How much does it cost to charge an EV in Ireland?
There is no single price for charging an electric car in Ireland. What it costs you depends on two things: the electricity rate you pay, and where you charge - at home or on the public network. The good news is the sum is simple, and once you know your own rate you can work out any charge in seconds. Here is how it works, with a calculator that uses your numbers.
We do not quote a current Irish price here, because rates change and vary by supplier and network. Instead the calculator below uses the price you enter, so the answer fits your own tariff.
What affects the cost
A few things move the cost of a charge up or down:
- Home vs public. Charging at home is usually the cheapest way to run an EV, especially overnight. Public charging is convenient on a journey but typically costs more per unit. See charging a used EV at home and public charging in Ireland.
- AC vs DC. Slower AC charging (home wallbox or destination points) is generally cheaper per kWh than fast DC rapid charging, which you pay a premium for on the road.
- Day vs night rate. If you are on a smart or night tariff, charging in the cheap overnight window can cut the cost of a home charge sharply. The calculator lets you plug in whichever rate applies.
Cost-to-charge calculator
Enter your battery size and your own price per kWh to see what a charge costs. Add your car's energy use (kWh per 100 km) to also get a cost per 100 km. Nothing is sent anywhere - the maths runs in your browser.
Enter your battery size and your own price per kWh to see the cost of a charge.
This uses the electricity price you enter - it is not a quoted rate. Check your own supplier, or ESB ecars / EasyGo, for current public-charging prices.
How the maths works
The cost of a charge is just the energy you add multiplied by your price per unit:
- Cost of a charge = kWh added x your price per kWh. The kWh added is your battery size times the percentage you top up (for example, a 60 kWh battery from 10% to 100% adds about 54 kWh).
- Cost per 100 km = your car's energy use per 100 km (in kWh) x your price per kWh.
If you do not know your car's energy use, you can estimate it from its real-world range: real-world range is WLTP minus 17% (our standard adjustment for Irish driving, decision D15), and energy use per 100 km is roughly the usable battery size divided by that range, times 100. For the full method behind the range figure, read real-world range vs WLTP, explained. To weigh charging against fuel and tax overall, see used EV vs diesel running costs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charge an EV in Ireland?
It depends on your electricity rate and where you charge. Work it out with your own rate using the calculator on this page: a charge costs the kWh you add multiplied by your price per kWh. Charging at home overnight on a night rate is usually the cheapest, and public rapid charging usually costs more per unit.
Is it cheaper to charge at home or in public?
For most drivers, charging at home is cheaper, especially on a night rate. Public rapid (DC) charging is convenient on a journey but usually costs more per kWh than home charging. Check current prices with your own supplier and the charging networks.
How do I work out cost per 100 km?
Multiply the energy your car uses per 100 km (in kWh) by your price per kWh. For example, a car using 17 kWh per 100 km on a rate of EUR 0.20 per kWh would cost about EUR 3.40 per 100 km - but enter your own car's figure and your own rate to get a number that fits you.
Last verified: 17/06/2026
Electricity and public-charging prices change over time and vary by supplier and network, so this page deliberately quotes no rate. For current prices, check your own supplier, or the charging networks directly: ESB ecars and EasyGo.