Our EV Charging Calculator works out the right charger speed for your driving pattern and shows how much solar and battery integration is worth to you — comparing grid-only charging against solar-supported charging over a year of typical driving. Buying an EV changes your household's electricity profile more than almost any other single decision, often adding several thousand kilowatt-hours of annual demand.
Quick answer (TL;DR)
- Matches charger speed (7kW single-phase up to 22kW three-phase) to how you actually drive.
- Estimates how much of your annual charging solar could cover, and what a battery adds.
- Compares grid-only charging cost against a solar-and-battery-supported setup.
- Most commuters drive under 100km/day — a 7kW charger (~40km range/hour) usually covers it overnight.
- Planning an EV soon? Size solar and battery now via the Solar & Battery Sizing Calculator.
Charged on cheap solar power, an EV is a genuine cost advantage. Charged entirely from the grid at peak rates, it can undo a meaningful chunk of your potential savings.
Not every household needs the fastest charger available — and faster isn't automatically better once cost and your driving pattern are factored in.
We start with your typical daily and weekly driving distance. Most Australian commuters cover well under 100km on an average day, meaning a standard overnight charge easily covers typical use, while higher-mileage drivers or tradies covering multiple job sites need to think more carefully about charger speed and charging windows.
The calculator compares the practical outcomes of the common charger tiers — from a basic 7kW single-phase charger through to a 22kW three-phase unit where your property supports it. A 7kW charger typically adds around 40km of range per hour, meaning an overnight charge comfortably replenishes a full day's typical driving. Faster chargers matter more for households with irregular schedules, multiple EVs, or larger vehicles.
If you're home during the day, charging directly from solar generation is the cheapest way to run an EV — effectively free fuel once your system is paid off. The calculator models how much of your charging load your existing (or planned) solar system could realistically cover.
For households charging overnight or with variable daytime solar, a home battery bridges the gap — storing daytime solar surplus for an evening charge rather than drawing from the grid at a higher time-of-use rate. This is one of the fastest-growing reasons Sydney homeowners are adding storage, and it's a factor we build directly into our Solar & Battery Sizing Calculator's future-plans step.
For context, the calculator also shows the cost of charging entirely from the grid on your current tariff, so you can see the real dollar difference over a year of typical driving.
Your results include a recommended charger speed for your driving pattern, an estimate of how much of your annual charging cost solar could offset (and how much a battery adds on top), and a straightforward annual cost comparison between grid-only and solar-integrated charging. If you don't yet have solar or battery storage, we'll show what adding either would be worth specifically in the context of EV charging.
If you're planning to buy an EV within the next year or two but haven't yet, factor that into your solar and battery sizing now rather than retrofitting later. An EV can add 3,000–4,500kWh of annual demand — enough to shift the ideal battery size for many households up a full tier. Use this EV Charging Calculator on its own if you're focused purely on charger selection or already have solar and battery in place.
EV chargers, solar and battery storage all sit on the same switchboard and need to work together. Our installers size and configure EV charging as part of the broader electrical picture — checking your switchboard capacity, phase configuration and any load management requirements — so your charger, battery and solar system operate as one coordinated setup.
Use the EV Charging Calculator to find your ideal charger and see your solar-powered charging savings, or call {{PHONE}}.
