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SDG&E EV Charging Cost Calculator (EV-TOU-5)

What charging an EV costs on SDG&E's EV-TOU-5 plan, with its 13.1¢ super off-peak rate, and the 7-year cost against a gas car in San Diego.

Updated · By Niraj Kumar · 6 sources

The cars

$

Standard RWD starting price. Replace it with your quote.

$

Hybrid LE FWD, 44 mpg combined.

Where and how you charge

%
0%100%

The rest is public fast charging. Most owners with a driveway charge 80-90% at home.

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0%100%

SDG&E EV-TOU-5: 13.1¢ a kWh, midnight to 6 am, plus 10 am to 2 pm on weekdays. The rest is priced at the state average.

¢/kWh

Blend of EV-TOU-5's off-peak and the state average. Enter the all-in rate from your bill to override.

¢/kWh

Driving

years
1 yr10 yrs
$per gallon

California average for regular (AAA).

Fine-tune

%
0%10%
%
0%10%
%
0%8%

About 2% is typical; the loss slows after that. Hot climates and frequent fast charging push it up.

$

The federal credit ended for cars bought after 30 September 2025.

$

Set to 0 if you already have one or will use a standard outlet.

$
$

Assumed full coverage; replace both with quotes.

How you payHow you pay
Over 7 yearsGas saves $4,131The EV does not catch up within 7 years

The Tesla Model Y costs 5.9¢ a mile to charge, against 14.1¢ a mile in gas for the Toyota RAV4. Your charging plan saves about $478 a year against the California average rate.

Tesla Model Y, total cost
$58,760
70.0¢ a mile, all in
Toyota RAV4, total cost
$54,629
65.0¢ a mile, all in
EV price premium repaid
Not in 7 yrs
from running savings, before resale
Battery at the end
92%
about 296 of 321 miles of range
CO₂ avoided
8.5 tonnes
at the US grid average
Cost of ownership if sold at the end of each yearTesla Model YToyota RAV4
$0$20 K$40 K$60 K$58.76 K$54.63 K1234567
Cash saved by choosing the EV, before resaleStill to recoverAhead
$-12.5 K$-10 K$-7.5 K$-5 K$-2.5 K$001234567
Where the money goes over 7 years
CostTesla Model YToyota RAV4
Purchase less resale$30,705$19,469
Charging or gas$5,368$12,550
Maintenance$5,040$7,560
Insurance$16,800$15,050
EV registration fees$847$0
Total$58,760$54,629
Year-by-year costs and battery healthShow
YearChargingGasBatteryRangeEV cost to dateGas car cost to date
1$704$1,68898%313 mi$17,854$12,584
2$726$1,72296%310 mi$26,619$20,407
3$746$1,75695%306 mi$34,205$27,626
4$766$1,79295%304 mi$41,012$34,562
5$787$1,82794%301 mi$47,040$41,214
6$809$1,86493%298 mi$53,089$47,903
7$831$1,90192%296 mi$58,760$54,629

How the SDG&E EV Charging Cost Calculator (EV-TOU-5) works

TCO = Price × (1 + tax) − rebates + charger + Σ₍y₎ [energy₍y₎ + maintenance + insurance + fees] + interest − resale₍N₎

This page uses the same method as the EV vs Gas Total Cost of Ownership Calculator, which explains each term and assumption in full.

Worked example

A Tesla Model Y Standard RWD ($39,990) against a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid LE FWD ($31,900) in California on SDG&E EV-TOU-5, driven 12,000 miles a year for 7 years, paid in cash, charging 80% at home.

  1. 1Home electricity costs about 15.2¢ a kWh, mostly in SDG&E's midnight to 6 am, plus 10 am to 2 pm on weekdays window; with 20% fast charging at 48.0¢ the blend is 21.7¢
  2. 2At 27 kWh/100 mi the Tesla Model Y costs 5.9¢ a mile; at 44 mpg and $6.19 a gallon the Toyota RAV4 costs 14.1¢ a mile
  3. 3Buying costs $45,101 for the EV with tax and a home charger, against $34,781
  4. 4After 7 years the battery keeps about 92% of its capacity, and the cars would sell for about $14,396 and $15,312

Over 7 years the Tesla Model Y costs $58,760 to own and the Toyota RAV4 $54,629, so the gas car comes out $4,131 cheaper at these assumptions.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to charge an EV on SDG&E EV-TOU-5?

About 13.1¢ a kWh in the midnight to 6 am, plus 10 am to 2 pm on weekdays window, against 80.2¢ at peak. Charging 90% of the time off-peak works out to about 15.2¢ a kWh, or 4.1¢ a mile for an EV using 27 kWh per 100 miles, against 9.1¢ at the state's average rate. Check the current tariff on your bill, as rates change during the year.

When is SDG&E's super off-peak on EV-TOU-5?

Midnight to 6 am every day, plus 10 am to 2 pm on weekdays, and on weekends from midnight straight through to 2 pm. From 1 August 2026 it costs 13.1¢ a kWh, against 49.6¢ off-peak and 80.2¢ from 4 to 9 pm. A car scheduled to charge after midnight pays about a sixth of the peak price.

What does a year of EV charging cost on SDG&E EV-TOU-5?

A Tesla Model Y driven 12,000 miles a year, charged 80% at home with most of it in the midnight to 6 am, plus 10 am to 2 pm on weekdays window, costs about $704 a year in electricity, blending 15.2¢ a kWh at home with fast charging. At California's average residential rate of 33.6¢ it would be about $1,182. The same miles in a Toyota RAV4 cost about $1,688 in gas.

Sources

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