Gas vs electric car calculator
Yearly fuel cost of a gas car against charging an EV, with your miles and prices.
- ๐บ๐ธ US federal & state rules
- EIA gasoline (weekly) and residential electricity (July 2026) averages
- See sources
Yearly savings with the EV
$1,164
Gas $1,949 vs electricity $785 for 13,500 miles
- Gas car, per year
- $1,949
- EV, per year
- $785
- Cost per mile
- $0.14 gas, $0.06 electric
- Over 5 years
- $5,821 saved
This is an example. Enter your numbers above and press the button to see your own result.
Yearly savings at other prices
| Gas at $3.33 | $714 |
|---|---|
| Gas at $5.33 | $1,614 |
| Electricity at 12ยข | $1,435 |
| Electricity at 25ยข | $878 |
| Electricity at 40ยข | $235 |
- Fuel and charging only. Purchase price, insurance, maintenance, registration fees and tax credits are left out.
- If most of your charging is at public fast chargers, enter that price instead of your home rate.
Show the math
| Gas | 13,500 mi รท 30 MPG = 450 gal ร $4.33 = $1,948.95 |
|---|---|
| Electricity | 13,500 mi ร 0.286 kWh/mi รท 0.9 = 4,286 kWh ร $0.18 = $784.71 |
What to do next
How it works
The gas side is miles รท MPG ร gas price. The electric side is miles ร kWh per mile รท charging efficiency ร electricity price. The difference is the yearly fuel saving, and the calculator multiplies it by the years you plan to keep the car.
Things to keep in mind
This compares running costs only. EVs often cost more to buy and can cost more to insure, but usually need less routine maintenance. Some states also charge an extra yearly registration fee for EVs.
Both default prices come from the EIA: the weekly U.S. average for regular gas and the monthly U.S. average residential electricity price. Your local prices may be quite different.
Sources
Rules applied as of 2026-10-12. See the sources below for details.
- EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (week of Oct 12, 2026: $4.331)Checked 2026-10-19
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (July 2026: 18.31ยข/kWh)Checked 2026-10-19
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to charge an EV than buy gas?
At U.S. averages it usually is. Driving 13,500 miles in a 30 MPG car at $4.33 a gallon costs about $1,949, while an EV at 3.5 mi/kWh on 18.31ยข home power costs about $785.
How do I convert kWh/100 mi to mi/kWh?
Divide 100 by the kWh figure. A rating of 30 kWh/100 mi is 3.33 mi/kWh.
What if I use public fast chargers?
Then enter the fast charger price as the electricity price. At higher public rates the savings can shrink a lot, or flip so the EV costs more per mile.