Tata Nexon EV (30 kWh) at home wallbox 7.4 kW, 20-80% charge, ₹8/kWh
Energy needed: 30 × 0.6 = 18 kWh net. From grid (90% eff): 20 kWh. Time: 20/7.4 = 2.7 hours. Cost: 20 × 8 = ₹160. Range gained: ~110 km. Per-km cost: ₹1.45.
Estimate how long an EV takes to charge and how much it costs. Pick the battery size, target state-of-charge (SoC), charger type (3 kW household plug to 150 kW DC fast charger) and your electricity tariff. Get charging time and ₹ cost - at home or at a public station.
Charging time
2 hr 42 min
18 kWh into battery
Charging cost
₹160
Range added
187 km
Energy from grid
20 kWh
Includes 10% loss in conversion
Running cost
₹1 / km
Based on rated WLTP/MIDC range
| Charger | Time | Cost @ tariff |
|---|---|---|
| Household plug (15A, 3 kW) | 6 hr 40 min | ₹160 |
| Home wallbox (7.4 kW) | 2 hr 42 min | ₹160 |
| Type 2 AC (11 kW) | 1 hr 49 min | ₹160 |
| Type 2 AC (22 kW) | 55 min | ₹160 |
| DC fast charger (50 kW) | 24 min | ₹160 |
| DC ultra-fast (150 kW) | 8 min | ₹160 |
Real-world charging time depends on temperature, battery age and the charger's ramp-down behaviour above 80% SoC. Public DC fast-charging tariffs in India are typically ₹15-25 per kWh, considerably higher than home electricity.
لا يزال بعض المحتوى معروضًا بالإنجليزية.
Electric vehicles are now a serious option for Indian car buyers - Tata Nexon EV (the bestseller), Tata Tigor EV, Mahindra XUV400, MG ZS EV, Hyundai Kona EV, BYD Atto 3, and on the premium end, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Tesla. The major shift in mindset for new EV owners is from fuel cost (₹6-9 per km for petrol) to charging cost (₹1-2 per km at home, ₹3-5 per km at public chargers). Understanding how charging time and cost depend on battery size, charger power, and tariff is essential for both daily planning and long road-trip preparation.
Charger ecosystem in India is rapidly expanding. Home charging: standard 15A 3kW plug (8-12 hours for full charge of 30 kWh battery), or a dedicated 7.4kW wallbox (4-6 hours). Public AC: 22 kW at malls, hotels, offices (~1.5-2 hour charging session). Public DC fast chargers: 25-50 kW at Tata Power, Statiq, ChargeZone, EESL stations (30-60 minutes for 20-80% SoC); 100-150 kW at Ather Grid, Adani Total, BPCL pumps (15-30 minutes for the same). Public charging providers charge ₹15-25 per kWh; comparing this with home charging (₹6-10 per kWh) makes a 2-3× difference for long road trips.
Enter the battery capacity in kWh (Tata Nexon EV: 30, Mahindra XUV400: 39, Tata Tigor EV: 26, Tesla Model 3: 60).
Set the start and end SoC. Most owners charge from 20% to 80% to protect battery health.
Pick a charger type - household, home wallbox, public AC or DC fast charger.
Enter the per-kWh tariff. Domestic rate is ₹6-₹10 per kWh, public DC stations ₹15-₹25 per kWh.
Optional: set charging efficiency (90% is a good real-world number).
Read the charging time and total cost.
Energy required by the battery is battery capacity multiplied by SoC delta (end − start). To deliver that energy, the charger must draw a bit more from the grid because of conversion losses - typical AC home efficiency is 88-92%, public DC is 92-95%. Time is energy divided by charger power. Cost is grid energy multiplied by per-kWh tariff. EV manufacturers often quote 0-100% time, but 20-80% is the recommended daily use range and is what most apps show.
Time(hr) = (Battery × ΔSoC / Efficiency) / Charger kW • Cost = (Battery × ΔSoC / Efficiency) × ₹/kWh
Energy required to charge: battery capacity (kWh) × ΔSoC (end% − start% as decimal). To charge a 30 kWh Nexon EV from 20% to 80% needs 30 × 0.60 = 18 kWh net energy in the battery. Charging efficiency (typically 85-92% for AC home charging, 92-95% for DC fast charging) means the grid actually delivers more: 18 / 0.90 = 20 kWh from the grid.
