How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Scooter? 2027

How much does it cost to charge an electric scooter? Very little. At the 16.5 cents per kilowatt-hour that the US Energy Information Administration reported as the national residential average for 2024, a full charge of a mid-size 551 Wh scooter costs about 10 cents by my arithmetic, and a big 1,000 Wh pack about 18 cents. Charging a scooter every day for a month usually comes to a few dollars, not tens.

The exact answer depends on two numbers you can find yourself: your battery's size in watt-hours and your electricity price per kilowatt-hour. This guide gives the formula, a cost table at four electricity prices, what testers measured for real energy use, and a clear picture of where the small savings are and aren't worth chasing. The amount of energy is smaller than most people expect: how much electricity does an electric scooter use to charge is a fraction of a kilowatt-hour, so the price you pay per unit matters more.

I haven't measured any scooter's charging cost myself. The energy figures come from ERideHero's published tests, Notebookcheck, the EIA, and cost pages from Levy, Gyroor, electricscootercar.com and escootergear.com, which I label as retailer or blog estimates. Checked October 10, 2026.

This page may contain affiliate links, which means ElectricMood can earn a commission if you buy through them. See the affiliate disclosure. If you are still choosing a scooter, start with my best electric scooters guide.

The formula: how much electricity it takes to charge a scooter#

Here is how much electricity does it take to charge a scooter, and what it costs, in three steps.

1. Battery size in watt-hours (Wh). It's on the spec sheet. If you only have volts and amp-hours, multiply them: 36 V × 10 Ah = 360 Wh.
2. Convert to kilowatt-hours (kWh) and add charging losses. Divide by 1,000, then divide by about 0.9 because chargers waste some energy as heat. A kilowatt-hour is the unit your electricity bill uses.
3. Multiply by your price per kWh. Your bill shows it in cents or dollars per kWh.

Cost per charge ≈ Wh ÷ 1,000 ÷ 0.9 × your price per kWh.

The loss allowance varies by source. electricscootercar.com adds 10 percent to its charging costs, escootergear.com says to add roughly 10 to 20 percent, and Levy and ERideHero use no loss at all in their examples. I use 10 percent, so my figures are slightly higher than the simplest sums. These are estimates, not measurements of any particular charger.

Which rate should you use? The EIA says the average US residential price rose from 16.0 cents per kWh in 2023 to 16.5 cents in 2024 (its Today in Energy note, May 2025). That is an annual national average, so your rate may be quite different. Other sites use their own figures: Levy uses about 13 cents, Gyroor 15, ERideHero 16, escootergear.com 20, and electricscootercar.com quotes 17.45 cents for January 2026 and 18.83 cents for April 2026 as US averages, which I couldn't check against the EIA tables. Look at your own bill.

How much it costs to charge a scooter, by battery size#

This table shows how much does it cost to charge a scooter for one full charge from empty, in cents, using the formula above. It is my arithmetic, not a measurement. The 551 Wh row matches the Segway Ninebot Max G2's battery size as ERideHero lists it; the other sizes are examples.

Other published figures land in the same place. ERideHero's calculator gives about $0.10 for a 620 Wh scooter at $0.16 per kWh. Gyroor gives about $0.045 for a 300 Wh battery at $0.15, and escootergear.com gives $0.10 for 500 Wh at $0.20. electricscootercar.com's headline is $0.02 to $0.06 per full charge, which suits small packs at lower rates. That's why most sources describe how much an electric scooter costs to charge as pennies, and anyone asking how much does it cost to charge electric scooter batteries every day can expect a few dollars a month.

The big performance models with batteries of several kilowatt-hours cost more per charge, but I haven't found a tested figure for them, and I won't extrapolate. Use the formula with the pack's Wh.

Measured energy use: what testers found#

Battery size tells you the maximum. How much you actually pay depends on how much energy you use, and two sources give measured numbers.

