EV Charging in Michigan: What the Numbers Mean
Michigan's residential electricity rate is 18.3¢/kWh — 2.2¢ above the national average of 16.1¢/kWh, which narrows EV savings somewhat. At that rate, a typical EV (3.5 mi/kWh) costs $627/year to charge at home for 12,000 miles.
Compared to a 30 MPG gas car at $3.22/gal ($1288/year for the same miles), EV home charging saves $661/year — $3,305 over 5 years, before incentives.
Home Charging vs Public Charging in Michigan
The biggest driver of EV cost is where you charge. Home charging at 18.3¢/kWh is always the cheapest option. Public Level 2 stations average around 45.8¢/kWh — 2.5x more expensive. DC fast chargers run about 36.0¢/kWh. Tesla Superchargers in Michigan are estimated at 37.9¢–47.1¢/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 $1234/year in Michigan, narrowing the gap with gas considerably.