How does the EV vs gas savings calculator work?
The calculator prices the same annual driving two ways — electricity for an EV and gasoline for a comparable car — then, if you provide purchase prices, projects the net savings and break-even point over your ownership period.
Enter your driving & prices
Set annual miles driven, your electricity rate, EV efficiency, gas price, and the gas car's MPG.
Add purchase prices (optional)
Enter both vehicles' prices to see net savings and a break-even period, not just fuel cost.
View the comparison
See annual cost for each, cost per mile, and total savings over your chosen ownership period.
Why cost per mile is the fairest comparison
Electricity and gasoline are priced in different units — dollars per kWh versus dollars per gallon — so comparing the sticker prices directly doesn't mean much. Converting both to a cost per mile driven puts them on the same footing: divide electricity rate by EV efficiency (miles per kWh) for the EV's cost per mile, and gas price by MPG for the gas car's. Multiplying either by your annual mileage gives an annual fuel cost you can compare directly.
Applied separately for electricity (per kWh) and gasoline (per gallon), then compared.
Worked example: a driver considering the switch
12,000 miles a year, comparing a 3.5 mi/kWh EV against a 28-MPG gas car
Suppose you drive 12,000 miles a year, pay $0.16/kWh for electricity, and the EV you're considering averages 3.5 miles per kWh. The comparable gas car you're cross-shopping gets 28 MPG, and gas in your area is $3.50/gallon.
- Annual EV energy cost: (12,000 ÷ 3.5) × $0.16 ≈ $548.57.
- Annual gas cost: (12,000 ÷ 28) × $3.50 = $1,500.00.
- Annual fuel savings: $1,500.00 − $548.57 ≈ $951.43.
Over a 5-year ownership period, that's roughly $4,757 in fuel savings alone. Now suppose the EV costs $9,000 more upfront (after confirmed incentives) than the gas car, and you estimate $300 a year in reduced maintenance. Total savings from fuel and maintenance over 5 years is about $6,257, which is still less than the $9,000 price gap — so net savings is roughly −$2,743 at year 5, with a break-even point closer to about 7.2 years.
Result: about $951 in annual fuel savings; including a $9,000 price gap and maintenance savings, break-even lands around 7.2 years.
Why the break-even point matters
Fuel savings alone almost always favor the EV, since electricity is typically cheaper per mile than gasoline. Whether an EV is the cheaper choice overall depends on whether you keep the car long enough for those fuel (and maintenance) savings to close the purchase-price gap. A driver who keeps a car 10+ years or drives well above average mileage will usually reach break-even faster than someone who drives little and trades in every few years.
What this calculator doesn't include
This tool focuses on fuel cost, and optionally purchase price and maintenance — it doesn't model insurance premiums, registration fees, resale value, or financing costs, all of which can differ between an EV and a comparable gas car but vary too much by model, location, and lender to estimate generically. If those factors matter significantly to your decision, add them to the purchase-price comparison manually.
Common ways to use this calculator
Compare an EV you're considering against a specific gas alternative you're cross-shopping.
See a realistic annual fuel budget for an EV versus continuing to drive a gas car.
Check whether an EV's higher sticker price is offset by fuel and maintenance savings over your ownership period.
Re-run the calculator with different electricity rates to see how a time-of-use plan changes the savings.
Privacy and appropriate use
Your inputs are processed directly in your browser and are not sent to a database. The result is an estimate for budgeting and comparison, not financial advice — verify current gas and electricity prices, incentive eligibility, and vehicle pricing before making a purchase decision.