• ERideHero's 78-scooter test. It rode 78 scooters with a 175 lb rider at moderate speed on mixed terrain until the battery was empty and reports an average of 26.3 Wh per mile. At 16.5 cents per kWh and with my 10 percent loss allowance, that is about 0.5 cents per mile (0.43 cents without the loss allowance). The page's own calculator says $0.0042 per mile at $0.16.
• The Max G2's tested range. ERideHero's "Regular" test of the Segway Ninebot Max G2 gave 29.8 miles at a 15.2 mph average. If the whole 551 Wh were used, that is about 18.5 Wh per mile, my arithmetic, which will be a little low if some capacity is left unused.
• A wall-socket reading. Notebookcheck measured the Max G2's charging from the wall: after a 10 km ride that took the battery from 100 to 87 percent, a recharge used 103.7 Wh, and the author estimated about 10.4 Wh per km. That is about 16.7 Wh per mile, my conversion, and about 1.7 cents of electricity at 16.5 cents per kWh. Notebookcheck's number is a single reading with a coarse percentage display, so it's a data point, not an average.

Competitors give lower per-mile figures: Gyroor says $0.001 to $0.005 per mile and escootergear.com about $0.005. These vary with the rate they assume and the scooter's efficiency, which falls with hills, cold weather, rider weight and speed, as ERideHero's page notes. For range, see how far an electric scooter can go on one charge.

What it costs per month and per year#

Monthly cost is cost per charge times charges per month, and sources assume very different habits: escootergear.com uses 8, 20 and 30 charges, electricscootercar.com uses 8, 15, 20 and 25. Here is my example for the 551 Wh scooter at the EIA's 16.5 cents (10.1¢ per charge, from the table above):

• 8 charges a month (occasional rider): about $0.81.
• 20 charges a month (regular commuter): about $2.02, or about $24 a year.
• 30 charges a month (daily): about $3.03, or about $36 a year.

For comparison, escootergear.com's 500 Wh example at $0.20 gives $0.80, $2.00 and $3.00 for the same three habits, which fits with a slightly higher rate and a smaller pack. A bigger pack or a much higher electricity price moves these numbers, but not out of the "a few dollars" range for everyday riding.

Electricity is the small cost of owning a scooter. The cost that matters more is battery wear: a battery that loses capacity has to be replaced, which is covered in my guide to how long an electric scooter battery lasts. I haven't included battery prices here because I don't have a sourced figure.

Why your cost may be higher: electricity prices by state#

US electricity prices vary a lot, so how much do electric scooters cost to charge in your area depends on where you live. electricscootercar.com lists April 2026 state residential rates, which I couldn't check against the EIA tables: North Dakota 12.35 cents, Texas 16.99, New York 29.45, California 35.25 and Hawaii 46.62 cents per kWh. Using those, my arithmetic for one full charge of a 551 Wh scooter is about:

Even at the highest rate, a full charge is under 30 cents, which answers how much does an electric scooter cost to charge in the most expensive state. The EIA's note on 2024 residential bills says Hawaii and Connecticut had relatively high prices and New Mexico and Utah lower ones, which supports the direction, though it gives bills rather than cents per kWh. If you're outside the US, the formula works in any currency: use your bill's price per kWh.

Is it cheaper than driving? A quick comparison#

ERideHero's calculator gives defaults you can check: gasoline at $3.50 a gallon and 25 mpg, which is $0.14 per mile; an electric car at 3.5 miles per kWh and $0.16 per kWh, which is about $0.046 per mile; and the scooter at about $0.0042 per mile. By its numbers the scooter is roughly 33 times cheaper than the gas car in fuel alone. Those are the calculator's defaults, not measurements, and the page says the comparison leaves out insurance, depreciation, maintenance and parking.

The fair way to read it: fuel costs are close to irrelevant for a scooter, so the buying decision rests on the price of the scooter itself and on how often you'd really ride. For the purchase side, see how much an electric scooter costs to buy and my commuter scooter guide.

