December 22, 2023

Boosting Your Sustainability: Methods and Tools for Tracking Your EV Energy Consumption

4 Min. Read

Embarking on your electric vehicle (EV) journey isn’t just about driving; it’s a conscious move toward sustainability and energy awareness. But to maximize your efforts and make the most of your electric vehicle driving experience, understanding and optimizing your EV’s energy use is key.

Tracking your EV energy consumption helps you assess your cost savings and reduced environmental impact since switching from a gas-powered vehicle to an electric vehicle. It can also help you predict charging costs, track overall performance, keep an eye on EV battery degradation, and optimize your charging habits.

Learn more about the different methods and tools you can use for measuring electricity use in electric vehicles to make more informed choices and boost the efficiency of your EV in our latest electrification article on EV energy consumption!

Tracking EV Energy Consumption

With readily accessible metrics and data, EV drivers can effortlessly stay informed about their vehicle’s battery status, energy consumption, and charging habits. The integration of advanced technologies in both electric vehicles and through their respective charging equipment, also known as EVSE or EV charging stations, allows for a comprehensive stream of information, empowering EV users with real-time insights into various aspects of their driving experience and charging processes.

Onboard Vehicle Data

Modern vehicles use telematics to measure speed, energy consumption, and more. A growing number of automakers are making this data available with onboard displays.

Most EVs give you access to your current battery status, energy consumption, and other data points. If you’re not sure where to find this information, check your owner’s manual.

Tracking your electric vehicle’s energy consumption with onboard data is the most accurate method since it accounts for regenerative braking, which can recover 60% or more of the kinetic energy used during braking and turn it into usable energy for the vehicle.

Charging Station Data

At the end of each charging session, your charging equipment display or companion app will give you access to detailed information about the amount of energy transferred to your vehicle, the average charging rate, and the cost of charging your EV.

Charging station data has some limitations since EVs typically turn around 77% of the energy drawn from the grid into power that makes the car move, but using a mix of onboard and external data will help with measuring the energy consumption of electric vehicles accurately.

Efficiency Factor and Estimates

Knowing your vehicle’s efficiency factor can be helpful when onboard or charging data isn’t available. You can look up your vehicle’s efficiency factor in this database and use this information to assess your typical energy consumption or your EV driving range.

It’s also a helpful tool for comparing EV energy consumption between two models or for calculating an MPG equivalent.

Smartphone Apps and Software

Digital tools make charging and electric vehicle monitoring easy with real-time data and intuitive charts.

Automaker Apps

A majority of automakers offer companion apps for drivers. For EVs, these apps can include features that let you track charging progress, manage charging remotely, access other smart vehicle features, and review charging and energy consumption data.

Charging Network Apps

During Q2 2023, the number of public charging ports increased by 4%. Public charging is becoming more accessible, and most charging networks have companion apps that help you track EV energy consumption if you use this option. Examples include the official ChargePoint app and the Electrify America app.

Third-Party Apps

As EV adoption continues to grow, there is an increasing demand for convenient digital tools that allow drivers to manage charging.

Third-party apps, like ev.energy, integrate with different at-home charging solutions and give you access to detailed charging data, in addition to helping you take advantage of off-peak charging rates with advanced scheduling features.

Advanced Energy Monitoring Tools

Advanced energy monitoring tools can give you more visibility over the electricity consumption of your household. These tools are ideal if you have more than one EV or generate electricity with a residential renewable energy solution.

Home Energy Monitors

Home energy monitors are devices that you can add to an existing electrical system. Depending on the device, these monitors can use machine learning or manual input to identify unique circuits or appliances and track their energy use.

You’ll typically get access to a companion app or browser interface where you can track how much power your at-home EV charging equipment and other circuits draw.

Energy Management Platforms

Rather than simply monitoring your energy consumption, energy management platforms give you access to advanced features to control your energy usage.

A residential energy management platform or smart panel allows you to switch circuits on and off, schedule charging, switch between different power sources, and more. You’ll also have access to detailed energy consumption data via an app or browser client.

Make At-Home EV Charging Accessible with Qmerit

The most accurate way to track your EV energy usage is to combine data available via your vehicle’s onboard system or companion app with information from public and residential charging equipment. As an EV owner, keeping an eye on your vehicle’s energy consumption will help you save even more by optimizing charging and giving you the information you need to be proactive about battery maintenance.

For the majority of EV drivers, at-home charging remains the most affordable and convenient solution. If you don’t already have access to reliable at-home EV charging, Qmerit can help.

With over 450,000 successful installations, our network of trusted installers has become a go-to resource for EV owners in need of reliable at-home charging. Find out more about our EV charger installation solutions and discover why we’re the most trusted energy transition installer in North America today!