The cost of recharging an electric car at home
96% of respondents to our survey recharge at home, and deplore the lack of fast-charging stations in France. Recharging your electric car at home is the practical and economical way to keep your vehicle fully charged, especially at night.
We spoke to several electric vehicle owners who shared their experiences with us.
Hubert, a 51-year-old IT specialist from the Bordeaux region, spends €2/100km on an electric Kia e-Soul, plugging in most of the time at home.
| Models | Gasoline car | Electric car |
|---|---|---|
|
Average consumption |
5L/100 km |
10 kWh/100 km |
|
Average rate |
1,5€/L |
0.25 €/kWh |
|
Annual price |
1125 € |
375 € |
- With a conventional electricity supplier, there are two possible scenarios:
- With the basic option, the kWh is the same price all the time. Generally speaking, this price is around €0.15/kWh to €0.16/kWh. So a full recharge costs €7.50.
- With the peak/off-peak option, the price per kWh can range from €0.13/kWh to €0.18/kWh, or more. This means a recharge at €6.50 in off-peak hours and over €10 in peak hours.
- With a cost-price electricity supplier, you pay the true price per kWh, with no margin. This price varies according to market supply and demand. It can go as low as €0.07/kWh for a few weekend time slots: that's a full charge for your electric car at €3.50, representing several hundred euros in savings per year.
Barry is the first electricity supplier to offer kWh at cost price in France. From the Barry application, you can also track this price and find out 24 hours in advance, to recharge easily at the cheapest times.
The app also comes with its fair share of practical features, such as a smart charging function for certain electric cars(Tesla, in particular), and tracking of consumption, payments and thecarbon footprint of energy consumption. A supplier and a practical app for electromobilists!
Read also: 8 tips to reduce the energy consumption of your electric car
The cost of recharging an electric car at work
The cost of recharging an electric car at work can vary from one organization to another. Some opt for free charging, while others offer preferential rates for employees.
As part of the French energy transition law for green growth, the French government has set a target of 7 million charging points installed by 2030, and companies are required to contribute to this global effort. In particular, they are legally obliged to equip part of their parking lots with electric charging points accessible to their employees.
Find out what your employer's legal obligations are with regard to their parking lots and employees.
The cost of recharging an electric car at a fast-charging station
Fast chargers are usually found at freeway service stations: the fastest way to recharge, but also the most expensive.
Depending on the model, the price varies. Recharging a Kia Niro EV can take less than 1 hour, and a full charge will cost you around €5.
That said, this method is ideal for long-distance journeys. The only drawback: if you're not the only owner of an electric vehicle, you can spend a lot of time waiting for your turn. So be patient.
What are your tips for recharging your electric car? Share your experience in comments.
Price of an electric charge vs. the price of a full tank of fossil fuel
The price of fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel has been rising steadily for several years. This trend is accentuated by the current energy crisis and international geopolitical tensions.
In this context, electric vehicles offer a more economical and environmentally-friendly alternative to combustion-powered vehicles.
| Fuel | Estimated price per 100 km |
|---|---|
|
Electricity (home charging) |
2.9 € |
|
Gasoline (E10) |
8.4 € |
|
Diesel (E7) |
6.3 € |
If the price of a full tank of petrol or diesel is displayed directly at the pump, estimating the cost of a full electric recharge at home requires a simple two-step calculation:
- Identify the price of a kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity :
- The price per kWh is shown on your electricity bill.
- It may vary depending on your supplier, your contract and the options you choose.
- In France, the average price of a kWh of electricity is around €0.17 incl. VAT.
- Determine the fuel consumption of your electric vehicle:
- Consumption is generally expressed in kWh/100 km.
- You can find this information in your vehicle's technical specifications.
For example, if your vehicle consumes 15 kWh/100 km, a full recharge of its 50 kWh battery will cost :
50 kWh x €0.17/kWh = €8.50
In short, to find out the cost of a full electric home recharge, simply multiply the capacity of your vehicle's battery by the price per kWh of electricity.
