EV vs Gas Car Cost Calculator
The sticker "savings" numbers are marketing. Plug in your real MPG, your real electricity rate, your real driving, and get your real break-even year.
| Gas car fuel cost /yr | — |
| EV fuel cost /yr (at your rate) | — |
| Fuel savings /yr | — |
| Total savings /yr (with maintenance) | — |
| Cost to beat (premium + install) | — |
| Break-even | — |
| Net after 5 years | — |
| Net after 8 years | — |
Break-even counts cash you would actually spend (fuel, maintenance, install), not resale or battery depreciation. Add 15-25% for regular fast-charger road trips.
How the math works
Fuel: gas = miles ÷ MPG × price. EV = miles ÷ miles-per-kWh × rate (mpk already nets charging losses; 3.5 = typical mainstream EV at home charging).
Break-even: (price premium + charger install) ÷ (fuel savings + maintenance savings). Net after N years = savings × N − cost.
Provenance: US average residential electricity 17.1¢ per kWh (EIA monthly retail, Sept 2026 reporting), national gas ~$3.30/gal (AAA weekly average late 2026), EV efficiency from EPA ratings (mainstream crossovers 3.1-3.7 mi/kWh, compacts to 4.3), maintenance deltas from driver-reported 5-year cost-of-ownership studies (25-45% lower; tires 15-25% faster wear). Federal EV credit rules changed in late 2025 (income caps, assembly rules), so the tool takes your post-incentive premium as an input, not a computed credit.
Frequently asked questions
Is an EV cheaper to fuel than a gas car?
Per mile, almost always yes. At the national 2026 rates (about 17 cents per kWh residential, $3.30 per gallon, 28 MPG), gas costs 11.8 cents per mile and an EV 4.2 cents per mile at 3.5 miles per kWh including charging losses. That is roughly $1,000 a year saved at 12,000 miles.
How long does it take an EV to pay off its higher price?
With a $9,000 price premium after incentives and $1,000 a year fuel savings, break-even is 9 years. With the federal EV tax credit applied, the premium drops and break-even lands at 5 to 7 years for most drivers. Fast chargers on trips are the main cost that moves this.
Are EVs cheaper to maintain?
Yes, roughly 40% less per mile on maintenance: no oil changes, far less brake wear, fewer transmission parts. The offsetting costs are tires (EVs are heavy and torque hard, tires wear 20% faster) and out-of-warranty battery pack replacement, a rare five-figure event that mostly lands past ownership.
What electricity rate kills the EV savings math?
Above about 40 cents per kWh (some California and Hawaii homes with high tier rates), fuel savings shrink to a few hundred dollars a year and break-even stretches past 15 years. Under 15 cents per kWh with time-of-use charging, the EV wins in under 4 years. Your rate is the single biggest input, more than gas price.