Compare what you’d spend on electricity for an EV with what you’d spend on gasoline for a conventional car, using your state, your local gas price and how far you drive.
Fuel costs only. Excludes purchase price, insurance and maintenance. Home Level 2 charging assumed.
How we compare the two
The calculator works out a cost per mile for each car and multiplies it by your annual mileage.
- Gas car: gas price ÷ miles per gallon. At $4.00 a gallon and 28 mpg, that’s about 14.3¢ per mile.
- Electric car: energy per mile from the wall (including charging losses) × your electricity rate. A Tesla Model Y at the July 2026 US average of 18.31¢/kWh costs about 4.5¢ per mile.
At 12,000 miles a year, that’s about $540 in electricity versus about $1,710 in gas, a gap of roughly $1,170 a year in favor of the EV, or about $5,900 over five years. Your result will depend heavily on local prices, so adjust every input.
What this doesn’t include: purchase price, financing, insurance, registration fees, tires and maintenance. EVs have no oil changes and generally less brake wear, but insurance and tires can cost more. Fuel is usually the biggest running cost, which is why it’s the focus here.
When an EV saves the most
- You drive a lot. Savings scale directly with miles.
- Your electricity is cheap or you have an off-peak plan. Compare your state on our state rankings.
- Gas is expensive where you live, or the car you’d otherwise buy gets poor mileage.
- You charge at home. Relying on public fast chargers can erase much of the advantage. See home vs. public charging costs.
Frequently asked questions
What MPG should I enter?
Use the combined EPA rating of the gas car you’d realistically buy instead, or your current car’s real-world average. A small SUV is often in the high 20s; a pickup truck is often around 20.
Does it matter which state I pick?
A lot. Residential electricity ranges from under 13¢/kWh in the cheapest states to over 30¢ in a few, and Hawaii is far higher still. That can more than double what your EV costs to run.