Calculator
Enter your EV's energy consumption (kWh/100 km), annual mileage and the percentage of charging done at each tariff. The defaults assume 70% home night-rate, 10% home day, 5% ESB ecars AC, 5% ESB DC, 5% EZO DC, and 5% workplace — adjust to match your real usage. The output shows annual cost, cost per 100 km, and equivalent petrol comparison.
Real Irish EV tariffs — May 2026
| Source | Rate (€/kWh) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Home night-rate (smart EV tariff) | ~€0.10–€0.13 | 2am–6am or 11pm–8am window. Bord Gáis EV+, Electric Ireland, SSE Airtricity, Energia. |
| Home day-rate | ~€0.30–€0.35 | Standard 24-hour electricity rate; outside the night-rate window. |
| ESB ecars PAYG — AC standard | €0.59 | 22 kW AC, mostly urban / supermarket / shopping-centre. |
| ESB ecars PAYG — DC fast | €0.64 | 50–100 kW typical; up to 350 kW high-power on motorway sites. |
| ESB ecars membership (€4.79/mo) | €0.59 (DC discount) | €0.05/kWh discount on DC; AC unchanged. Break-even ~96 kWh DC/month. |
| EZO (formerly EasyGo) DC | €0.50 + €0.27 connection | Most competitive direct DC rate. Connection fee per session, not per kWh. |
| IONITY direct | €0.81 | Highest-power public network in Ireland (350 kW peak). Premium pricing. |
| IONITY Motion membership (€5.99/mo) | €0.58 | €0.23/kWh discount. Break-even ~26 kWh/month. |
| Workplace (employer-provided) | €0.00 (BIK-exempt) | Where employer pays the electricity. BIK exemption since 2018 for both BEV and PHEV. |
The 7× spread is real. Charging primarily at home night-rate means roughly €1.80–€2.20 per 100 km. Charging primarily on IONITY direct means €14–€15 per 100 km. The economics of EV ownership in Ireland depend almost entirely on the mix.
Home charging vs public charging — the economic divide
Home charging is dramatically cheaper than public, especially on a smart night-rate tariff:
| Source | €/kWh | €/100 km @ 18 kWh/100 km | vs petrol equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home night-rate (€0.115/kWh) | €0.115 | €2.07 | −83% vs petrol |
| Home day-rate (€0.32/kWh) | €0.32 | €5.76 | −51% vs petrol |
| ESB ecars AC PAYG | €0.59 | €10.62 | −10% vs petrol |
| ESB ecars DC PAYG | €0.64 | €11.52 | −3% vs petrol |
| EZO DC | €0.50 | €9.00 | −24% vs petrol |
| IONITY direct | €0.81 | €14.58 | +23% vs petrol |
| Petrol comparison: 6.5 L/100 km × €1.82/L | — | €11.83 | — |
The headline EV savings story is real only when home night-rate dominates the mix. A driver who relies heavily on IONITY direct (no home charger, lots of motorway driving) actually pays slightly more per 100 km than the equivalent petrol driver — though servicing, motor tax, BIK and depreciation savings still apply.
If you live in an apartment without dedicated parking, or rent a property where the landlord won't permit charger installation, the EV economic case weakens substantially. Public-only charging at 80% of distance puts you at €9–€11/100 km — saving over petrol shrinks to ~10–20% before factoring depreciation. Modern solutions: SEAI Apartment EV Charger Grant, employer workplace charging, and the slowly-growing on-street charger network.
When memberships pay off
Three significant Irish EV memberships in May 2026:
- ESB ecars membership — €4.79/month: drops DC fast from €0.64/kWh to €0.59/kWh (€0.05 discount). Break-even at 96 kWh DC per month (~530 km/month at 18 kWh/100 km on DC). For frequent public-DC users only.
- IONITY Motion — €5.99/month: drops €0.81/kWh to €0.58/kWh (€0.23 discount). Break-even at 26 kWh per month (~145 km/month on IONITY). For drivers using IONITY for any meaningful share of charging.
- EZO subscription (no monthly fee, app-based): typically the cheapest direct DC rate at €0.50/kWh + €0.27 per session connection. Best for occasional / mixed public users without monthly commitment.
Rule of thumb: if you charge 80%+ at home and only use public for occasional motorway top-ups, no membership is needed. If you regularly use motorway-grade DC fast charging, IONITY Motion + ESB ecars stacked is the typical setup. EZO covers the in-between segment without a monthly commitment.
