Cole's EV Calculator

Support

Cole's EV Calculator estimates how long an electric car takes to charge, how many miles that adds and what it costs, and compares the cost of a trip in a gas car and an electric car.

What it does

• Charge time, cost and range. Enter a battery size, charger speed, electricity price and start and end charge. With only a battery and an efficiency it shows your range instead.
• Time-of-use pricing. Set a price schedule in Settings and the cost follows the hour you start charging, with a line for each price period. Trip Compare can use the average, cheapest or highest price.
• Your car's limits. Under Advanced, enter the car's own maximum AC and DC charge rate. The slower of the car and the charger sets the time. Optionally slow down near full and include charging losses.
• Custom charger speeds. Add your own speeds, or work one out from volts, amps and phases.
• Trip Compare. Gas against electric for a trip, in US, UK or metric units. It shows whether each car makes the trip in one go or how many fill-ups and charging stops it needs, and how much CO₂ you save by not burning gas.
• Saved sets. Keep named sets of numbers such as "Home" or "Road trip" and switch between them.
• Show the math. Tap a result to see each step worked out in plain words.
• Siri, Shortcuts and Spotlight. "How long to charge", "How much to charge" and "How far can I go".

Contact

Questions, bugs or ideas: coledev67@gmail.com. Please say which device and which version of iOS or macOS you use.

Common questions

How accurate are the estimates? They are estimates. Real charging varies with temperature, the car's battery and the charger. The slowdown near full is a simple approximation, not a measurement. The "About these estimates" screen in Settings explains how each number is worked out.

Where are my numbers saved? Only on your device, and only if you turn on "Remember my inputs" in Settings. Turning it off erases them.

Why did the numbers change when I switched units? They did not. The app keeps what you typed in miles, US mpg and miles per kWh and shows it in the units you pick.

How does time-of-use pricing work? Turn it on in Settings, then set the price schedule. The Electricity price field on the Charge page is replaced by the schedule, and a Start at row sets when charging begins. If you do not enter a charger speed, the cost uses the day's average price. The schedule covers every day the same way.

How are charging stops and CO₂ worked out? Both are estimates. A charging stop is assumed to add about 70% of the battery's range, and CO₂ counts only what the gas car's tailpipe would emit, using the EPA's 8.887 kg per US gallon.

Can I use it with Siri or Shortcuts? Yes. Ask how long to charge, how much it will cost, or how far you can go.