Electric UTV charging cost calculator (2025)
Estimated charging cost
How we calculate
Here is the math the tool is doing every time you hit Calculate:
- Figure out how much energy you are putting into the pack
Energy_to_battery (kWh) = Battery_kWh × (Ending_SOC − Starting_SOC)
Example: 29.8 kWh pack, charging from 30 percent to 90 percent
SOC delta is 0.60
29.8 × 0.60 = 17.88 kWh added to the battery. - Account for charging losses
Energy_from_wall (kWh) = Energy_to_battery ÷ Charger_Efficiency
Real chargers and battery management systems waste some heat. We default efficiency to 0.90 (90 percent). Cold weather or using a basic Level 1 cord can drop efficiency below that because the system may run heaters or limit charge rate in extreme temps. - Apply your electricity rate
Cost ($) = Energy_from_wall × Price_per_kWh
Price_per_kWh is whatever you pay your utility at that time of day. The U.S. residential average is roughly 15 to 18 cents per kWh right now, but some states are under 13 cents and some are well above 30 cents per kWh.
Important notes:
- We let you choose partial top offs. Most modern lithium UTVs are fine with frequent shallow charging. Polaris specifically says you do not need to run the Ranger XP Kinetic battery low before charging. You can leave it plugged in between uses.
- Cold batteries and very hot batteries charge less efficiently. The Polaris Battery Management System can slow or pause charging until pack temp is back in the safe range.
- This tool does not include fixed fees on your bill like connection fees. It is pure energy cost.
Presets: popular electric UTVs
Use these presets to auto-fill battery size and typical range. All specs below come from the manufacturers.
Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic Premium
- Pack: ~14.9 kWh lithium ion
- Est. range: up to about 45 miles on a full charge
- Standard onboard charger: 3 kW
- Typical full charge time: about 10 hours on 120 V, about 5 hours on 240 V with the standard 3 kW onboard charger
- Upgrade path: accessory onboard charger can raise total charge rate to 6 kW, which can cut time further on 240 V power.
Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic Ultimate
- Pack: ~29.8 kWh lithium ion
- Est. range: up to about 80 miles on a full charge
- Standard onboard charger: 6 kW
- Typical full charge time: about 20 hours on 120 V, about 5 hours on 240 V as equipped
- Upgrade path: accessory onboard charger can raise total charge rate to 9 kW, which can get you down near 3.5 hours on 240 V.
Polaris Pro XD Full-Size Kinetic
- Pack: ~14.9 kWh lithium ion (commercial / jobsite version)
- Est. range: about 45 miles
- Onboard charging: combined Level 1 and Level 2 cord. Polaris says 240 V Level 2 can be up to four times faster than 120 V for this model.
- This unit is tuned for worksites and towing 2,500 lb, so plan for higher load which can raise real-world cost per mile.
Landmaster AMP (Standard Cab / Crew / HD)
- System: 48 V lithium pack (160 Ah option is common)
- Claimed range: about 35 miles with the standard battery and up to about 50 miles with the extended battery
- Charge method: onboard charger into a normal 110 to 120 V outlet
- Typical recharge time: about 6 hours (standard battery) or 8 hours (extended battery) from empty to full
- Input for calculator: use ~7.5 to 8 kWh for the extended 48 V 160 Ah pack. That comes from 48 V × 160 Ah which is about 7.7 kWh.
Hisun Sector E1
- System: 48 V deep-cycle battery pack
- The company publishes capacity as “2080 Amp/Hours” at 48 V, onboard 1.2 kW charger, and a charge time of about 6 to 10 hours
- Claimed range: more than 42 miles per full charge
- Notes for calculator: Hisun quotes amp-hours, not kWh. Enter your known pack kWh if your dealer gave you that number, or estimate around 10 to 12 kWh for a typical 48 V golf-cart style pack to get a ballpark cost.
