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EV vs Gas: Running Cost Calculator
The short answer
At typical US home electricity rates, charging an EV costs meaningfully less per mile than fuelling a comparable gas car, often by a factor of two or three. The two things that change the answer most are your electricity rate and whether you charge at home or rely on public fast charging. Put your own numbers in below.
Run your numbers
EV vs Gas: Annual Running Cost
Fuel and charging only. Edit any number to match your situation.
Electric
Gasoline
Gas car / year$0
EV / year$0
You save per year
$0
Fuel and charging costs only. Excludes insurance, depreciation, maintenance, and tires. Estimate for comparison, not financial advice.
How to get an honest answer
- Use your actual electricity rate from your bill, not a national average. If you have time-of-use rates and charge overnight, use the off-peak rate, because that is what you will really pay.
- Use the car's real efficiency, not the best-case figure. Winter and highway driving both reduce it.
- If you rely on public fast charging, enter that much higher rate instead. This is the single biggest thing that changes the answer.
- Remember what this excludes. Insurance, depreciation, maintenance, and tires are not here. See what an EV actually costs to run for the full picture.