E-Bike Charging Cost Calculator
Charging a 672 Wh e-bike battery from empty costs about 25.2¢ on SDG&E’s standard plan overnight (37.4¢/kWh, summer super off-peak) and about 46.5¢ in the 4–9 p.m. peak — under a cent a mile, against about 22.7¢ a mile for gas in an average new car at Orange County’s $6.18 a gallon.
No sign-up · works on your phoneUpdated 6 sources
Your battery and your rate
What it costs
Per charge
25.2¢
0.67 kWh
Per mile, e-bike
0.7¢
19.2 Wh/mi
Per mile, car
22.7¢
gas only
About $458 a year less than driving the same miles
How this was calculated
Rates are SDG&E’s TOU-DR1 totals effective August 1, 2026, before the baseline credit (up to 10.7¢/kWh off usage within 130% of your baseline) and without the $0.79/day base charge, which you pay either way. Charging losses aren’t included.
- Rate
- $0.374/kWh
- Range
- 35 mi per charge
- Gas
- $6.18/gal
- Car
- 27.2 mpg
Worked example
A 48 V 14 Ah (672 Wh) battery, 35 miles a charge, 40 miles a week
Per charge: 672 Wh = 0.672 kWh × $0.374 = 25.2¢ overnight in summer. Per mile: 672 Wh ÷ 35 miles = 19.2 Wh a mile, or 0.7¢. Driving: $6.18 ÷ 27.2 mpg = 22.7¢ a mile.
A year: 40 miles a week is 2,080 miles — about $15 of electricity against $473 of gas, a difference of roughly $458 before insurance, parking and maintenance.
Reference
E-bike charging cost on SDG&E, 2026
Cost of one full charge (empty to full), SDG&E TOU-DR1 total rates effective August 1, 2026, before the baseline credit.
| Battery | Summer overnight | Summer 4–9 p.m. | Winter overnight | Winter 4–9 p.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 360 Wh | 13.5¢ | 24.9¢ | 15.7¢ | 22.1¢ |
| 500 Wh | 18.7¢ | 34.6¢ | 21.9¢ | 30.7¢ |
| 672 Wh | 25.2¢ | 46.5¢ | 29.4¢ | 41.3¢ |
| 750 Wh | 28.1¢ | 51.9¢ | 32.8¢ | 46.1¢ |
| 1040 Wh | 38.9¢ | 71.9¢ | 45.5¢ | 63.9¢ |
Cost per 100 miles
| Efficiency | Summer overnight | Summer 4–9 p.m. | Gas car (27.2 mpg, $6.18) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Wh/mile | 37.4¢ | 69.1¢ | $22.72 |
| 15 Wh/mile | 56.1¢ | $1.04 | $22.72 |
| 20 Wh/mile | 74.9¢ | $1.38 | $22.72 |
| 25 Wh/mile | 93.6¢ | $1.73 | $22.72 |
SDG&E TOU-DR1 prices (per kWh, effective Aug 1, 2026)
| Period | Summer (Jun–Oct) | Winter (Nov–May) |
|---|---|---|
| Super off-peak — 12–6 a.m. weekdays (and 10 a.m.–2 p.m.); 12 a.m.–2 p.m. weekends | $0.37433 | $0.43719 |
| Off-peak — all other hours outside 4–9 p.m. | $0.46421 | $0.53060 |
| On-peak — 4–9 p.m. every day | $0.69135 | $0.61471 |
How to use it
In 4 steps
- 1Enter your battery's watt-hours (volts × amp-hours from the label) and how much you usually refill.
- 2Pick SDG&E's standard plan and when you charge, or enter your own price per kWh from your bill.
- 3Enter the miles you really get per charge and ride per week.
- 4Compare with your car's mpg and today's gas price.
Why e-bike electricity barely registers
An e-bike battery is small. A 672 Wh pack holds about as much energy as running a 1,000-watt space heater for 40 minutes, and a full charge on SDG&E’s standard plan costs less than a candy bar. Efficiency Vermont’s study put e-bike use around 10 watt-hours a mile — against roughly 25 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles for an electric car, more than 20 times as much.
