How much does it cost to charge an electric car, and when does it pay off?

But home charging isn't an option for everyone. Installing a charger at a private house can take just a few days, while apartment residents may need to coordinate with neighbours, the local electricity distribution office (RES) and their building management company. We explain where to charge an electric car in Uzbekistan, how much it costs, which charging station to buy and how to install it.

Charging is easiest for people who own a private house or have a dedicated parking space, where they can install their own charging station. Other drivers rely on public charging stations. There are several options:

Drivers usually pay for charging through the operator's app. They top up their balance, select a charging station and connector, and make a payment using a bank card or supported payment service.

Almost every charging network has its own app for topping up balances and selecting stations and connectors. However, if a station has a QR code, drivers can pay without downloading the operator's app by scanning the code with payme. Payme offers 1% cashback on EV charging and electricity payments. The cashback can be spent with a payme plus subscription.

At home. Since 1 June 2026, Uzbekistan has applied tiered electricity tariffs for households. Each rate applies only to the electricity consumed within that tier:

• Up to 200 kWh per month: 650 soums per kWh
• 201–500 kWh: 900 soums per kWh
• 501–1,000 kWh: 1,100 soums per kWh
• Over 1,000 kWh: 1,600 soums per kWh

For homes equipped with centralised electric cooking facilities, the first three rates are half as much: 325, 450 and 550 soums per kWh.

A typical apartment without an electric car uses around 200 kWh of electricity a month, keeping it within the lowest tariff tier. An electric car driven 1,250 km a month adds approximately 205 kWh of consumption, all of which falls into the second tier at 900 soums per kWh. That is why calculating home charging costs using the lowest rate of 650 soums per kWh would be misleading. In practice, charging an electric car may cost 900–1,100 soums per kWh, adding around 184,000 soums to the monthly electricity bill in this example.

The easiest way to check your electricity account is through the My Home section in payme. You can add your electricity account number and view your balance alongside your gas, water and telecommunications accounts.

Compare your electricity bill from the month before buying an electric car with the bill after your first month of home charging. The difference will give you an estimate of how much charging costs. You can also check your remaining balance and top up your account directly in payme.

A BYD Song Plus EV consumes around 18 kWh per 100 km in city driving. Charging losses add approximately 12% to electricity consumption, mainly due to heat generated in the cable and the car's charging equipment. This means the car draws around 20.5 kWh from the grid for every 100 km, costing approximately 18,400 soums at the second-tier tariff.

At public charging stations. Operators set their own prices. Major charging networks charge around 2,200–2,250 soums per kWh, while some charge up to 2,850 soums.

As a result, charging enough to drive 100 km at a public fast charger costs approximately 41,700–54,000 soums — 2.3–2.9 times more than charging at home.

100 km in a BYD Song Plus EV costs around 18,400 soums when charged at home.

Select your car and monthly mileage. The calculations below will automatically adjust to your choices.

For comparison, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt for 100 km costs around 92,000 soums on locally produced AI-92 petrol or 46,000 soums on compressed natural gas (CNG). CNG is the closest alternative to public EV charging in terms of cost, although methane filling stations can experience disruptions during winter.

See how your electricity bill could change:

Electric cars can be charged using alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC).

• Direct current (DC) flows directly into the battery. This is how public fast chargers rated at 60 kW or more work.
• Alternating current (AC) from the household electricity supply is converted into DC by the car's onboard charger before reaching the battery.

The onboard charger is usually what limits charging speed at home. Most Chinese-made electric cars, including many BYD models, have onboard chargers rated at 6.6–7 kW. This means installing a more powerful 22 kW charger at home would make little difference for these vehicles: they would charge at the same speed as they would with a 7 kW unit. Some Zeekr models, for example, have 11 kW onboard chargers.

Take a BYD Song Plus EV with a 71.8 kWh battery. Charging it from 20% to 80%, a range commonly recommended for everyday use, requires approximately 43 kWh of energy. Here is how long it takes with different chargers:

For most electric cars imported from China, a 7 kW wall-mounted charger is sufficient. If you drive less than 50 km a day, a portable charger that plugs into a suitable socket may be enough. These chargers are often included with the car.

Before buying a charger, check the connector inside your car's charging port. Most vehicles imported from China use the Chinese GB/T standard. European and American versions may have Type 2 or Type 1 connectors, requiring a different charger or an adapter costing around 700,000–750,000 soums.

We reviewed 340 listings for EV chargers on OLX in Tashkent and shortlisted 78 suitable for home use. Here's how much sellers are asking:

Around two-thirds of the 7 kW chargers listed on OLX are original units supplied with cars from BYD, Leapmotor, Dongfeng, GAC, Zeekr and Li Auto. Owners often receive these chargers with their vehicles but sell them if they prefer using a portable charger. Many are still unopened. Chargers from other brands tend to be more expensive, but many come with additional features, including app-based controls and adjustable charging power.

You can also buy a charger directly from a car dealership. Some dealerships offer installation services as well.

