Work out how much extra solar your EV needs, what it costs, and how cost per mile compares for gas, grid charging and solar charging in your state, with no federal credit.
Same state rates and prices as above. Solar is sized to cover each mileage.
Cost per mile for solar is the system's lifetime cost divided by what it produces, so it ignores maintenance, inverter replacement and financing. Rates, sun hours, price per watt and export credit default to the same state figures used across the site, and are all editable, so use your own gas price and quotes. Gas prices change often; the default is only a starting point. Cost per mile reflects what the panels cost to produce power, while payback reflects what that power is worth to you after the export credit, so the two can tell different stories.
The home charger and any panel upgrade, time-of-use rates, public fast charging, vehicle purchase price, and maintenance differences between EVs and gas cars are not included. The federal credit for homeowners' solar (Section 25D) is not applied because it ended for systems placed in service after 2025, and federal EV purchase credits are also outside this tool. For the payback of a whole-home system, see the solar payback calculator with export credit, and for EV charging cost by model, the EV charging calculators.
For about 12,000 miles a year at 30 kWh per 100 miles, an EV uses roughly 3,600 kWh. In a state with 5 peak sun hours that takes about 2.5 kW of solar, or six to eight typical panels, on top of what your house already needs.
Usually yes. Solar electricity over a system's life often costs less per kWh than the grid, and an EV uses about a third of the energy per mile of a gas car. This calculator shows cost per mile for gas, grid charging and solar charging side by side, using your own gas price and rates.
Most people charge at night, when solar isn't producing. With net metering, daytime solar credits offset night charging at close to retail. Under net billing, exports earn less, so the calculator lets you set how much charging happens while the sun is up and what your export credit is.