EV vs Gas Savings Calculator
Compare what you would spend on fuel each year with an EV versus a gas car.
Fuel cost vs charging cost
This is the pure fuel comparison — how much you spend filling a tank versus what you spend charging a battery for the same miles. It doesn't include maintenance, insurance or purchase price, but the energy gap alone is usually the biggest single saving when switching to an EV.
Worked example
Driving 12,000 miles a year: a 28-MPG gas car at $3.50/gal costs $1,500. A 3.5 mi/kWh EV at $0.15/kWh costs $514. That is a saving of about $986 a year, or $82 a month, on fuel alone.
Beyond the pump
- Maintenance: EVs need no oil changes, no spark plugs and no exhaust work. Brakes last much longer thanks to regenerative braking. Typical further savings: $400–800 a year.
- Home vs public charging: a year of mostly home charging is the cheapest case. Lots of DC fast charging can wipe out the savings.
- Time-of-use plans: charging overnight on an off-peak rate can roughly halve EV running costs again.
EV efficiency drops in cold weather; gas car efficiency drops on short trips. Both numbers are year-round averages — use a slightly lower mi/kWh and a slightly lower MPG if your driving is mostly cold or city.