How much does it cost to charge a Nissan Leaf?

At the U.S. average residential rate (16.9¢/kWh), a full home charge of the Nissan Leaf (60 kWh, ~212 mi range) costs about $11.27 — 5.5¢ per mile. Public DC fast charging at ~43¢/kWh runs about $25.80 per full charge.

How long does it take to charge a Nissan Leaf?

On a Level 2 home charger the Nissan Leaf accepts up to 7.2 kW, so an empty-to-full charge takes about 9.3 hours (roughly 22 miles of range per hour). At a DC fast charger its ~100 kW peak gives a 10–80% charge in about 39 minutes. On a standard 120V outlet (Level 1), a full charge takes around 50 hours.

What home charger do I need for a Nissan Leaf?

Any Level 2 (240V) charger works; the Nissan Leaf's onboard charger caps AC charging at 7.2 kW, so a 32A unit on a 40A circuit reaches that limit — a more powerful charger will not charge it faster. The electricity cost is the same at any speed: $11.27 per full charge at the national-average rate.

Cost to Charge a Nissan Leaf

Updated September 2026 · U.S. average rates

The short answer: at the national average rate, a full home charge of the Nissan Leaf (60 kWh usable, ~212 miles of range) costs about $11.27 — 5.5¢ per mile, or $55.23 per 1,000 miles. The same charge at a public DC fast charger runs roughly $25.80. Versus a 32-mpg gas car, home charging saves about $43.21 per 1,000 miles.

60 kWh

Battery (usable)

212 mi

EPA-est. range

3.4 mi/kWh

Efficiency

5.5¢

Cost per mile (avg)

Living with a Nissan Leaf: the cost story

The Leaf is the budget veteran, and its cost profile depends heavily on generation: earlier cars lack active battery cooling and use the now-orphaned CHAdeMO fast-charge plug, so they're happiest as home-charged commuters — where, to be fair, they're among the cheapest cars in America to run.

The redesigned Leaf finally moves to modern charging hardware, but the enduring advice stands: buy it for the short-hop duty cycle it was born for and the per-mile numbers on this page are hard to beat at the price.

Cheapest & most expensive states for the Nissan Leaf

Cheapest

North Dakota$7.47 full · 3.7¢/mi
Idaho$7.73 full · 3.8¢/mi
Utah$7.80 full · 3.8¢/mi
Wyoming$7.87 full · 3.9¢/mi
Louisiana$8.07 full · 4.0¢/mi

Most expensive

Hawaii$28.07 full · 13.8¢/mi
Connecticut$21.53 full · 10.6¢/mi
California$21.20 full · 10.4¢/mi
Massachusetts$20.80 full · 10.2¢/mi
Rhode Island$20.27 full · 9.9¢/mi

Nissan Leaf charging speed & home charger

Cost does not depend on speed — a kWh is a kWh — but time does. These estimates use the Nissan Leaf's onboard AC limit (7.2 kW) and its typical DC fast-charging peak (~100 kW); real sessions taper as the battery fills.

~50 h

Level 1 (120V outlet), empty → full

~9.3 h

Level 2 home charger (7.2 kW), empty → full

~22 mi

Level 2 range added per hour

~39 min

DC fast (~100 kW), 10 → 80%

Home charger sizing: the Nissan Leaf tops out at 7.2 kW on AC, so a 32-amp charger on a 40-amp circuit reaches its limit — a bigger unit adds nothing. Overnight (8 hours) on Level 2 restores about 176 miles, more than most daily driving. See Level 1 vs Level 2 and how many kWh it takes to charge an EV.

Run it for your state

Your state

Electric vehicle

Your rate (¢/kWh, optional)

$10.40

Full charge at home (60 kWh, ~212 mi)

5.1¢

Per mile at home charging

$50.98

Per 1,000 miles / month

$25.80 (12.6¢/mi)

Public DC fast charging (~43¢/kWh)

9.8¢/mi

Comparable gas car (32 mpg @ $3.15/gal)

$47.46/mo saved

vs gas at 1,000 mi/month, home charging

Using Texas's average residential rate (15.6¢/kWh) · national average 16.9¢ · includes ~10% AC charging losses. Rates vary by utility and plan — your bill is the source of truth.

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