In India, when a person considers buying a conventional car, a lot of attention is paid to the mileage of the car. The mileage (or average) of the car is measured in kmpl (kilometres per litre) in India. In the US, mileage is measured in mpg (miles per gallon).
Example: The Mahindra Verito gives a mileage of 15 kmpl. To cover a distance of 60 km, the car would need 4 litres of petrol. With the price of Petrol being Rs.100 per litre, it would cost Rs.400 to cover the distance.
For electric cars, ‘Range’ refers to the distance an e-car can travel before the battery needs to be recharged. The range of an e-car depends on the capacity of its battery i.e., the amount of electricity it is able to store. It is measured in kWh (kilowatt-hours). If you consume 1 kW of power for 1 hour that means you consume 1 kWh or 1 unit of electricity.
Example: The Mahindra e2o would need 10 units of power for a full charge of 100 km. To cover a distance of 60 km, the car would need 6 units of power. In Delhi, for EVs, at Rs.4.5 per unit power, it would cost Rs.27 to cover the distance (6*4.5=27).
Comparing the costs & mileage/range of the petrol Verito & e2o above give a glancing knowledge of the cost-effectiveness of an e-car. The same topic is explained in detail below.
How Much Does It Cost to Charge Your EV? (Quick Reference by Battery Size)
Charging cost = battery size (kWh) × your electricity rate per unit.
A full charge for a common 30–40 kWh EV battery typically costs ₹180–₹400 at home and ₹450–₹1,000+ on a public DC fast charger.
- 20 kWh (e.g. Tata Tiago EV) ~22–23 units to full charge · ₹132–230 at home · ₹330–598 on public DC
- 30 kWh (e.g. Tata Nexon EV base) ~33–34 units · ₹198–340 at home · ₹495–884 on public DC
- 38–40 kWh (e.g. MG Windsor, Nexon EV LR, Tata Punch EV) ~42–45 units · ₹252–450 at home · ₹630–1,170 on public DC
- 45 kWh (e.g. MG ZS EV) ~50 units · ₹300–500 at home · ₹750–1,300 on public DC
- 60 kWh (e.g. Mahindra BE 6 / XEV 9e long-range) ~66 units · ₹396–660 at home · ₹990–1,716 on public DC
- 75–79 kWh (e.g. Hyundai Ioniq 5, larger SUVs) ~83–87 units · ₹498–870 at home · ₹1,245–2,262 on public DC
*Includes ~10–12% charging loss (see efficiency section below). Numbers are illustrative actual cost depends on your DISCOM tariff, slab, and whether you charge from empty or top up partially.
Electric Car Specifications:
1. Battery Pack: The measurement used to indicate the charge stored by the battery in kWh.
2. Range: If a conventional car has kmpl as an indicator of fuel mileage, its equivalent in EVs is kilometre per charge.
3. Cost of electricity: Electricity tariffs are set state-by-state and change with each DISCOM's annual tariff order, so always treat these as a planning estimate, not a bill guarantee
- Bengaluru (BESCOM): ₹5.80–6.82/unit residential; Karnataka's dedicated EV charging tariff is ₹4.50/unit for both LT and HT stations.
- Delhi: No separate EV rate EV charging is billed as part of total household consumption. Many households get the first ~200 units subsidized/free each month, so effective rates can be very low, but this depends on total usage, not EV charging specifically.
- Maharashtra (MSEDCL): dedicated LT EV charging station tariff of roughly ₹9.26/unit (FY 2026–27) separate from a home residential meter rate.
- Most other states: residential rates generally fall in the ₹6–10/unit range, with public AC charging at ₹12–18/unit and public DC fast charging at ₹15–26/unit.
Always check your DISCOM's latest published tariff order or the e-AMRIT portal before budgeting these figures can shift with each annual revision.
Several states (Delhi, Maharashtra, UP, Telangana) now offer time-of-use tariffs charging between 10 PM–6 AM can cut your per-unit cost by 20–30%.
Let's see a comparison using Tata Nexon EV as an example:
The Nexon EV hosts a 30.2 kWh battery. In Delhi, with Rs.4.5/unit power, charging it fully would cost Rs.135.9 (30.2*4.5=135.9). In Mumbai, it’ll cost Rs.453 and in Bangalore, Rs.244.3. Nexon EV’s certified range is 312 km. With these numbers, the Nexon EV costs Rs.0.44/km (135.9/312=0.44) to run in Delhi, Rs.1.45/km in Mumbai & Rs.0.78/km in Bangalore.
On the other hand, Nexon petrol hosts a 44-litre tank. Filling this tank with petrol at Rs.100/litre costs Rs.4400. Certified mileage for petrol Nexon is 16 kmpl. The range is 704 km (44*16=704). With these numbers, the petrol Nexon costs Rs.6.25/km (4400/704=6.25) to run.
