EV Charging in Idaho: What the Numbers Mean
Idaho's residential electricity rate is 10.8¢/kWh — 5.3¢ below the national average of 16.1¢/kWh, which works in EV owners' favor. At that rate, a typical EV (3.5 mi/kWh) costs $370/year to charge at home for 12,000 miles.
Compared to a 30 MPG gas car at $3.35/gal ($1340/year for the same miles), EV home charging saves $970/year — $4,850 over 5 years, before incentives.
Home Charging vs Public Charging in Idaho
The biggest driver of EV cost is where you charge. Home charging at 10.8¢/kWh is always the cheapest option. Public Level 2 stations average around 27.0¢/kWh — 2.5x more expensive. DC fast chargers run about 33.7¢/kWh. Tesla Superchargers in Idaho are estimated at 24.0¢–29.8¢/kWh depending on membership.
Most EV owners do 80%+ of their charging at home overnight. If you don't have home charging access, the economics shift significantly — charging entirely at public DC fast chargers would cost $1155/year in Idaho, narrowing the gap with gas considerably.