How Much Does It Cost to Charge a Nissan Leaf at Home? $14.53

Charging a 2026 Nissan Leaf costs about $14.53 for a full charge and $5.13 per 100 miles at 17¢/kWh — about $616 a year at 12,000 miles.

Updated September 2026 · Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · EPA fueleconomy.gov · next EIA update ~Oct 23

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Why this number

Charging a 2026 Nissan Leaf costs about $14.53 for a full charge (~85 kWh) at the US average rate of 17¢/kWh — roughly $5.13 per 100 miles, or $616 a year at 12,000 miles. The Leaf uses 30.2 kWh/100 mi on the EPA combined cycle. The Leaf’s real cost scales with your own rate, from about 12¢ to over 50¢ across the US.

The Nissan Leaf (EPA data for the 2026 model year, the newest the EPA lists; dollar figures use 2026 electricity rates) uses 30.2 kWh per 100 miles on the EPA combined cycle — the wall-outlet figure, so charging losses are already counted (look up your exact trim at fueleconomy.gov ). At the US average residential rate of 17¢/kWh that puts the Leaf at about $5.13 per 100 miles — 5.13¢ a mile. That is comfortably better than average — 13th most efficient of the 67 current models tracked here — and puts running costs in the range most buyers hope for when they switch.

What a Leaf costs to charge at every rate

The same Leaf costs $3.73 per 100 miles at Idaho’s 12.35¢ and $15.92 at Hawaii’s 52.72¢ — a 4.3× spread that is entirely the rate:

Wall-side for the Leaf: EPA’s 30.2 kWh/100 mi is measured at the outlet, charger losses included; quick-fill your state above for your own figure.

That per-mile figure is the one to hold against gasoline: at 17¢/kWh the Leaf’s 5.13¢ a mile compares with about 13.6¢ for a 30-mpg gas car at $4.07 a gallon (EIA weekly, Aug 31, 2026). The EV vs gas cost guide works the Leaf’s math in full — both formulas, and the electricity rate at which the advantage disappears.

Range: what a “full charge” of the Leaf really means

EPA range across the lineup runs 259–303 miles, averaging 283. Multiplying that by the car’s efficiency gives roughly 85 kWh to refill a full range from empty, which is the honest way to think about a ‘full charge’ — battery capacity figures include a buffer you never actually use.

The Leaf on a public fast charger

On a public fast charger at about 48¢/kWh the Leaf costs $14.50 per 100 miles against $5.13 at home — 2.8× — or roughly $1,740 a year instead of $616 if it never sees a home outlet. Why a session costs more than the posted price for a Leaf (10–80% charging curve, idle fees, per-minute billing) is explained once on the cost-to-charge hub ; the EV time-of-use calculator nets an overnight rate against the Leaf’s $616 flat-rate figure.

The Leaf in cold weather

A hard winter lifts the Leaf from 30.2 to roughly 39.3 kWh/100 mi (the middle of the 20–40% rise real-world data shows), so $6.67 per 100 miles instead of $5.13 and an effective range nearer 218 miles than 283. The mechanics behind the Leaf’s winter penalty — cabin heat, battery chemistry, preconditioning from the wall — are on the hub ; the Leaf’s $616 annual figure above already averages the seasons.

Where the Leaf sits against other EVs

Its nearest neighbors on efficiency are the Kia Niro (30.0 kWh/100 mi) and the Toyota bZ4X (30.7 kWh/100 mi). The Leaf at 30.2 kWh/100 mi sits against a set that runs from the Tesla Model Y at 26.9 kWh/100 mi, and the least efficient is the GMC Hummer EV at 67.8 — a spread that changes annual charging cost by $834 a year at 17¢/kWh and 12,000 miles.

Trims: does the Leaf version you pick change the bill?

The EPA rates 3 configurations of the 2026 Leaf, and they are not close: 27.8 kWh/100 mi for the most efficient, 32.7 for the least, a 18% spread. At 12,000 miles that is about $100 a year between the cheapest and most expensive version of the same Leaf. Bigger wheels, all-wheel drive and performance tunes are usually what separates them — worth knowing before you tick the options box.

How it compares inside the Nissan range

The Leaf at 30.2 kWh/100 mi sits among 2 Nissan EVs tracked here, running from 30.2 (Leaf) to 35.4 (Ariya). Also on this site: Nissan Ariya .

The tax question for the Leaf, answered plainly

Nothing about the Leaf changes that: the rules are the same for every EV, and the full 2026 position — §30D, §25E, the ended §30C charger credit, state programs — is in the energy tax credit guide and on the cost-to-charge hub .

Related

Closest comparisons to the Leaf on running cost and body style: Kia Niro (30.0 kWh/100 mi), Toyota bZ4X (30.7 kWh/100 mi), Fiat 500e (29.9 kWh/100 mi), Chevrolet Bolt EV (28.2 kWh/100 mi).

Put the Leaf’s $616 a year against a gas car in the EV vs gas calculator , check your state’s rate , or price a road-trip stop for a Leaf in the Supercharger vs home calculator . All 67 EVs . The Leaf is only one line on the household bill — the 40-appliance running-cost ranking shows where $616 a year of charging lands next to everyday loads like a coffee maker or a refrigerator .

Frequently asked questions

How we calculated this

Worked for the Leaf: 30.2 kWh/100 mi ÷ 100 × 17¢ = $5.13 per 100 miles; 283 mi × 30.2 ÷ 100 = 85 kWh, × $0.17 = $14.53 per full charge; $5.13 × 12,000 ÷ 100 = $616 a year. The Leaf’s gasoline comparison is 12,000 ÷ 30 mpg × $4.07 = $1,628. EPA combined ratings, measured at the wall.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.

Where to go next

• Cost to charge a Kia Niro — 30.0 kWh/100 mi against the Leaf’s 30.2 — $5.10 vs $5.13 per 100 miles at 17¢.
• Cost to charge a Fiat 500e — 29.9 kWh/100 mi against the Leaf’s 30.2 — $5.08 vs $5.13 per 100 miles at 17¢.
• Cost to charge a Toyota bZ4X — 30.7 kWh/100 mi against the Leaf’s 30.2 — $5.22 vs $5.13 per 100 miles at 17¢.
• Cost to charge an EV: all 67 models ranked — Where the Leaf’s $616 a year sits among 67 EVs, plus the fast-charging, cold-weather and tax explainers.
• EV vs gas cost calculator — The Leaf’s 30.2 kWh/100 mi against your gas car’s mpg and your local pump price.