Is an electric car cheaper to run than a gas car?

On fuel, almost always yes. Driving 12,000 miles a year, an electric car at 17 cents per kWh costs about 650 dollars in electricity, while a 28 MPG gas car at 3.30 dollars a gallon costs about 1,400 dollars, a saving of roughly 760 dollars a year, before counting lower EV maintenance.

How much can I save per year by switching to an EV?

It depends on your miles, rates, and the cars, but a typical driver saves several hundred to over a thousand dollars a year in fuel. The saving grows with more miles, a cheaper electricity rate, and a higher gas price.

What is the cost per mile for an EV versus gas?

A typical EV runs about 5 cents a mile at home electricity prices, while a 28 MPG gas car at 3.30 dollars a gallon is about 12 cents a mile, more than double. Public fast charging narrows the gap.

Does this calculator include the purchase price of the car?

No. This compares fuel and energy cost only, not the purchase price, insurance, or maintenance. EVs usually have lower maintenance too, so the running cost gap is often wider than the fuel figure alone.

Home / EV vs Gas Calculator

EV vs Gas Calculator

An EV vs gas calculator compares what you spend on fuel for an electric car against a gas car. It takes your yearly miles, electricity rate, EV efficiency, gas price, and gas car MPG, and returns the yearly cost of each and how much the electric car saves. This compares fuel and energy only, not the price of the car. Everything runs in your browser, with no signup.

Updated for 2026

Your driving and prices

Adjust to match your cars and local prices.

Miles per year

Electricity rate

$/ kWh

EV efficiency

mi / kWh

Gas price

$/ gal

Gas car MPG

mpg

Charging loss

Electric saves you

Electric car, fuel per year$0

Gas car, fuel per year$0

EV cost per mile

Gas cost per mile

Saved over 5 years

Saved over 10 years

Fuel savings over time

How the electric cars lower fuel cost adds up at your numbers. This counts fuel and energy only, not the purchase price, insurance, or maintenance.

Years	Electric fuel	Gas fuel	Saved

How the comparison is calculated

Each car gets a yearly fuel cost. The electric car uses your rate and efficiency, adjusted for charging loss. The gas car uses its MPG and the gas price:

EV per year = Miles ÷ ( mi/kWh × efficiency ) × Rate
Gas per year = Miles ÷ MPG × Gas price

where charging efficiency is one minus the loss. The saving is the gas cost minus the electric cost. Cost per mile is each yearly cost divided by the miles.

Worked example (Stand: 2026)

Miles per year12,000
Electric: 12,000 ÷ (3.5 × 0.90) × $0.17$648
Gas: 12,000 ÷ 28 × $3.30$1,414
EV cost per mile$0.054
Gas cost per mile$0.118
Yearly saving$766
Saved over 5 years$3,830

Frequently asked questions

Is an electric car cheaper to run than gas?

On fuel, almost always. At 12,000 miles a year, an EV at 17 cents per kWh costs around 650 dollars in electricity versus about 1,400 dollars of gas for a 28 MPG car at 3.30 dollars a gallon, a saving near 760 dollars a year before lower EV maintenance.

How much can I save per year?

It depends on your miles and prices, but a typical driver saves several hundred to over a thousand dollars a year in fuel. More miles, cheaper electricity, and a higher gas price all increase the saving.

What is the cost per mile, EV versus gas?

A typical EV is about 5 cents a mile at home electricity prices, while a 28 MPG gas car at 3.30 dollars a gallon is around 12 cents a mile. Public fast charging raises the EV figure but it usually still wins.

Does this include the price of the car?

No. This compares fuel and energy only, not the purchase price, insurance, or maintenance. EVs tend to cost less to maintain, so the full running cost gap is often wider than the fuel saving alone.

Does this calculator store my numbers?

No. Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server or saved.

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