EV road trip charging calculator
Enter your trip and your car to see the charging stops, time and cost.Enter your trip and your car's numbers. See how many charging stops you need, how long they take and what they cost.
StopsCharging stops
2
TimeCharging time
35 minapprox.
slows above 80%; 35 minutes, approximate
EnergyEnergy to add
88.6kWh
Your trip and your car
Choose a known EV highway corridor to populate the distance and stop areas, or select Custom route.
Start is your charge when you leave. Reserve is the lowest charge you accept on arriving anywhere. Charge to is how full you charge at each stop. The numbers above are an example: replace them with your car's.
Road conditions
Pick one: cold, speed or hills raises the energy a trip uses. Every figure is explained under "Methodology & Sources".
No adjustment: the plan uses the efficiency you typed.
The link holds only the numbers on this page, in the address. It opens the same plan for whoever you send it to.
You type it: fast chargers vary by network and place.
Type the price per kWh of the chargers you plan to use to see the cost. We do not guess a price.
Time is approximate: charging slows above 80%. Change the assumption
rule of thumbReal cars slow down as the battery fills, but the curve is different for every car, charger, temperature and starting charge. No open source we found gives the numbers, so this uses two simple settings: full power up to a level, then a fraction of it. Change them to match your car. The DOE page says only: "Charging power varies by vehicle and battery state of charge." (DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center).
Methodology & Sources: speed, cold and hills
"Road conditions" lets you pick one of cold, speed or hills to raise the energy the trip uses. The planner divides the efficiency you typed by that factor, then works out the energy, the stops and the time from that lower efficiency. With None selected, or 0%, nothing changes.
- Cold · figure from an open source
- Cold applies one figure when you select it: FuelEconomy.gov says "For electric vehicles (EVs), fuel economy can drop roughly 39% in mixed city and highway driving, and range can drop by 41%." The planner uses the 39% as a drop in efficiency, so energy per mile is multiplied by 1 ÷ (1 − 0.39) = 1.64. The part of the page we read gives no temperature for it, so the switch has no degrees. The same page says tire pressure falls in the cold, which raises rolling resistance.
- Highway speed · the direction is sourced, the size is yours
- The EPA says "factors like cold weather, accessory use (such as A/C), and high-speed driving can lower your vehicle's range significantly." The EPA testing page lists "the impact of air conditioning, of cold temperatures, and of high speed and aggressive driving behavior." Neither page gives a percentage, so we do not invent one: type the extra energy you see at your cruising speed, for example from your car's own trip computer.
- Hills · no figure in the sources we read
- The pages above do not mention hills or elevation. This setting is your estimate of the extra energy for a hilly route. It is not a measured value.
Why only one at a time: no open source we read says how cold, speed and hills add up together, so the planner does not combine them. To see a mix, type your own total as the percentage under Speed or Hills.
Sources: FuelEconomy.gov, cold weather (page shows no date); EPA, electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles (page shows no date); EPA, fuel economy and EV range testing (page shows no date) · opened
| Stop | At mi | Arrive | Charge to | Add | Time | Chargers near stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 210 | 10% | 80% | 52.5 kWh | 21 min | Chargers near stop 1Mile 210 area |
| 2 | 394 | 10% | 58% | 36.1 kWh | 14 min | Chargers near stop 2Mile 394 area |
EV chargers near each stop on chargersnear.me
Direct links to mapped charging stationsEach link opens chargersnear.me with the stop's area to see mapped fast chargers, available plug types and power. Type a custom city or area if you follow a different route.
This is arithmetic on the numbers you type, not a route planner or a promise: real trips change with speed, weather, hills and the charger you find. Nothing you type leaves this device.
See the math, step by step
- Energy for the trip: 520 mi ÷ 3.5 mi/kWh = 148.6 kWh.
- From 90% down to the 10% reserve you can use 75 kWh × 80% = 60 kWh.
- Missing 88.6 kWh. Each stop adds at most 75 kWh × 70% = 52.5 kWh, so 2 stops.
- Time: each stop at 150 kW up to 80%, then 50% of that power. Total about 35 min, an estimate.
How many charging stops does a road trip need?
The direct answer, for the example trip.