Tracker OX EV
- System: 48 V AC induction drive with a Samsung lithium battery module
- Claimed range: 36 to 60 miles, depending on load and terrain
- Onboard charger: ~900 W Delta Q charger that plugs into a normal wall outlet
- Claimed recharge time: roughly 6 hours from empty to full
- Because the charger is under 1 kW, assume slower charging but relatively small pack. Tracker does not publish kWh, so you may have to enter a guessed pack size (5 to 6 kWh is a realistic ballpark, based on 900 W × ~6 hr).
John Deere Gator TE 4×2 Electric
- System: 48 V lead-acid system using eight Trojan T-105 style batteries
- Electrical system energy: about 12 kWh total pack energy is published for current TE models
- Onboard charger: built-in smart charger under the seat, accepts roughly 85 to 265 VAC input and draws up to about 12 amps from a standard household outlet
- The charger automatically shuts off at full and is designed for plug in anywhere convenience
- This is a work UTV for farms and facilities, not high speed trail use, so cost per mile is usually low speed duty cycle.
Electricity price helper
Your electricity rate matters more than anything else in this calculator.
How to pick the right number:
- Use your actual bill. On most U.S. utility bills there is a “Rate” or “Energy” line in dollars per kWh. That is the cleanest input.
- Use state average. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes average residential cents per kWh by state every month. In August 2025, many states sit between about 13 and 20 cents per kWh, with low cost states around 12 cents and high cost states over 30 cents per kWh. Hawaii and California are usually in the high group.
- Time-of-use plan. If you get a cheaper “off-peak” rate at night, you should enter that cheaper off-peak number in the calculator when you mostly charge at night.
If you run a ranch or job site and meter power as commercial instead of residential, commercial per kWh is often lower than residential in many states.
Off-peak vs on-peak
Many utilities now use time-of-use pricing. Peak hours are late afternoon and early evening when demand is highest. Off-peak is usually overnight or mid-day when demand is low.
Polaris tells Ranger XP Kinetic owners to charge during off-peak hours to keep charging cost down. They note that off-peak hours are often at night and some utilities discount those hours.
How this affects you:
- Same kWh in the battery, different price. Your battery does not care what time it charges. Your utility bill does.
- If your utility sells power for 32 cents per kWh at 6 p.m. but 14 cents per kWh at 2 a.m., running the same charge at night can literally cut cost per mile in half.
- Our calculator can support two rates. You can model blended cost by saying “70 percent of my charging happens at my off-peak rate and 30 percent at my on-peak rate,” then averaging those numbers.
FAQs
Can I DC fast charge my UTV like a car EV?
Short answer: No.
Polaris states the Ranger XP Kinetic is not compatible with Level 3 public DC fast charging and you should not attempt to use a Level 3 station. The factory setup is AC only with a J1772 style cord that supports Level 1 (120 V) and Level 2 (240 V). The Pro XD Kinetic uses the same concept.
Most current electric UTVs, including farm and commercial units, are built around onboard AC chargers, not high-power DC fast charge hardware.
Is 240 V cheaper than 120 V?
The electricity itself costs the same per kWh. You are billed for energy, not volts.
240 V is usually faster, not cheaper per unit of energy. Polaris publishes that a Ranger XP Kinetic Premium can go from empty to full in about 10 hours on 120 V with the stock 3 kW onboard charger but about 5 hours on 240 V. The Ultimate trim can get near 5 hours on 240 V with its 6 kW charger.
So 240 V saves time. Your per kWh cost only changes if your utility charges different rates at different times (for example peak vs off-peak).
Why does winter make my charging bill look higher?
Cold weather does two things:
- The battery management system may run heaters and slow charge rate until the pack warms up. This wastes some energy as heat instead of storing it.
- Range usually drops in the cold because the pack is less efficient and you might be running cab heat or battery heaters. That means more kWh per mile.
Polaris tells owners to keep the Ranger XP Kinetic plugged in during cold periods so the pack can stay in its ideal temperature zone before use.
Sources
All factual specs and charging guidance in this article come directly from manufacturers and U.S. government energy data.
Calvin Anderson, founder of Off-Road Lord, is a seasoned off-roading enthusiast from Tucson, Arizona. With over a decade of hands-on experience and a deep understanding of off-roading vehicles and trails, Calvin’s insights provide a trusted guide for fellow adventurers.