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Cost to run an electric car in North Carolina (August 2026 rates)
At 14.95¢ per kilowatt-hour — North Carolina's average residential price in August 2026 — running an electric car costs $568 a year. That is 18% less than the national average of $690. North Carolina's residential rate is up 2.5% from August 2025, which moves this appliance from $554 to $568 a year.
- Per day
- $1.56
- Per month
- $47.34
- Per year
- $568
Assumption: 3,800 kWh a year. 12,000 miles a year at roughly 3.5 miles per kWh, plus about 10% charging losses, on home Level 2 charging. Use the calculator to swap in the numbers from your own model.
How North Carolina compares
North Carolina pays 14.95¢/kWh, the 14th cheapest residential electricity of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions EIA reports. For this appliance that works out to $122 less a year than the typical U.S. household pays for the same use. Running the same electric car costs $483 a year in Nevada and $1,793 in Hawaii, so where you live changes this bill by $1,309 a year.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $46.33 | $556 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $46.93 | $563 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $47.34 | $568 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $47.47 | $570 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $47.66 | $572 |
States ranked by average residential price, cheapest first. See all 51 states for an electric car.
What else costs about the same in North Carolina
Cutting the number down
- Charging on an off-peak or EV rate plan is usually the single largest lever, and it costs nothing but a schedule setting.
- Charging losses are real: the meter sees noticeably more than the battery receives, especially in cold weather.
- Cost per mile, not cost per charge, is the number that compares cleanly against a tank of gasoline.
Questions
- How much does an electric car cost per month in North Carolina?
- About $47.34 a month, assuming 3,800 kWh a year at 14.95¢/kWh.
- How many kilowatt-hours does an electric car use?
- Roughly 3,800 kWh a year under these assumptions.
- Is that expensive compared with other states?
- North Carolina has the 14th cheapest average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $690 a year.