Charging an electric vehicle: how many kWh do you need?

With the rise of electric vehicles, a question often arises among drivers: how much energy does it take to recharge them? The answer depends on several factors: battery capacity, charging type, energy losses, and even driving habits. Understanding kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption is essential for anticipating your expenses and choosing the right charging station, whether at home or at work. This guide provides concrete benchmarks for different vehicle models.

What is a kilowatt hour (kWh)?

The kilowatt-hour, or kWh, is simply the unit that measures the amount of electricity consumed. It can be compared to liters of gasoline for a combustion engine car: the more you use, the further you can go.

👉 In concrete terms, if a device uses 1 kilowatt of power and operates for 1 hour, it will have consumed 1 kWh. So, if your charging station delivers 7 kW, it will consume 7 kWh in one hour of charging (if it operates at full power).

🧠 Not to be confused:

• Kilowatt (kW) indicates power, it is the speed at which your car charges.
• The kilowatt hour (kWh) measures the total amount of energy used.

For example, a 50 kWh battery can store up to 50 kWh of electricity. But in reality, your car will never be completely empty, and some energy is always lost during charging. So, you need to take this into account when estimating your actual consumption.

Battery capacity: how many kWh can your car store?

Battery capacity, expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh), corresponds to the maximum energy reserve your electric car can hold. It's a bit like the tank volume on a gasoline car: the higher the capacity, the more kilometers you can travel before recharging.

This capacity varies greatly depending on the model:

• A city car, like the Dacia Spring (27 kWh) or the Fiat 500e (24 kWh), is designed for short daily trips. It consumes little fuel and recharges quickly.
• A compact sedan or family SUV, such as the Renault Zoé (52 kWh) or the Tesla Model Y Propulsion (75 kWh), allows you to drive longer without having to recharge.
• A high-end model, such as the Tesla Model X (100 kWh) or the Mercedes EQS (107 kWh), allows for more spaced out charging but requires a much larger amount of energy.

🔍 For example:

• Charging a Zoé from 30 to 90% consumes around 31 kWh (or up to 36 kWh taking losses into account).
• For a Model Y, a 20 to 80% charge consumes approximately 45 kWh, and up to 52 kWh with losses.
• A plug-in hybrid, like the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 (13.2 kWh), consumes around 14 to 15 kWh for a full charge.

👉 Knowing your battery capacity gives you a good idea of how much energy you'll use on a daily basis. It's a useful guide for estimating the cost of your charging, adjusting your habits, and choosing the charging station best suited to your driving style.

Partial or full charge: how much do you really consume?

Contrary to popular belief, electric vehicle drivers almost never charge their batteries from 0 to 100%. Users typically charge their batteries between 20 and 80%.

Let's take a concrete example:

If you charge a 60 kWh battery to between 20 and 80%, that's about 36 kWh of energy transferred to the car. But adding in the losses associated with charging (often between 10 and 15%), the actual consumption on the meter side is more like 40 to 42 kWh.

The role of the charging station in consumption

The charging station you use can have a real impact on your consumption. Why? Because some electricity is lost during charging, particularly during current conversion and in the form of heat.

⚠️ And the faster the recharge, the more these losses increase. Here are some useful pointers:

• A domestic terminal (3.7 to 7.4 kW) shows good performance, with 8 to 12% losses on average.
• An accelerated terminal (11 to 22 kW), common in businesses or co-ownerships, can cause 10 to 15% losses.
• A fast or ultra-fast terminal (50 kW and more), used on motorways, can exceed 20%, particularly because of the heat generated.

To avoid wasting energy (and money) unnecessarily, it's best to choose a terminal suited to your actual needs: there's no point aiming for maximum power if you mainly charge at night at home.

What is the cost of these kWh?

Now that you have an idea of how many kilowatt-hours it takes to charge your car, let's see what that actually means on your bill, at home or on the go.

→ At home: a stable price, especially during off-peak hours

In 2025, EDF's regulated tariffs for a 6 kVA meter are as follows:

• Base option: €0.2016 including tax / kWh
• Peak hours: €0.2146 incl. VAT
• Off-peak hours: €0.1696 incl. VAT

Charging a Renault Zoé with 35 kWh consumed will cost you approximately:

• €7.06 Base option
• €7.51 during peak hours
• €5.94 during off-peak hours

👉 Some connected terminals allow you to program your recharges to be carried out automatically during off-peak hours.

→ At public terminals: a higher rate

• Prices vary depending on the operator and power:
• Fast charging station: €0.30 to €0.45/kWh
• Fast charging station: up to €0.79/kWh

📌 Bottom line: Charging at home remains the most economical solution, especially for regular drivers. Hence the importance of installing a charging station adapted to your energy needs.

Optimize your charging to consume less

Although electric vehicles are economical to run, you can further reduce your electricity consumption with a few best practices. Here are the most effective ones.

→ Choose off-peak hours

Electricity costs less at night, usually between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. By scheduling your charging at these times, you reduce your bill while easing the strain on the grid.

→ Adapt the power to your use

Fast charging may seem convenient, but it generates more losses. For everyday use, slow or fast charging (3.7 to 7.4 kW) is often sufficient, gentler on the battery, and more economical.

→ Avoid extreme conditions

Temperatures that are too low or too high reduce battery performance. Charging your vehicle in a sheltered area (in a garage or under a carport) helps limit energy loss and extend the life of your battery.

→ Monitor your consumption

Mobile apps, smart meters, or your vehicle's dashboard: several tools allow you to track your kWh consumption. This helps you adjust your charging habits and identify potential waste.