The time of day matters more than the battery. On SDG&E’s standard time-of-use plan, charging between 4 and 9 p.m. costs almost twice the overnight rate in summer. Charging overnight is also when you’re least likely to be watching — which is why a charger on a hard surface, away from exits, matters more than the few cents.
The number to watch is range. If your miles per charge have dropped, the cost per mile creeps up — and so does the chance that something other than the battery is wasting energy: soft tires, a dragging brake or a worn chain.
FAQ
Charging cost: questions
How much does it cost to charge an e-bike in Orange County?
On SDG&E's standard TOU-DR1 plan (effective August 1, 2026), a full 672 Wh charge costs about 25.2¢ overnight in summer, 29.4¢ overnight in winter, and 46.5¢ if you charge between 4 and 9 p.m. in summer. A smaller 500 Wh battery costs about three-quarters of that.
Is it cheaper to charge an e-bike at night?
On SDG&E's standard plan, yes: super off-peak (midnight to 6 a.m. on weekdays, and midnight to 2 p.m. on weekends and holidays) is 37.4¢ per kWh in summer against 69.1¢ on-peak from 4 to 9 p.m. Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. are also super off-peak.
How much electricity does an e-bike use per mile?
Efficiency Vermont's study estimated about 10 watt-hours a mile, with a realistic range of 10 to 20 Wh a mile depending on assist level, hills and weight. Your own number is simply your battery's watt-hours divided by the miles you get from a full charge.
Does leaving an e-bike charger plugged in use electricity?
A little: Efficiency Vermont measured an idle charger drawing 1.7 watts with no battery and 2.4 watts on a full one — up to about 22 kWh a year if it's never unplugged, which can rival what a light rider's bike uses. Unplugging it when the battery is full is also the safer habit.
How much does an e-bike save compared with driving?
At Orange County's $6.18 a gallon and the EPA's 27.2 mpg average for new vehicles, gas costs about 22.7¢ a mile, while an e-bike on SDG&E's overnight rate costs under a cent a mile. At 40 miles a week that's roughly $458 a year in fuel alone.
Something not answered here? Just ask — I’d rather talk it through than have you guess.
Sources
Where these numbers come from
- [1]SDG&E Schedule TOU-DR1 total rates, effective Aug 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)Summer 37.4¢ / 46.4¢ / 69.1¢ per kWh; winter 43.7¢ / 53.1¢ / 61.5¢ (super off-peak / off-peak / on-peak).
- [2]SDG&E residential pricing plans (opens in a new tab)TOU-DR1 hours: on-peak 4–9 p.m.; super off-peak 12–6 a.m. weekdays (plus 10 a.m.–2 p.m.).
- [3]SDG&E time-of-use periods (opens in a new tab)Summer June 1 – October 31; winter November 1 – May 31.
- [4]AAA gas prices, California (Sep 20, 2026) (opens in a new tab)Regular: California $6.15, Orange County $6.18.
- [5]EPA Automotive Trends Report (Feb 2026) (opens in a new tab)Average model-year 2024 new vehicle: 27.2 mpg real-world.
- [6]Efficiency Vermont, “Electric Bikes: Survey and Energy Efficiency Analysis” (2018) (opens in a new tab)About 10 Wh/mile; idle charger 1.7–2.4 W (up to ~22 kWh a year); EVs about 25 kWh per 100 miles.
Last reviewed . Spot something wrong? Text (949) 891-5278 and it gets fixed.
Related tools
- E-Bike Battery DecoderVolts and amp-hours to watt-hours, cell count, charge level from voltage, charge time, and whether it can fly.
- E-Bike Range EstimatorPhysics, not a guess: assist level, speed, hills, stops, weight, tires and battery health.
- E-Bike Tire Pressure CalculatorFront and rear pressure for the weight an e-bike actually carries, from road to fat tires.
When you’d rather have it fixed
Rather have David look at it?
Mobile e-bike, bike and e-scooter repair at your home in South Orange County. Text a photo and your ZIP for a quote.