A 520-mile trip in a car with 75 kWh of usable battery and 3.5 mi/kWh, starting at 90% and keeping a 10% reserve, needs 2 charging stops when each stop charges to 80%: about 88.6 kWh to add and about 35 minutes of charging at 150 kW.
The count comes from one comparison: the energy the trip needs (distance divided by efficiency) against the energy your battery can give between the charge you start with and the reserve you want to keep. Whatever is missing is charged at stops, and no stop can add more than the gap between the reserve and the level you charge to. The calculator above does exactly this, with your numbers.
Two things make the time an estimate and not a promise: charging power falls as the battery fills, and the real curve is different for each car and charger. The time shown is labelled approximate and the two settings behind it are yours to change. Prices are never filled in for you: type what the charger shows.
Same trip, other chargers and charge levels
Each row changes one number and keeps the rest of your trip. The powers and levels are examples to compare, not the specification of any charger. A button loads a row into the planner.
Charging time at other charger powers
The stops stay at 2 in every row: the power changes only how long each stop takes. Your car takes the lower of the charger's power and what it accepts, so read a row as "if my car took this power".
| Charger power | Charging time | Against yours | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kW | 1 h 45 min | 1 h 10 min more | |
| 100 kW | 53 min | 18 min more | |
| 150 kW | 35 min | about the same | your setting |
| 250 kW | 21 min | 14 min less |
Stops and time at other levels to charge to
The energy added stays at 88.6 kWh in every row. A higher level can mean fewer stops, never more, and only the part of a stop above 80% charges slower.
| Charge to | Stops | Charging time | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% | 2 | 35 min | |
| 80% | 2 | 35 min | your setting |
| 90% | 2 | 38 min | |
| 100% | 2 | 41 min |
How the planner works
Four steps, all arithmetic on your own numbers.
Describe the trip
Distance, in miles or kilometres, and how efficient your car is: mi/kWh, Wh/mi or kWh/100 km.
Describe the battery
Usable kWh, the charge you leave with, the reserve you want at every arrival and how full you charge at a stop.
Read the stops and the time
The trip line shows each stop and the battery level between them. The time is approximate and says why.
Add your price
Type the price per kWh of the chargers you will use. The cost is energy billed times your price.
Worked example: 520 miles with a 75 kWh battery
The same numbers that start the calculator.
- Energy for the trip: 520 mi ÷ 3.5 mi/kWh = 148.6 kWh.
- Leaving at 90% with a 10% reserve gives 75 kWh × 80% = 60 kWh, enough for 60 × 3.5 = 210 miles. The first stop is at mile 210.
- Missing: 148.6 − 60 = 88.6 kWh. A stop that charges from 10% to 80% adds 75 × 70% = 52.5 kWh, good for 183.75 more miles, so the second stop is at mile 394.
- Stops needed: 88.6 ÷ 52.5 = 1.69, rounded up to 2. The second stop adds only the missing 36.1 kWh (10% to 58%) and you arrive with the 10% reserve.
- Time at 150 kW: stop 1 is 52.5 kWh ÷ 150 kW = 21 minutes; stop 2 is 36.1 ÷ 150 = 14.4 minutes; total about 35 minutes, approximate. With an example price of 0.45 per kWh (a number to show the formula, not an average), 88.6 kWh would cost 39.86.
What the planner assumes
Every simplification is listed here, because a plan that hides them is worse than none.
| Assumption | What the calculator does | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Energy used | Distance ÷ the efficiency you type, made worse by the one road condition you pick: Cold (one open figure), highway speed or hills (your own percentage). No wind; heating and air conditioning are not modelled apart. | your input + FuelEconomy.gov |
| Reserve | The same minimum applies on arriving at each charger and at the destination. | your input |
| Charging curve | Full power up to 80%, then half of it (both editable). Every car and charger differs. | rule of thumb |
| Time at each stop | Only the charging time is counted. Arriving, plugging in and leaving are not, so the real time at each stop can be longer. | not counted |
| Charger power | The average power your car actually receives, which can be lower than the charger's label. | your input |
| Price | Starts empty. Cost = kWh billed × the price you type. | your input |
| Unit factors | 1 mile = 1.609344 km, exactly. | NIST |
Sources: NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8 (page shows no date); DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, EV charging stations (page shows no date); FuelEconomy.gov, cold weather (page shows no date) · opened and
More tools for charging a trip
Each page answers one question and uses the same numbers.