Charging time: divide energy by charger power. 20 kWh / 7.4 kW (home wallbox) = 2.7 hours. 20 kWh / 3 kW (15A household socket) = 6.7 hours. 20 kWh / 25 kW (DC fast charger) = 48 minutes. Note: charging slows above 80% SoC to protect battery - manufacturer-quoted '30 min for 20-80%' on DC fast chargers doesn't scale to 100%. Going from 80% to 100% may take another 30-45 minutes due to taper.
Cost: grid energy × per-kWh tariff. Home at ₹8/kWh: 20 × 8 = ₹160 for the 20-80% charge. Public DC at ₹20/kWh: 20 × 20 = ₹400 for same charge. Per-km cost: divide ₹ by km gained. Most EVs deliver 5-7 km/kWh real-world. 18 kWh × 6 km/kWh = 108 km gained. So ₹160 / 108 km = ₹1.48/km (home), ₹400 / 108 = ₹3.70/km (public DC). Petrol equivalent: ~₹6-8/km. EVs save significantly when charged at home.
Energy needed: 30 × 0.6 = 18 kWh net. From grid (90% eff): 20 kWh. Time: 20/7.4 = 2.7 hours. Cost: 20 × 8 = ₹160. Range gained: ~110 km. Per-km cost: ₹1.45.
Energy: 50 × 0.6 = 30 kWh net. Grid (93% DC eff): 32.3 kWh. Time: 32.3/50 ≈ 39 min (real-world 45-55 min due to taper). Cost: 32.3 × 22 = ₹710. Range: ~210 km. Per km: ₹3.38. Still cheaper than petrol but premium over home charging.
Range per full charge: ~270 km (real-world). Need 2-3 charging stops at DC fast chargers. Time at each: 30-45 min for 20-80%. Cost per stop: ₹350-₹450. Total trip charging: ₹900-₹1,200 vs ₹4,800-₹5,500 for petrol equivalent.
A 30 kWh battery at ₹8 per kWh costs about ₹240 for a full 0-100% charge. Compare to ~₹3,000 for an equivalent petrol car covering 300 km - EVs are 8-10x cheaper per km.
Above 80%, charging slows down to protect the lithium cells. DC fast chargers may go from 20% to 80% in 30 minutes but take another 30 minutes to reach 100%.
For overnight charging of small EVs (Tiago EV, Nexon EV) yes - 8-10 hours covers most daily commutes. For larger batteries (60+ kWh), a 7.4 kW home wallbox is recommended.
Tata Power, Statiq, ChargeZone and Ather Grid charge ₹15-₹25 per kWh on DC fast chargers. So a 60% top-up on a 30 kWh battery costs ₹270-₹450 - still cheaper than petrol.
For daily use, 80% is recommended - it preserves battery life and cycle count. Charge to 100% only before long trips. Most EVs allow setting the limit in the app or infotainment.
Energy is lost as heat in the charger, cables and battery. Home AC chargers run at 88-92% efficiency, public DC chargers at 92-95%. The calculator uses 90% by default.
Owning a vehicle in India means juggling EMI, fuel cost, depreciation, charging cost (for EVs), maintenance and trip cost. These numbers are interconnected - a longer commute means more fuel, faster depreciation, and bigger interest payments. Rather than treat them in isolation, the vehicle calculators help you see the full stack before you sign on the dotted line.
Pair this calculator with the EMI, depreciation, fuel cost and EV charging calculators to compute the realistic monthly cost of ownership. For depreciation we follow the IRDAI standard schedule used by Indian insurers for IDV (Insured Declared Value); for EV charging we model losses, charger type and time-of-use tariffs.
The EV Charging Calculator is part of the Vehicle suite on Online Calculator Tools, alongside 6 related calculators. All tools share the same UI patterns, the same privacy-first rendering (nothing is sent to a server), and the same commitment to showing the formula and assumptions behind every result.