Worked examples
1. Home-charger family — 17,000 km/year, 18 kWh/100 km
Mix: 80% home night, 10% home day, 5% ESB AC, 5% workplace.
| Total kWh/year | 3,060 kWh |
| Home night (80%): 2,448 kWh × €0.115 | €282 |
| Home day (10%): 306 kWh × €0.32 | €98 |
| ESB AC (5%): 153 kWh × €0.59 | €90 |
| Workplace (5%): 153 kWh × €0.00 | €0 |
| Total | €470/year |
| Per 100 km | €2.76 |
| Per month | €39 |
vs petrol: €2,012/year. EV saves €1,542/year.
2. Mostly-public driver — apartment dweller, 15,000 km/year
Mix: 0% home, 60% ESB AC, 25% EZO DC, 10% IONITY Motion, 5% workplace.
| Total kWh/year | 2,700 kWh |
| ESB AC: 1,620 kWh × €0.59 | €956 |
| EZO DC: 675 kWh × €0.50 (+ ~50 connections × €0.27) | €352 |
| IONITY Motion: 270 kWh × €0.58 + €72 membership/yr | €229 |
| Workplace (5%): 135 kWh × €0.00 | €0 |
| Total | €1,537/year |
| Per 100 km | €10.25 |
| Per month | €128 |
vs petrol: €1,775/year. EV saves €238/year. The savings narrow dramatically without home charging.
3. Long-distance commuter with 22 kWh SUV — 30,000 km/year
Mix: 60% home night, 10% home day, 20% ESB DC, 10% IONITY Motion.
| Total kWh/year | 6,600 kWh |
| Home night (60%): 3,960 × €0.115 | €455 |
| Home day (10%): 660 × €0.32 | €211 |
| ESB DC (20%): 1,320 × €0.64 | €845 |
| IONITY Motion (10%): 660 × €0.58 + €72 membership | €455 |
| Total | €1,966/year |
| Per 100 km | €6.55 |
| Per month | €164 |
vs same-mileage petrol at 7.5 L/100 km × €1.82: €4,095/year. EV saves €2,129/year.
EV vs petrol — €/100 km in Irish 2026
At pump price €1.82/L (May 2026 average) and consumption 6.5 L/100 km, petrol costs €11.83/100 km. The EV equivalent at 18 kWh/100 km depends on tariff:
| EV blend | Effective €/kWh | €/100 km | Saving vs petrol |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% home night-rate | €0.115 | €2.07 | €9.76 (−83%) |
| 80% home night / 20% public AC | ~€0.21 | €3.78 | €8.05 (−68%) |
| 50% home night / 50% public DC | ~€0.38 | €6.84 | €4.99 (−42%) |
| 100% public AC | €0.59 | €10.62 | €1.21 (−10%) |
| 100% public DC PAYG | €0.64 | €11.52 | €0.31 (−3%) |
| 100% IONITY direct | €0.81 | €14.58 | −€2.75 (+23%, more expensive) |
The "EV saves money" story holds up well as long as home charging dominates the mix. It collapses entirely if you rely on direct-rate motorway DC fast charging without a membership.
Reducing kWh/100 km — what actually moves the needle
- Drive at 100 km/h instead of 120 — single biggest factor. Drag rises with the cube of speed; cutting 20 km/h on motorway driving can save 15–25% energy.
- Pre-condition while plugged in — cabin heating / cooling from grid power before unplugging means you start the journey at temperature without burning battery.
- Heat pump, not resistive heater — most modern EVs have heat pumps; some entry models still have resistive heaters that drink range in winter.
- Tyre pressure — every 0.2 bar under the door-jamb spec costs ~2% efficiency. Check monthly.
- Eco mode — softens accelerator response; surprisingly little effect on real-world consumption (most savings come from the driver, not the mode).
- Single-pedal driving / regen — captures braking energy back; modern EVs recover 70–85% of braking energy in mixed driving.
- Roof bars / boxes — high drag penalty on motorway; remove when not in use, can cost 8–15% efficiency.
Real Irish driving sits around 18 kWh/100 km on a typical mid-size EV. Push aggressive driving and motorway speeds and 22 kWh/100 km is normal. Drive carefully on country roads and 14–16 kWh/100 km is achievable.
Track every charging session.
The calculator above gives you the headline. odo.ielogs every kWh, every cost, every km — so you can see your real €/100 km from your actual driving. Free Solo for one car; Family €4/mo for three.
Sources
- ESB ecars — May 2026 published price plans (esb.ie/ecars/price-plans).
- EZO (formerly EasyGo) — May 2026 tariff page.
- IONITY — direct rate and Motion membership pricing.
- Bord Gáis, Electric Ireland, SSE Airtricity, Energia — May 2026 published smart EV tariffs (night-rate windows).
- Sandyford Motor Centre, WattCharger, Money Guide Ireland — independent comparisons of public charging tariffs.
- SEAI — home charger grants, EV consumption norms.
- Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) — Low Emission Vehicle Toll Incentive Scheme.