EV Charging Help

Cost to Charge an EV in Illinois

The residential electricity rate in Illinois is 18.86¢/kWh, right at the national average. At that rate, charging a typical EV at home costs about $54/month.

Residential average for March 2026, the most recent month EIA reports. Updated June 2026.

What it costs to charge a typical EV in Illinois

$11.32

Full charge (60 kWh battery)

about 210 miles of range

5.4¢

Per mile

at 3.5 mi/kWh

$54

Typical month (1,000 mi)

286 kWh

$647

Per year

12,000 miles

How we get these numbers

We use the same formula as our cost article: monthly miles divided by efficiency, times the electricity rate.

(1,000 mi ÷ 3.5 mi/kWh) × 18.86¢/kWh = $54/month

  • Rate in Illinois: 18.86¢/kWh (residential average)
  • Efficiency: 3.5 mi/kWh, a typical passenger EV
  • Driving: 1,000 miles/month, near the US average

Figures assume no charging loss, to match the article and keep the math clear. Real-world AC charging adds roughly 10%. For the same miles, a 30 mpg gas car at $4.50/gallon (Q2 2026) would run about $150/month, so charging at home saves roughly $96/month here. Run your own numbers in the calculator.

How Illinois compares

Illinois18.86¢U.S. average18.83¢

Illinois's 18.86¢/kWh is right at the national average of 18.83¢/kWh (March 2026). Over the past 12 months it has averaged 18.05¢/kWh, so a single month is not an outlier.

Rates are a residential blended average. Your own bill depends on your utility and rate plan; many utilities offer cheaper overnight time-of-use rates that cut EV charging costs further. See every state's rate.

Next steps

Home charging cost calculator

Plug in your own mileage, efficiency, and rate plan, including time-of-use.

Illinois EV charging guide

Utilities, incentives, time-of-use rates, and policy for Illinois.

What home charging actually costs

The full editorial breakdown: hardware, installation, and electricity.

Sources & method

Rate shown is the residential average retail price EIA reports for Illinois (March 2026). Cost figures use 3.5 mi/kWh efficiency and 1,000 miles/month; see the worked example above for the full method. We never estimate a rate: states EIA does not report do not get a page. How we source our data.

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