- Charging costWhat one charge costs at your price per kWh.
- Charging timeHow long a charge takes, and why it is approximate.
- kWh to milesTurn energy into distance, and mi/kWh into Wh/mi.
- EV vs gas trip costThe same trip in an EV and in a petrol car.
- Connector typesCCS, NACS (J3400), CHAdeMO, J1772 and Type 2, with sources.
What this site does not do
It has no map, no list of chargers and no route planner. It cannot know which stations exist on your road, whether they work or what they charge; for that use the app of your car maker or the charging networks you use. What it does is the arithmetic that those tools rarely show: how the stops follow from your battery, your efficiency and your reserve, in the units you prefer.
Need only the cost of one charge? Use the charging cost calculator. Comparing with a petrol car? See EV vs gas trip cost.
Frequently asked questions
How many charging stops will my EV road trip need?
Divide the distance by your efficiency to get the energy the trip needs. Subtract the energy you can use between your start charge and your reserve. Whatever is left must be charged at stops, and each stop adds at most the gap between the reserve and the level you charge to. With 75 kWh usable, 3.5 mi/kWh, a start at 90%, a 10% reserve and charging to 80%, a 520-mile trip needs 2 stops.
Which efficiency should I type?
Use the average your car shows on the dashboard for a trip like yours, or your own record: kWh used divided by distance driven. The tool accepts mi/kWh, Wh/mi and kWh/100 km and converts between them with 1 mile = 1.609344 km. Your own record on a trip like the one you plan is the safest number: a figure from a different kind of driving can make the plan look better or worse than it is.
Why is the charging time only approximate?
Charging power is not constant. The U.S. Department of Energy says charging power varies by vehicle and battery state of charge, and it drops as the battery fills. The tool uses two simple settings, full power up to 80% and half of it above, and says so next to the number. They are a rule of thumb, you can change both, and your car will differ.
What changes the number of stops and the time?
The stops follow from the energy the trip needs, the usable battery, your start charge, your reserve and the level you charge to. Road conditions raise the energy the trip needs, so they can add a stop. The time follows from the charger power you enter and from the slowdown above the level you set. The charger power does not change the number of stops. The comparison section above changes one of these at a time, with your numbers.
Does charging to a higher level save time?
A higher level can mean fewer stops, but the total energy the trip needs does not change, and the part of a stop above the slowdown level charges at a fraction of the power, so that part takes longer. The comparison section shows the stops and the time for each level with your numbers.
Does the planner know where the chargers are?
No. It has no map and no list of stations. It tells you how many stops you need and roughly where along the route each one falls, from your own numbers. Use your car maker's navigation or a charging network app to pick the actual stations near those points.
What is the reserve, and why does it apply at every stop?
The reserve is the lowest charge you are willing to arrive with. The tool applies the same number when you arrive at a charger and at the destination, because a charger can be out of order and you may need to reach the next one. Lower it and you get fewer stops, but with less margin for error.
Why is the price field empty?
Fast-charging prices depend on the network, the place, the time and your membership, and no open source gives a trustworthy average. You type the price per kWh of the chargers you plan to use. For home charging, the cost page offers the U.S. Energy Information Administration residential average (18.31 cents per kWh in July 2026, preliminary) as a one-click suggestion.
Is anything I type sent or saved?
Typing does not send anything: your numbers are used in your browser and kept in its local storage so you do not retype them on the next page. The "Back to the example" button erases them. The one exception is a shared link, which carries the numbers in its address (see the next question).
Can I send my trip to someone else?
Yes. "Share this trip" gives you a link that carries every number you entered: distance, battery, efficiency, charger power, start, reserve and charge-to levels, the road condition and the price if you typed one. Whoever opens it sees the same stops, time and cost, and can change any number. The numbers live in the address itself, not in a trip saved on an account or database of ours. Because they are part of the address, whoever opens the link requests it from our host, and the host or its network can record a requested address in its ordinary access logs, so share the link only with people you would tell those numbers. Opening a shared link replaces the numbers saved in that browser.