Our Guide to Saving EV Charging Costs with Solar Power

As electric vehicles (EVs) become increasingly popular in Singapore, many homeowners are exploring greener, smarter, and more cost-effective ways to power their cars. One of the most efficient solutions is charging your EV directly from the sun using a home solar panel system.

 

With the cost of public AC and DC charging continuing to rise, especially during peak hours, relying solely on public infrastructure can quickly become time-consuming and expensive. By installing solar panels and charging at home, you can save EV charging costs by thousands of dollars each year. More EV owners are now choosing to take control of their energy use by turning their rooftops into personal charging stations, powered by clean, free sunlight.

Can You Charge Your Electric Car with Solar Power in Singapore?

Yes, pairing solar energy with an EV charger offers more than just environmental benefits. It reduces your running costs, boosts energy independence, and future-proofs your home. Instead of relying on rising grid electricity prices or busy public charging stations, you can charge your EV conveniently with clean energy generated right from your rooftop. This not only cuts your fuel expenses but also increases the long-term value of your property.

 

In this blog article, we explore how solar-powered EV charging works, how much you can save EV charging costs, the best time to charge your EV for maximum efficiency, and why it’s ideal to install both solar panels and an EV charger together through an integrated provider like FOMO Energy. By streamlining the process, you get a cost-effective, future-ready setup with coordinated installation, smart energy use, and full system warranties all managed by one expert team.

Key Benefits of Installing a Solar EV Charger at Home

Before we start, we first need to know why having solar EV charger installed at your home is more beneficial. There are many benefits to installing an EV charger at home, beyond just to save EV charging costs. Here’s why more EV owners are turning to solar charging at home:

 

• Beat the queues at public charging stations and avoid search and wait times
• Save thousands of dollars per year on electricity and fuel costs with cheap EV charging
• Charge your EV anytime, at your convenience
• Maximize your solar benefits by using your self-generated energy to charge your car
• Reduce your carbon footprint by using clean, renewable energy

 

By installing a solar EV charger at home, you gain control, convenience, and long-term savings. It’s a smart investment that aligns with Singapore’s green future and helps reduce your reliance on the grid. As EV adoption grows, having a dedicated home charging solution will only become more valuable.

How Much Can You Save by Charging Your EV with Solar?

With the rising cost of electricity and public charging, switching to solar can save EV charging costs by thousands over time. Here’s how the costs compare for a typical EV owner driving 20,000 km per year in Singapore:

 

Charging Method	Cost per kWh	Cost to Fully Charge (60 kWh)	Annual Cost (20,000 km)
Home Solar Charging	$0.00	$0.00	$0
Home Grid Charging	$0.30	$18.00	$1,867
Public Charging	$0.65	$39.00	$4,050

By installing solar panels on your roof, you can unlock free EV charging in Singapore. This is the best and cheapest EV charging in Singapore and also the cleanest energy option.

When Is the Best Time to Charge Your EV with Solar?

In Singapore, solar production peaks between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. This aligns well with midday or early afternoon charging and generally should suffice to charge your car entirely or almost entirely with solar power. Let’s look at typical real-world 20-90% charging times for popular EVs in Singapore with a three phase 11kW and single phase 7kW home charger:

Estimated Charging Times for 20%–90% SOC (State of Charge)

 

EV Model	Battery Size	20–90% Energy (kWh)	11 kW Charger	7 kW Charger
Tesla Model 3	60 kWh	42.0 kWh	3.8 hours	5.7 hours
Tesla Model Y	62.5 kWh	43.8 kWh	4.0 hours	5.9 hours
BYD Seal	61.4 kWh	43.0 kWh	–	5.8 hours
BYD Sealion 7	82.5 kWh	57.8 kWh	5.3 hours	7.8 hours
BYD Atto 3	60.5 kWh	42.4 kWh	–	5.7 hours
Hyundai Ioniq 5	58 kWh	40.6 kWh	3.7 hours	5.5 hours
Hyundai Ioniq 6	53 kWh	37.1 kWh	3.4 hours	5 hours
XPENG G6	66 kWh	46.2 kWh	4.2 hours	6.2 hours
Volvo EX30	51 kWh	35.7 kWh	3.2 hours	4.8 hours
Volvo EX40 / EC40	70 kWh	49.0 kWh	4.5 hours	6.6 hours
BMW iX1	64.8 kWh	45.4 kWh	4.1 hours	6.1 hours
BMW iX3	73.9 kWh	51.7 kWh	4.7 hours	7 hours
BMW i5	81.2 kWh	56.8 kWh	5.2 hours	7.7 hours
Audi Q4 e-tron	82 kWh	57.4 kWh	5.2 hours	7.8 hours
Audi Q6 e-tron	83 kWh	58.1 kWh	5.3 hours	7.9 hours

 

*Note: While some home chargers could supply up to 22 kW, all EVs listed in the table are limited to a maximum of 11 kW AC charging based on their onboard vehicle hardware. Models like the BYD Atto 3 and BYD Seal are further limited to only 7.4 kW due to single-phase AC support.

 

On average, a 11 kW charger adds around 70–80 km of range per hour, and a 7.4 kW charger adds around 50–60 km of range per hour. Therefore, for most EVs, charging during peak solar hours (11AM–3PM) lets you make the most of the advantage of clean, free solar energy if you install solar panels. 

 

Some brands such as Tesla offer great control of charging via their app. For example, if you own a Tesla Model 3 or a Tesla Model Y, the Tesla app lets you remotely start or stop charging, set a charge limit, schedule charging times, adjust charging power and current, monitor real-time charging status, and receive notifications when charging is completed; all from the convenience of your phone. These features offer powerful and flexible control for EV owners directly from their phones.

Why Install Solar Panels and EV Charger Together?

Installing both systems at the same time through a single provider offers big advantages other than save EV charging costs:

• Lower cost: Shared labor, shared trenching, and potential bundling discounts.
• Avoid double LEW fees: Engage a Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW) once for both solar and charger commissioning.
• Cleaner Setup and Comprehensive Warranties: Neater wiring and one coordinated installation. Reduces risk of solar installation warranty or ev charger warranty becoming void as it would all be carefully installed by one company, such as FOMO Energy.
• Sized for EV use: Solar system designed to simultaneously meet both your EV charging power consumption and home power consumption.
• Faster timeline: One project, one contractor, one permit cycle.

Tip: Monitor Your Home Power Flow with a Smart Power.