Tip:
Many websites and apps offer charging cost simulators to help you estimate your expenses based on your electricity consumption and tariff.
Choosing an electric car: comparing consumption, battery capacity and recharging costs
| Model | Average consumption (kWh/100 km) | Battery capacity (kWh) | Range (km) | Recharge_DC | Recharge_AC | Cost of a full recharge (€) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 14.4 kWh/ 100 Km | 60 kWh | 491 Km | 170 kW | 13 minutes | 11 kW | 4h22 | 10,94 |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | 14.7 kWh/ 100 Km | 67.5 kWh | 484 Km | 77 kW | 32 minutes | 11 kW | 4h55 | 11,31 |
| Kia Niro EV | 16.4 kWh/ 100 Km | 68 kWh | 463 Km | 72 kW | 34 minutes | 11 kW | 4h57 | 12,37 |
| Renault Zoe | 17.7 kWh/ 100 Km | 54.7 kWh | 385 Km | 50 kW | 39 minutes | 22 kW | 1h59 | 8,32 |
| Peugeot e-208 | 15.4 kWh/ 100 Km | 50 kWh | 362 Km | 100 kW | 18 minutes | 11 kW | 3h38 | 8,1 |
Feature: electric cars and winter
Electric cars are still the victims of clichés, especially when it comes to their efficiency during periods of low temperatures. When winters are harsh, they are reputed not to work well, if at all. But is this really the case?
It's rather difficult to give exact figures for the loss of efficiency of electric cars when temperatures drop, but it's estimated at 20%. It would be a mistake to think that an electric car is anything like a combustion-powered car. The electric car has many advantages, and its disadvantages can be overcome with proper preparation.
Read also: How do you prepare for skiing in an electric car?
One of the side effects of combustion is heat, so gasoline internal combustion engines waste energy, which is then diverted into the cabin to keep occupants warm during the freezing months.
By contrast, the typical electric vehicle (EV) has little wasted energy, and so must draw on the main batteries to power the cabin heaters. What's more, the main batteries also need to be maintained at optimum operating temperatures, necessitating the use of a dedicated heating and cooling management system.
The efficiency of electric and internal-combustion vehicles therefore diminishes in extreme cold, but owners of combustion-powered vehicles can easily find filling stations, which doesn't complicate their journeys any further.
As far as electric cars are concerned, many owners of Tesla electric cars, for example, report an overall reduction in range of around 20%.
Our tips for a better winter
For owners of electric vehicles, it's more complicated. But the range of electric cars can be boosted by using a few tricks, such as :
- Warm up the interior before disconnecting from the charging station.
- It's best to stay warm on the road. If possible, use heated seats and a heated steering wheel to keep warm, rather than the heater. It takes less energy for the vehicle to heat your body through the seat than to heat the whole car.
- Don't underestimate tire pressure, which can make all the difference: as the outside temperature drops, so does the air pressure in your tires.
- Check the pressure in all four tires and add air if necessary. Check tire pressure in the morning when tires are cold. Correctly inflated tires can help improve the electric car's range.
- Finally, you should also consider taking out premium insurance to make sure you're covered in the event of a breakdown due to cold weather.
Read also: 6 tips to improve your electric car's range in winter
In a nutshell
The cost of recharging an electric car in France varies between recharging at home, at work and in public.
- The cost of recharging an electric car at home : recharging costs around €2 for a full charge at home.
- The cost of recharging an electric car at work: some employers install recharging points in parking lots and offer this service free of charge.
- The price of recharging an electric car in certain public places : public recharging points located in supermarkets or parking lots are often free of charge. You can find charging points on the Charge Map application.
- The price of recharging an electric car at fast-charging stations : fast-charging points are most often found at motorway service stations. The price depends of course on the model of your vehicle, and costs around €5 for a full charge.
