EV Home Charger Payback Calculator

This calculator works out how long it takes a home EV charger to pay for itself in New Zealand, comparing what you would spend charging without one against the cheaper off-peak power you can use once it is installed. A dedicated home charger typically costs more upfront than plugging into a standard household socket, but it charges faster and lets you shift your charging to off-peak electricity rates, avoiding the higher cost of public fast chargers or daytime power. You enter the charger install cost, how far you drive each year, your car's energy use in kWh per 100km, and the saving per kWh you expect from charging at home instead of elsewhere. From these figures the calculator works out the kWh you charge each year, your saving per year, and the payback period, showing how many years it takes for the saving to cover the install cost. Heavy drivers on a good off-peak plan tend to pay the charger off fastest, while those who drive short distances may find a standard plug is enough. Use it to check whether the upfront cost stacks up for your driving pattern before you commit, and remember that faster, more convenient charging is a real benefit even where the numbers are marginal. This is an indicative estimate only, since actual power prices, driving distance and charger costs vary.

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The "saving per kWh" is the gap between your charging cost without the charger (often public fast charging or peak home rates) and with it (off-peak home charging). Faster, more convenient charging is a benefit beyond the dollars. Estimate only.