It is very evident that the Nexon EV costs significantly lower than petrol Nexon to run.
Another take:
The Hyundai Kona has a 39 kWh battery. Its certified range is 452 km. It means the e-car consumes 39 units of electricity to cover that 452 km. The car costs 0.08 units of electricity to run a distance of 1 km (39/452=0.08).
A simple way to determine how much electricity does it take to charge an e-car & its cost:
1. Find your e-car’s battery size (in kWh). Eg.,75 kWh
2. Note the certified range of your EV or the average range your present e-car is getting you. Eg.,450 km
3. Look up the cost of electricity in your city/state. Many states are offering subsidized rates for EV charging. Eg., Rs.4.5 per unit in Delhi.
4. Multiply the cost of electricity per unit (or kWh) with the size of the battery. Eg.,4.5*75=Rs.337.5
5. Add Point 4 & Point 5. Eg.,337.5+59.6=Rs.397.1 (cost to fully charge your 75 kWh battery from 0-100%).
6. To calculate costs in terms of km: Divide Total Cost (Point 6) by EV’s range (Point 2). Eg.,397.1/450=Rs.0.88 per km.
A European point-of-view:
According to Finland-based EV charging solutions company Virta, in a study based in Finland, an average electric car consumes approximately 0.20 kWh/km. A typical Finnish driver commutes around 16,800 km every year. This makes approximately 47 km driving every day. This means 9.4 kWh electricity consumption per day. When estimating electricity consumption, one should take into account the yearly holiday seasons, driving habits, weather, etc.
Since e-cars are relatively new in India, such international studies give an idea of energy consumption & its costs which occur.
Home (AC) vs Public Fast (DC) Charging: What Actually Changes Your Cost
Not every unit of electricity you pay for ends up in your battery. Charging always loses a little energy as heat during AC-to-DC conversion how much depends on where you charge.
Home / AC charging (3.3 kW–7.4 k W ): roughly 85–88% efficient. To add 40 kWh to your battery, expect to draw about 45–47 kWh from the meter.
Public DC fast charging: roughly 90–95% efficient less conversion loss because the AC-DC conversion happens at the station, not in the car. But the per-unit tariff is 2–3x higher, so it's still the more expensive option per km even with better efficiency.
AC vs DC comparison:
Home (AC), 3.3–7.4 kW: ₹6–10/unit · ₹0.85–1.50 per km · best for daily overnight charging
Public AC (slow/medium): ₹12–18/unit · ₹1.50–2.20 per km · best for workplace or mall charging
Public DC (fast): ₹15–26/unit · ₹2.50–3.50 per km · best for highway trips and quick top-ups
FAQs
How much does it cost to charge an electric car per month in India?
For a typical EV driven 1,000–1,200 km a month with a real-world efficiency of around 6–7 km/kWh, you'll use roughly 150–200 units of electricity. At a home tariff of ₹6–10/unit, that's approximately ₹1,000–₹2,000 a month.
How much does it cost per km to run an electric car?
Home charging typically costs ₹0.85–₹1.50 per km. Public fast charging costs more, typically ₹2.50–₹3.50 per km, because of higher per-unit tariffs.
How do I estimate my monthly electricity cost if I switch from petrol to an electric car?
Multiply your monthly driving distance by your EV's efficiency (kWh/km, usually 0.12–0.18 for a compact EV) to get monthly units consumed, then multiply by your electricity tariff. For 1,200 km/month at 0.15 kWh/km and ₹8/unit, that's about 180 units × ₹8 = ₹1,440/month compared to roughly ₹9,000+/month for an equivalent petrol car at current fuel prices.
How many units does it take to fully charge an electric car?
It depends on battery size: a 30 kWh battery needs roughly 33–34 units including charging losses; a 40 kWh battery needs roughly 44–46 units; a 75 kWh battery needs roughly 83–87 units.
Is 1 unit of electricity the same as 1 kWh?
Yes. One unit on your electricity bill equals exactly 1 kWh. If you draw 1 kW of power for 1 hour, you've consumed 1 unit.
Conclusion:
Most EVs can cover up to 100 km with 15 kWh. Their low energy loss means that they are not very energy-intensive. While petrol & diesel engines convert a maximum of 35% of this energy into driving force, an electric car converts 85% or more.
Battery capacity & vehicle mass are closely related. A 10 kWh increase in battery capacity increases the mass of electric cars by 15 kg, drive range by 40-50 km & their energy consumption by 0.7-1.0 kWh/100 km.
State-of-the-art & mass-produced electric cars are more efficient than first-generation cars produced on a small scale.
Electric cars are a game-changer when it comes to energy management & running costs for drivers. Their electricity consumption and the cost of charging involves various factors to bear in mind so as to optimize expenditure. Tools like energy intelligence platforms can help EV owners and operators actually see this consumption and cost data in real time, since a EV charging app is how most EV owners would actually check that data on the go.
