What does kWh (Kilowatt-hour) mean?

Explanation

Your EV battery capacity is measured in kWh. A 60 kWh battery stores 60 kilowatt-hours of energy, similar to how a fuel tank holds a certain number of liters. When you charge, the charger delivers a certain number of kWh to your battery, and this is what you pay for in most countries.

You see kWh everywhere: on your car's spec sheet as battery capacity, on the charger screen as energy delivered during a session, on your receipt as the amount billed, and in your charging app history. Pricing per kWh varies by network and location, typically ranging from 0.30 to 0.80 EUR per kWh in Europe.

One helpful way to think about it: if a charger delivers power at 50 kW for one hour, you receive 50 kWh. If it delivers 100 kW for 30 minutes, you also get about 50 kWh. Same amount of energy, different speeds.

Learn more from U.S. Department of Energy AFDC.

Where you'll see this

• On the charger screen
• On your car dashboard
• In charging network apps
• On your charging receipt
• In vehicle specifications

Common confusion

Many people say 'kW' when they mean 'kWh' and vice versa. Your battery has a capacity in kWh (like a tank size), not kW. The charger delivers power in kW (like flow rate).

Example

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