EV Charging with Solar in Arizona: The Complete 2026 Guide
Arizona is one of the best states in the country for pairing solar panels with an electric vehicle. Between 300+ days of sunshine and APS's super off-peak rates, you can fuel your EV for as little as 2-3 cents per mile.
How Much Does EV Charging Cost on APS?
The average EV needs about 30 kWh per 100 miles. Here's what that costs on different APS rate tiers:
| When You Charge | Rate | Cost per 100 mi | Cost per mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak (4-7pm summer) | $0.3439/kWh | $10.32 | $0.103 |
| Off-Peak | $0.1235/kWh | $3.71 | $0.037 |
| Super Off-Peak (10am-3pm) | $0.0935/kWh | $2.81 | $0.028 |
| Your Own Solar | $0.00/kWh | $0.00 | Free |
Compare that to gasoline: a 25 MPG car costs about $12-$14 per 100 miles at current AZ gas prices. Even charging at peak rates, your EV costs less than gas.
How Much Extra Solar Do You Need?
The average Arizona driver does about 12,000 miles/year, which needs roughly 3,600 kWh of electricity. In Phoenix's sun, that translates to about 2.3 kW of additional solar capacity — or roughly 5-6 extra panels.
At $2.85/W installed, that's roughly $6,500 extra on your solar system. Over 25 years, that 2.3 kW produces about 86,000 kWh of energy — enough for 287,000 miles of driving.
The Smart Charging Strategy
The ideal setup depends on whether you have a battery:
- Solar only (no battery) — Set your EV to charge during super off-peak hours (10am-3pm) when your solar is producing and grid rates are cheapest. If you're at work, use a timer to charge overnight during off-peak hours instead.
- Solar + battery — Your battery handles peak hours while solar charges the EV during the day. Best of both worlds: battery earns VPP income during peak dispatch events, and solar fuels your car for free.
- Grid only (no solar yet) — Use APS off-peak rates and set your EV to charge from 10pm-6am. Avoid 4-7pm at all costs — summer peak charging is 3.7x more expensive than off-peak.
Annual Savings: Solar EV vs Gas
For 12,000 miles/year of driving:
- Gas (25 MPG, $3.50/gal) — $1,680/year
- EV on APS off-peak — $445/year
- EV on your own solar — $0/year (after system cost)
That's $1,235/year in fuel savings switching from gas to solar-charged EV — and those savings grow every year as gas prices rise and your solar keeps producing.
What You Need to Get Started
- Level 2 charger — A 240V home charger ($300-$600 installed) adds 25-30 miles of range per hour. Plenty for overnight charging.
- Right-sized solar — Add 2-3 kW to your system to cover your driving. Use our solar calculator with your total usage (home + EV) for accurate sizing.
- Smart charger or timer — Schedule charging for super off-peak hours to maximize savings on APS TOU rates.