EVSE Australia Mini Portable Charger (15A)
Type 28/12/15 A3.45 kW~19 km/h6 mIP66
About 50% faster than 10 A on a dedicated outlet, so off-peak windows go further.
$239Lowest price in Australia · free shipping · 2-year warranty
View chargerAt a typical 28c/kWh, charging at home costs about $4.98 per 100 km, against about $13.30 for a petrol car using 7 L/100 km. Over 12,000 km a year that's about $597 of electricity instead of $1,596 of petrol. On an overnight EV plan or your own solar it's far less.
- Rule of thumb: cost per 100 km ≈ your c/kWh × 0.18.
- Typical saving: about $999 a year vs petrol at 28c/kWh, more on off-peak.
- Charger payback: at that rate a $239 portable charger pays for itself in about 87 days of driving.
- Charge when power is cheap: a portable charger plugged in overnight suits time-of-use and EV plans. Start with the SEVR 10A portable charger or EVSE Australia 15A portable charger.
Worked numbers
Home charging cost per 100 km and per year
$4.98per 100 km at 28c/kWh
$1.78per 100 km at 10c/kWh
$13.30per 100 km in petrol
17.8 kWhfrom the wall per 100 km
| Electricity rate | c/kWh | Per 100 km | Per year (12,000 km) | Saved vs petrol per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak or flat rate (high) | 35c | $6.22 | $747 | $849 |
| Typical flat rate | 28c | $4.98 | $597 | $999 |
| Off-peak / controlled load | 18c | $3.20 | $384 | $1,212 |
| Overnight EV plan | 10c | $1.78 | $213 | $1,383 |
| Your own solar (feed-in you give up) | 5c | $0.89 | $107 | $1,489 |
Do the sum yourself
Work out your own cost
- Find your rate. Your bill lists it in cents per kWh. If you're on time-of-use, use the rate for the hours you'll charge.
- Multiply by 17.8. That's roughly the kWh an average EV draws from the wall per 100 km.
- Divide by 100. That's your dollars per 100 km.
- Example: 22c × 17.8 ÷ 100 = $3.91 per 100 km.
Big SUVs and highway driving use more energy than the 16 kWh/100 km assumed here; small hatchbacks around town use less.
Cheaper charging
Four ways to cut your charging cost
- Charge overnight on off-peak. Many retailers have time-of-use or dedicated EV plans with cheap overnight rates.
- Soak up your solar. Charging in the middle of the day uses power you'd otherwise export for a few cents. A charger with a lower current setting helps match smaller systems.
- Use a portable charger before a wall box. Overnight charging at 10 A or 15 A covers most commutes, without spending $1,200–$2,300 on a wall charger install.
- Avoid paying for speed you don't need. Public fast charging usually costs several times your home rate. See portable vs wall charger.
Our pick
Chargers we recommend
SEVR EV Portable Charger (10A)
Type 210 A max2.3 kW~13 km/h4.5 mIP66
Plugs into any power point. The cheapest way to start charging at home.
$183.99Lowest price in Australia · free shipping · 3-year warranty
View chargerQuestions
Frequently asked
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in Australia?
About $4.98 per 100 km at a typical 28c/kWh, or $1.78 per 100 km on a 10c/kWh overnight EV plan, assuming 16 kWh/100 km and 90% charging efficiency.
How much does it cost to fully charge an electric car?
Multiply the battery size by your rate and add about 10% for charging losses. A 60 kWh battery from empty at 28c/kWh costs about $18.67; from 20% to 80% about $11.20.
Is it cheaper to charge an EV than buy petrol?
At home, almost always. At 28c/kWh an EV costs about $4.98 per 100 km versus about $13.30 for a car using 7 L/100 km at $1.90/L.
Does a portable charger cost more to run than a wall charger?
Per kWh, no. You pay the same electricity rate; charging is just slower. Efficiency is similar, so the running cost per km is about the same.
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