Cost to charge an electric car in the UAE (2026)
As of August 6, 2026, charging an electric car at home in the UAE costs about AED 3.89–AED 5.27 per 100 km (AED 0.29/kWh, including the ~12% AC charging loss) across the 4 electric models we price — versus about AED 23.03 of petrol for a typical 7 L/100 km car. Home charging only; every model below links to its full cost page.
Per 100 km at home — the UAE
| Electric model | kWh/100km | Per 100 km at home |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y RWD | 11.8 kWh/100km | AED 3.89 |
| Tesla Model 3 RWD | 13.2 kWh/100km | AED 4.35 |
| BYD Seal RWD Dynamic | 15.9 kWh/100km | AED 5.24 |
| BYD Atto 3 FWD | 16 kWh/100km | AED 5.27 |
A typical 7 L/100 km petrol car: AED 23.03/100 km.
Home vs public charging in the UAE — the 4 cheapest EVs to charge
Public and DC fast charging in the UAE is billed per session by each network and varies widely, so we model it the way the kernel does on every cost page: 2.5× the home rate — about AED 0.73/kWh against AED 0.29/kWh at home. That is a planning estimate, not any network's tariff. Here is what it does to the 4 cheapest-to-charge models we price in the UAE:
| Electric model | Per 100 km at home | Public (≈2.5× home) | Extra per year if all-public |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y RWD | AED 3.89 | AED 9.72 | +AED 1,050 |
| Tesla Model 3 RWD | AED 4.35 | AED 10.88 | +AED 1,174 |
| BYD Seal RWD Dynamic | AED 5.24 | AED 13.10 | +AED 1,415 |
| BYD Atto 3 FWD | AED 5.27 | AED 13.18 | +AED 1,424 |
- Tesla Model Y RWD is the cheapest EV to charge in the UAE — AED 3.89 per 100 km at home — and at the public estimate (AED 9.72) it still beats the AED 23.03 of petrol a 7 L/100 km car burns over the same distance.
- A Tesla Model 3 RWD draws 13.2 kWh per 100 km, so home charging runs AED 4.35; at the public estimate (AED 10.88) it still beats the AED 23.03 of petrol a 7 L/100 km car burns over the same distance.
- For the BYD Seal RWD Dynamic, public-only charging would add about AED 1,415 a year at 18,000 km/year over charging at home (AED 5.24 vs AED 13.10 per 100 km); even then it stays under the AED 23.03 a 7 L/100 km petrol car needs.
- A BYD Atto 3 FWD draws 16 kWh per 100 km, so home charging runs AED 5.27; at the public estimate (AED 13.18) it still beats the AED 23.03 of petrol a 7 L/100 km car burns over the same distance.
Even at the 2.5× public estimate, all 4 of these models still undercut the AED 23.03 of petrol a typical 7 L/100 km car burns per 100 km — in the UAE the charging case survives without a driveway. Our 5-year totals on each model page assume 80% home / 20% public charging at this same multiple — these two columns are the ends of that range.