EV vs Gas Calculator
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What Your Result Means
- Annual Savings (EV): How much less you'd spend on fuel per year by driving an EV instead of a gas car with the same mileage. A positive number means the EV is cheaper to fuel; negative means gas is cheaper at your rates.
- Annual Gas Cost: What you'd pay to fuel a gas car for a year at your mileage and pump price, calculated as miles ÷ mpg × price per gallon.
- Annual Electricity Cost: What you'd pay to charge an EV for a year, calculated as miles ÷ efficiency (mi/kWh) × electricity rate.
- 5-Year / 10-Year Savings: The annual fuel savings multiplied by 5 or 10. These are simple projections — they don't account for changing gas or electricity prices over time.
- CO₂ Avoided Annually: The tailpipe emissions you'd skip by not burning gasoline, based on 19.6 lbs of CO₂ per gallon. This doesn't subtract the grid emissions from generating electricity for your EV.
How This Calculator Works
You enter your annual mileage, gas price per gallon, your gas car's MPG, your electricity rate per kWh, and the EV's efficiency in miles per kWh. The tool divides mileage by each vehicle's efficiency, then multiplies by the corresponding fuel price to get annual costs. The difference is your savings. CO₂ is estimated from gallons burned at 19.6 lbs per gallon (EPA average for gasoline). No maintenance, insurance, or purchase price differences are included.
Quick Questions
What's a typical EV efficiency?
Most midsize EVs like the Tesla Model 3 or Hyundai Ioniq 6 achieve 3.5–4.0 mi/kWh. Larger electric SUVs and trucks typically range from 2.0–2.8 mi/kWh. The default of 3.5 is a reasonable starting point for a midsize sedan.
Does this include the cost of buying the car?
No. This calculator compares fuel costs only. The EV may cost more upfront, though federal and state tax credits can narrow the gap. A total cost of ownership comparison would also include maintenance, insurance, and resale value.
What about DC fast charging?
Public DC fast chargers typically cost 2–4× more per kWh than home electricity. If you charge away from home frequently, your real EV fuel cost will be higher than this estimate. Most EV owners do 80–90% of their charging at home.
Is the CO₂ number accurate?
It captures the tailpipe CO₂ you avoid by not burning gas (19.6 lbs per gallon is the EPA's standard factor). It does not subtract the emissions from generating the electricity for your EV, which vary widely by region — from near zero (hydro, nuclear, solar) to significant (coal-heavy grids).
Where do I find my electricity rate?
Check your most recent electric bill — the rate is usually listed as $/kWh. The U.S. average is roughly $0.16/kWh, but rates range from $0.10 in some states to over $0.30 in others like Hawaii and California.
Sources
- EPA — Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle (19.6 lbs CO₂ per gallon)
- EIA — Average Retail Price of Electricity (U.S. electricity rate benchmarks)
- FuelEconomy.gov (MPG and mi/kWh ratings for specific vehicles)
Method & review
Estimate only. Results reflect your inputs and standard formulas. Double-check important decisions independently.