Can you cut the cost of charging? Not by much#

Most advice on cutting charging cost saves cents. It is still worth knowing.

• Off-peak charging. Levy and Gyroor both suggest charging when rates are lower. If your tariff has an off-peak price, say half the normal rate, the saving for a 551 Wh scooter is about 5 cents per charge at 16.5 cents per kWh, my arithmetic. That is too small to justify charging while you sleep. The CPSC's charging safety page says to always be present when charging and never charge while sleeping. If you want to use off-peak power, a smart plug with a timer, which Unagi suggests, can switch the charger on before you wake, but fire services still advise against leaving it unattended.
• Stop at 80 to 90 percent. Unagi says charging to 80 to 90 percent saves time and helps battery life; the electricity saved is a few cents.
• Use the right charger. Unsuitable chargers are a fire risk, and the saving from a cheap one isn't worth it. See my guide to charging without the original charger.
• Take care of the battery. This saves real money over years. See how to make your scooter battery last longer.

To work out how long each charge runs, see my charge time guide and, for set-up and light codes, my charging guide. If you also ride an e-bike, the e-bike charging cost guide uses the same sum.

Frequently asked questions#

How much does it cost to charge an electric scooter?#

About 5 to 20 cents for a full charge of a typical scooter at US rates. A 551 Wh scooter costs about 10 cents at the EIA's 16.5 cents per kWh average for 2024, by my calculation.

How much do electric scooters cost to charge per month?#

A few dollars for regular riders. My 551 Wh example comes to about $2 for 20 charges a month at 16.5 cents per kWh.

How much does an electric scooter cost to charge per year?#

About $24 for 20 charges a month and about $36 for daily charging, for a 551 Wh scooter at 16.5 cents per kWh. A bigger pack or a higher rate raises it.

How much does it cost to charge a scooter that has a 1,000 Wh battery?#

About 18 cents at 16.5 cents per kWh, or about 33 cents at 30 cents per kWh, by my arithmetic including a 10 percent loss allowance.

How much does it cost to charge electric scooter batteries compared with an e-bike?#

They are in the same range because the sum is the same. See my e-bike charging cost guide for the bike-specific numbers.

How much electricity does an electric scooter use to charge?#

Roughly the battery's size plus charger losses. A 551 Wh battery takes about 0.61 kWh from the wall with a 10 percent loss allowance. Notebookcheck measured 103.7 Wh at the wall to refill a 10 km ride on that scooter.

How much electricity does it take to charge a scooter fully?#

Divide the battery's Wh by 1,000 and by about 0.9. A 360 Wh scooter takes about 0.4 kWh.

Does fast charging cost more?#

I haven't found a tested figure. Unagi says fast charging adds heat and stress on the battery, so it isn't a way to save money.

Is it cheaper to charge at night?#

Only if your tariff has a cheaper night rate, and the saving is a few cents per charge. The CPSC says never to charge while sleeping.

Does the scooter use electricity when it is fully charged and plugged in?#

I haven't found a measurement. Unplugging when full is also the safe habit the London Fire Brigade advises.

The bottom line#

So, how much does it cost to charge an electric scooter? Usually somewhere between 5 and 20 cents for a full charge, a couple of dollars a month for regular riding, even at high electricity prices. Work out your own with battery Wh ÷ 1,000 ÷ 0.9 × your price per kWh, and use your bill's rate instead of a national average.

Don't let the pennies drive your charging habits. Charge when you can watch the scooter, use the maker's charger, and spend your effort on protecting the battery, which is where the real cost sits. I haven't measured any scooter's charging cost myself, so treat the table as arithmetic from the numbers named above and check it against your own meter or smart plug if you want certainty. For how long a charge takes, see my charge time guide.

Written by Paul Gendry. Last checked October 10, 2026. This is general information. Electricity prices and tariffs change, so check your own bill.