPinzone]

Thanks. I believe I'm paying 23 cents per kWh. I thought the app told you the price at the supercharger, but I'm not sure how to find out without plugging in.

 

[Sophias_dad]

Thanks. I believe I'm paying 23 cents per kWh. I thought the app told you the price at the supercharger, but I'm not sure how to find out without plugging in.

I vaguely recall its listed on the in-car display when you tap on a supercharger.

 

[RayK]

I vaguely recall its listed on the in-car display when you tap on a supercharger.

Correctamundo. Some places may have a tiered pricing depending upon the time of day. The cost / kWh is displayed on the screen. As far as I know, you can't get the pricing info from either the app or online here: Find Us | Tesla

You would think that the online map / search would have basic information like this.

 

[JCtx]

Charging at a supercharger is going to be WAY more expensive (percentage wise) than charging at home; the only question is how much, since charges at both home and superchargers vary by region. My summer rate is $0.11 per kWh, but have no idea how supercharging is here; I've never been able to find out. I have free supercharging at the moment, so maybe that's why. Once it's over at the beginning of 2022, it might show up on the screen once charging, like some folks say, but it'd be nice to know in advance how much it is, for those cases where you have a choice.

 

[jdcollins5]

You can go the Tesla website and click on Charging. This will give you a complete summary of your charging history, including cost per kWh or cost per minute if it is a Tier charge.

 

[RayK]

Charging at a supercharger is going to be WAY more expensive (percentage wise) than charging at home; the only question is how much, since charges at both home and superchargers vary by region.

Not sure you can say the Supercharging is going to be WAY more expensive, while at the same time saying the two rates will vary. Sure, if you cherry-pick the most expensive SC rate and compare it to the cheapest residential rate.

The cheapest Supercharger rate near my house is $0.21/kWh, 24 hours a day. I'm on PG&E's TOU E-6 plan so during summer months, my baseline energy off-peak (i.e., cheapest) rate is $0.22820 (not including all of the other miscellaneous charges). Partial peak is $0.30343 and Peak rate is $0.42186 which is almost the same as the most expensive Supercharging rate near me ($0.42/kWh).

In my case it's cheaper for me to Supercharge at a local ChargePoint DCFC station at $0.19/kWh, than it is to charge at my house at any time of day/year (if I ever get around to installing my HPWC in the garage). That doesn't include the almost $500 the Tesla CHAdeMO adapter cost me so it's another reason why I use the DCFC as much as I can (to recoup some of the adapter cost). I do have 10 year old rooftop solar system (ideally 3.7kW) so that helps with my electrical bill but we've been running the A/C non-stop during the day (and sometimes at night) for the last couple of weeks.

 

[Jeremy3292]

Local supercharger rates are $0.28 per kWh. My electrical rate at home is $0.13 per kWh. So at least double. I can’t imagine a scenario anywhere where charging at home would be more expensive than charging at a supercharger but I am unfamiliar with high tax states

 

[geoldr]

Local supercharger rates are $0.28 per kWh. My electrical rate at home is $0.13 per kWh. So at least double. I can’t imagine a scenario anywhere where charging at home would be more expensive than charging at a supercharger but I am unfamiliar with high tax states

In the Bay Area CA, and as a reference point:

Supercharger - $0.35/kWh

If you're not on the EV rate plan then:
Summer peak: $0.42/kWh, off-peak: $0.36/kWh
Winter peak: $0.32/kWh, off-peak: $0.30/kWh

If you're on the EV rate plan:
Summer peak (4pm-9pm): $0.50/kWh, part-peak(3pm-4pm,9pm-midnight): $0.39/kWh, off-peak: $0.185/kWh
Winter peak: $0.37/kWh, part-peak: $0.35 kWh, off-peak: $0.185/kWh

 

[Jeremy3292]

In the Bay Area CA, and as a reference point:

Supercharger - $0.35/kWh

If you're not on the EV rate plan then:
Summer peak: $0.42/kWh, off-peak: $0.36/kWh
Winter peak: $0.32/kWh, off-peak: $0.30/kWh

If you're on the EV rate plan:
Summer peak (4pm-9pm): $0.50/kWh, part-peak(3pm-4pm,9pm-midnight): $0.39/kWh, off-peak: $0.185/kWh
Winter peak: $0.37/kWh, part-peak: $0.35 kWh, off-peak: $0.185/kWh

That's insane...but it's California so not surprising I guess. Off peak rates def seem like the plan.

 

[wwu123]

Not sure you can say the Supercharging is going to be WAY more expensive, while at the same time saying the two rates will vary. Sure, if you cherry-pick the most expensive SC rate and compare it to the cheapest residential rate.

The cheapest Supercharger rate near my house is $0.21/kWh, 24 hours a day. I'm on PG&E's TOU E-6 plan so during summer months, my baseline energy off-peak (i.e., cheapest) rate is $0.22820 (not including all of the other miscellaneous charges). Partial peak is $0.30343 and Peak rate is $0.42186 which is almost the same as the most expensive Supercharging rate near me ($0.42/kWh).

In my case it's cheaper for me to Supercharge at a local ChargePoint DCFC station at $0.19/kWh, than it is to charge at my house at any time of day/year (if I ever get around to installing my HPWC in the garage). That doesn't include the almost $500 the Tesla CHAdeMO adapter cost me so it's another reason why I use the DCFC as much as I can (to recoup some of the adapter cost). I do have 10 year old rooftop solar system (ideally 3.7kW) so that helps with my electrical bill but we've been running the A/C non-stop during the day (and sometimes at night) for the last couple of weeks.

Same here in different part of Bay area, with slight TOU twist.

The nearest Supercharger is TOU so $0.21/kwh only before 10am or after 9p. Meanwhile at home I'm on E-TOU-C, which is what everyone in the Bay area will be migrated to unless they opt out. Summer off-peak can be as low as $0.28/kwh, but if you're charging at home and drive enough to care, you're probably past your baseline so in reality $0.35/kwh.

Then if you compare peak rates, Supercharger is $0.42/kwh, and at home Summer peak (once past your baseline credit of $0.07/kwh) is $0.42/kwh as well. Now the peak periods are somewhat different (Supercharger is peak from 10a-9p while home is 4p-9p), but suffice to say, whether comparing peak rates or off-peak rates, Supercharging not actually more expensive than home in the summer, certainly not WAY more expensive.

EDIT: Oh, I just saw @getakey gave a detailed TOU vs TOU comparison two posts up with the EV rate plan. That's probably even more realistic for most people. (Reason I'm on not on the EV TOU rates is that my solar gives enough production to keep me in baseline on E-TOU-C, given the limited amount of driving we do, even with charging at home.)