EV Charging in South Carolina: What the Numbers Mean
South Carolina's residential electricity rate is 13.2¢/kWh — 2.9¢ 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 $453/year to charge at home for 12,000 miles.
Compared to a 30 MPG gas car at $2.92/gal ($1168/year for the same miles), EV home charging saves $715/year — $3,575 over 5 years, before incentives.
Home Charging vs Public Charging in South Carolina
The biggest driver of EV cost is where you charge. Home charging at 13.2¢/kWh is always the cheapest option. Public Level 2 stations average around 33.0¢/kWh — 2.5x more expensive. DC fast chargers run about 34.5¢/kWh. Tesla Superchargers in South Carolina are estimated at 28.4¢–35.4¢/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 $1183/year in South Carolina, narrowing the gap with gas considerably.