Before buying, ask the seller:

• Is the charging connector compatible with your car?
• Can you adjust the charging current if your circuit breakers keep tripping?
• Will the charger work when the voltage is low?
• Does it restart automatically after a power cut?
• What is the rated power output shown on the charger's label?
• If the charger requires an access card, is one included?
• Does it come with a warranty and receipt?

The main consideration when installing an EV charger at a private house is the property's available electrical capacity. Many homes have a capacity of just 5–10 kW. If an electric cooker, air conditioner and water heater are running while a car is charging at 7 kW, total demand can reach 12–14 kW, causing the circuit breakers to trip.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Apply through my.gov.uz. The service is called "Obtaining technical conditions for connection to electricity networks up to 20 kW". You'll need your property's cadastral number and electricity account number. The application fee is 0.09 of the base calculation amount (BCA), equivalent to 39,600 soums as of 1 September 2026. Applications are reviewed within three days.
2. Wait for a call from the local electricity distribution office (RES). A representative will ask why you need additional electrical capacity and send you an agreement containing the technical connection conditions.
3. Hire a qualified electrician. They will run a dedicated cable from the main electrical panel, install a circuit breaker, residual current device (RCD) and voltage protection relay, arrange proper earthing and mount the charging station.
4. Check whether you need a voltage stabiliser. In residential areas with private houses, voltage often drops in the evening, which can cause the charger to stop working or display an error. Before buying a stabiliser, ask an electrician to measure the voltage at your property.

Here's what a typical installation looks like:

A voltage stabiliser installed below the wall-mounted charger helps maintain a steady voltage when the supply drops in the evening. A voltage protection relay is installed in the electrical panel next to the charger. Its display shows 224 volts.

On OLX, electricians commonly advertise installation services starting at $100, or approximately 1.2 million soums. According to the Ustabor service blog, a complete installation, including electrical wiring upgrades, can cost between 7 million and 15 million soums.

For a relatively straightforward installation, the estimated costs are as follows:

Most electric vehicles in Uzbekistan are registered in Tashkent, where many owners live in apartment buildings. In 2024, the authorities announced plans to allow charging stations of up to 22 kW near apartment buildings and up to 7 kW inside them. However, detailed rules specifying where chargers can be installed and whose approval is required have yet to be established.

Apartment residents generally have four charging options.

A dedicated line from a transformer substation with a separate electricity meter. This is a legally compliant way to install a charger. The process involves submitting an application through my.gov.uz or a Public Services Centre, arranging an inspection by the electricity supplier, installing an electrical panel, paying the relevant fees to the local electricity distribution office (RES) and having the meter officially sealed.

According to RES, more than 10,000 separate electricity meters have already been installed for EV charging across Uzbekistan.

A separate meter has its own electricity account number. You can add it to the My Home section of payme as a separate account alongside your apartment's electricity account. This allows you to track your car charging expenses separately from your household electricity costs.

Installing a dedicated line from a transformer substation to a charging point in an apartment building's courtyard: around 3.1 million soums in 2024 and approximately 3.5 million soums now.

The cost of the charging station itself is not included. The 2025 figures come from an EV owner's account, while the 2026 prices are based on government fees and electricity meter catalogues.

Other EV owners have reported higher costs. One driver said they paid 8.5 million soums for permits, materials and installation work. Another reported spending around $400–500, including approximately 2 million soums paid to RES. The final cost depends on the distance to the transformer substation and whether RES charges a connection fee.

A charging cable running from an apartment window, connected to the apartment's electricity meter. This is the cheapest option, but also the riskiest. Electrical wiring in older apartment buildings may not be designed for sustained high loads. RES representatives have reported cases in which cables overheated and caught fire during EV charging. Since June 2026, unauthorised connections to electricity networks have carried fines of 15–20 base calculation amounts (BCAs), equivalent to 6.6–8.8 million soums.

A charging station in an underground car park. This requires approval from the building management company, technical connection conditions and a separate electricity meter. Check whether installation is possible before buying an electric car, as the building may not have sufficient spare electrical capacity.

Public charging stations only. This option requires no investment in charging infrastructure, but every 100 km costs approximately 2.3–2.9 times more than charging at home.

The courtyards and exterior walls of apartment buildings are considered either common property or land administered by the local hokimiyat. Neighbours have the right to object to charging stations installed near building entrances, while the local electricity distribution office (RES) may disconnect stations installed without the required technical connection conditions. In March 2026, 101 charging stations in Tashkent were temporarily disconnected due to missing documentation.

We therefore recommend discussing your plans with neighbours and the building management company before starting any work, obtaining the necessary technical connection conditions and only then hiring an electrician. Space for a charging station in the courtyard can be arranged through the hokimiyat's garage department, but only for temporary use. For this reason, it is best to install a removable charging post and electrical panel.

The best way to calculate the payback period for a home EV charger is to compare its costs with what you would otherwise spend at public charging stations. Your monthly savings are the difference between the cost of public charging and the additional amount on your household electricity bill. To estimate the payback period, divide the initial investment by your monthly savings.

Assuming 80% of charging takes place at home and the remaining 20% at public fast charging stations, the estimated payback periods are: