E-Car Without a Private Wallbox: Feasible or Impossible?

Lack of home charging facilities is often cited as one of the biggest barriers to purchasing an electric car. But how significant are the drawbacks if you don't have your own wallbox? The TCS put this to the test to see how one can manage daily life, holidays, and work with an electric car relying solely on public charging stations.

For this test, a TCS expert spent five months using a mid- range electric SUV. He logged each charging session, noting duration, cost, energy charged, and kilometers driven between charges. Over five months, he covered 15,567 kilometers in Switzerland, Italy, and France, requiring 102 charging sessions. The majority, 82, were direct current (DC) charges; the rest were alternating current (AC) charges. Total charging time was nearly 135 hours, billed via the TCS eCharge App.

**Costs Under the Lens**

A key aspect of the test was examining the costs incurred when charging without a private wallbox. The average cost per kWh was CHF 0.74. According to the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission (Elcom), average residential electricity costs are CHF 0.29 per kWh. For cost comparison with a combustion engine car, it is useful to consider the cost per 100 kilometers. The electric car that uses only public charging without a subscription model costs CHF 15.80 per 100 kilometers (80% DC charges). Mostly charging privately amounts to CHF 7.91 per 100 kilometers. Average costs for a combustion engine (petrol 95) are CHF 10.32 per 100 kilometers. Thus, energy costs for an electric car are higher if it relies solely on public charging. In practice, most electric car owners rarely charge this way, similar to how combustion engine drivers seldom refuel at motorway service areas where prices are higher. The test demonstrated that economic savings are only possible by charging at home or work. Therefore, TCS advocates for easier installation of charging stations in multi-family homes and businesses.

**Active Planning is Essential**

Naturally, managing everyday life with an electric car without a private wallbox requires more planning. The challenge lies not in the availability of charging stations but in the time required for charging. DC charging takes an average of 33 minutes and necessitates active planning. This time investment can be substantial and is not always easy to fit into natural breaks, which reduces user flexibility and requires habit changes.

**Sufficient Range is Mandatory**

The test car was charged approximately every 200 kilometers, utilizing 60% of the battery (charging state between 80% and 20%) as recommended by the manufacturer. With smaller ranges, more frequent charging is necessary, complicating the planning and time required even further. TCS advises a range that covers typical use for two to three days.

The five- month test from March to August 2025 demonstrated that using an electric car without a private wallbox is technically feasible but requires extensive planning and can incur high costs. A sufficiently large range and an 800-V architecture for the car to allow for fast charging performance are recommended. The results are not representative of all vehicles. Overall, TCS calls for improved price transparency at charging stations. The cost of a kWh should be known before arriving at the charging station.

Press Contact:
Marco Wölfli, Media Spokesperson TCS
Phone: +41 58 827 34 03

marco.woelfli@tcs.ch

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: Touring Club Schweiz