EV Charging in Wisconsin: What the Numbers Mean
Wisconsin's residential electricity rate is 17.1¢/kWh — 1.0¢ above the national average of 16.1¢/kWh, which narrows EV savings somewhat. At that rate, a typical EV (3.5 mi/kWh) costs $586/year to charge at home for 12,000 miles.
Compared to a 30 MPG gas car at $3.18/gal ($1272/year for the same miles), EV home charging saves $686/year — $3,430 over 5 years, before incentives.
Home Charging vs Public Charging in Wisconsin
The biggest driver of EV cost is where you charge. Home charging at 17.1¢/kWh is always the cheapest option. Public Level 2 stations average around 42.8¢/kWh — 2.5x more expensive. DC fast chargers run about 35.6¢/kWh. Tesla Superchargers in Wisconsin are estimated at 35.6¢–44.3¢/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 $1221/year in Wisconsin, narrowing the gap with gas considerably.