What does it cost to charge an EV in Illinois?
At Illinois’s average electricity rate of 18.9¢/kWh, a typical driver (13,500 mi/yr, mostly home charging) spends about $952 a year — roughly 7.0¢ per mile, and around $698 less than the same miles in a 27 MPG gas car. Run your own numbers below.
Independent estimate for guidance only. Time-of-use rates, your specific EV and public-charging habits will change the real figure.
Why Illinois charging costs what it does
Illinois homes pay about 18.9¢/kWh, which is 0.2¢ above the US average. Because home electricity is the main driver of EV running cost, that puts Illinois drivers around the middle for charging. Charging more at home (versus public fast-charging at $0.40–0.50/kWh) lowers it further.
Illinois electricity price trend
Average residential rate, monthly, Sep 2023 – Aug 2026. Up 31% over the period.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Electric Power Monthly · range 14.7–22.09¢/kWh
A worked example for Illinois
Average driver: 13,500 miles a year, 3.3 mi/kWh, 85% charged at home.
Gas comparison: 27 MPG at $3.30/gal. Adjust everything in the calculator above.
Cut it further with solar
If you charge at home, your EV runs on whatever your roof or the grid supplies. Pairing an EV with rooftop solar can drop your effective charging cost well below the grid rate — see whether that maths works where you live with our Illinois solar payback calculator.