I’m a new EV6 owner—first electric car and I love it! But now that I understand kWh better, I realize I might go through the free 1,000 kWh from Kia quicker than I thought. I’ve already used about 300 kWh in just a month.
After I hit 1,000, am I stuck paying $0.56 per kWh for high-speed charging? Are there cheaper options out there? I’ve been topping off at free Level 2 stations around town, but I’m thinking I may need to install a Level 2 charger at home.
Level 2 charging at home is your best bet. DC fast charging stations are expensive to install (over $150K per station), so they charge more per kWh to recoup costs. I’ve seen as low as $0.43/kWh, but at home, I pay around $0.12/kWh.
@olivia
At home, my rate is double that at its lowest tier!
Imani said:
@olivia
At home, my rate is double that at its lowest tier!
Might be time to look into solar. There are some great off-grid options where you consume your own energy first before the grid kicks in.
Imani said:
@olivia
At home, my rate is double that at its lowest tier!
That’s wild! Where do you live that your lowest charge is over $0.25/kWh?
Imani said:
@olivia
At home, my rate is double that at its lowest tier!
That’s wild! Where do you live that your lowest charge is over $0.25/kWh?
California. My lowest is $0.22, but it goes up to $0.54 during peak hours in the afternoon.
@Peggy
Yeah, PG&E is the worst. I can only get as low as $0.35 per kWh in the winter. But I found that with EVgo, the $12 membership gives you $0.30/kWh year-round.
You could just use a standard outlet and get about 15-25% charge per 24 hours. I don’t think I’ll need a Level 2 charger. I just plug it in when I’m not using it, and it went from 20% to 100% in 3 days after a long trip.
@sorphia
I use a Level 1 16A charger and get 15-20% per night over 8-12 hours. It’s actually better for the battery than using DC fast charging.
Randy said:
@sorphia
I use a Level 1 16A charger and get 15-20% per night over 8-12 hours. It’s actually better for the battery than using DC fast charging.
Charging every day is fine. The car can run battery maintenance routines when it’s plugged in.
Home charging is the way to go. Save high-speed charging for road trips or when you’re in a pinch.
You could try the Electrify America ‘Pass+’ membership. It’s $7/month and gives you around a 25% discount. But really, using Level 2 charging, especially at home, is your best option. Fast charging is best for road trips.
Some Electrify America stations charge per minute. If you can find a fast one, it’s much cheaper than paying per kWh.
In San Diego, I’ve found some fast chargers on ChargePoint that cost $0.25 or $0.45 per kWh depending on the time of day. They’re often located in parks or at community colleges, and they tend to be less crowded.
Just get a Level 2 charger installed at home. It’s cheaper, and you won’t need to use fast chargers much.