What does a kWh cost when charging an electric car?
Current charging prices at home and at public chargers – based on real charging sessions.
What does it really cost to charge an electric car? Every month, Kilonaut evaluates the confirmed charging sessions of its users. So you see what a kilowatt-hour (kWh) actually cost at home and on the road – instead of just comparing prices from tariff sheets.
EV charging: what does a kWh cost right now?
In September 2026, Kilonaut users paid on average:
- 27.8 ct/kWh charging at home
- 40.2 ct/kWh at public charging stations
Public charging was therefore about 45 % more expensive than charging at home.
Compared with August, the price at home rose by 1.3 ct/kWh, the price in public fell by 2.8 ct/kWh.
The analysis is based on confirmed charging sessions of Kilonaut users. It covers the last three completed months. Average prices are weighted by the energy charged.
Note: the results show the charging prices of Kilonaut users and are not a representative average for Germany.
How are EV charging prices developing?
The overview below shows the average price paid per kilowatt-hour when charging at home and at public charging stations.
| Month | Home | Public | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 29.2 ct/kWh | 40.9 ct/kWh | +40 % |
| August 2026 | 26.5 ct/kWh | 43.0 ct/kWh | +62 % |
| September 2026 | 27.8 ct/kWh | 40.2 ct/kWh | +45 % |
| October 2026until Oct 27, provisional | 23.3 ct/kWh | 39.8 ct/kWh | +71 % |
All prices in cents per kWh. Values are updated monthly and weighted by energy charged. The current month is provisional and runs until yesterday.
Why is public charging more expensive than charging at home?
If you charge your electric car at home, you usually pay your household electricity tariff. At public charging stations, the cost depends on the operator, the charging power and the charging tariff you use.
Prices can be considerably higher for fast charging in particular. With a suitable charging card or a cheaper tariff, the gap can be reduced.
The Kilonaut data shows what users actually paid – regardless of the price originally listed on a tariff sheet.
How does Kilonaut calculate the average charging prices?
Kilonaut only evaluates confirmed charging sessions of its users. Receipts that were recognised automatically but not yet checked are not included.
Charging at home
The basis is the electricity price the user has set for their home charging spot. If the tariff changes, each charge uses the price valid at the time of charging.
Public charging
The amount actually recorded is divided by the energy charged. The basis is confirmed charging receipts or manual entries.
Weighted average
Prices are weighted by the energy charged. A 60 kWh charge therefore influences the average more than a 5 kWh charge.
Not included:
- Charging sessions under 1 kWh
- Prices below 5 or above 150 ct/kWh
- Charging at work
- Demo and test accounts
- Charging receipts not yet confirmed
The analysis always covers the last three completed calendar months in German time and is updated at the start of each month. Charges confirmed later may change the results slightly.
How meaningful are these charging prices?
The data shows what Kilonaut users actually recorded for charging their electric car. It is, however, not a representative market statistic.
The sample is still small. People who document their charging costs may also be more likely to have their own wallbox or a cheaper charging tariff.
The figures are therefore mainly useful as a guide and for following price trends among Kilonaut users.
For general household electricity prices, we recommend the BDEW electricity price analysis.
What does charging your EV cost you?
Averages are interesting. What matters, though, is what you pay for charging.
With Kilonaut you keep track of all charging sessions and costs – at home and on the road, whatever the provider.
Among other things, you see:
- Your average price per kWh
- Your actual charging cost per 100 km
- Your spending at home and on the road
- Your charging history by provider, location and period
Kilonaut is free to use.
No account yet? With our free charging cost calculator you can work out what 100 km in your electric car costs, without signing up.
Frequently asked questions about charging prices
What does 1 kWh of electricity cost for an electric car at home?
In September 2026, the average price recorded by Kilonaut users was 27.8 cents per kWh. Your actual price depends on your electricity tariff.
What does 1 kWh cost at a public charger?
In September 2026, Kilonaut users paid an average of 40.2 cents per kWh. Prices can vary considerably depending on the provider, tariff and charging power.
Is charging at home cheaper than public charging?
In the Kilonaut data, public charging in September 2026 was about 45 % more expensive. That does not have to hold for every individual tariff or charging session.
What does it cost to charge an EV for 100 km?
At a consumption of 18 kWh per 100 km, the Kilonaut average prices for September 2026 work out at roughly €5.00 at home and €7.24 in public. Charging losses and possible extra fees are not accounted for separately.
How often are the charging prices updated?
Kilonaut updates the analysis monthly. It shows the last three completed calendar months where enough confirmed charging sessions exist, plus the current month as provisional.
May I use the charging price data?
Yes. The published values are licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 and may be reused with attribution.
Source: “Kilonaut – kilonaut.de/ladepreise”
Kilonaut is not a charging price comparison and not a route planner. To compare current charging tariffs we recommend Chargeprice; to find charging stations, Chargemap.