Home and energy
Gas vs Electric Cost
Estimate annual fuel versus charging cost from the miles you drive and the rates you actually pay, then optionally test a purchase-price gap.
Decision: Which powertrain costs less to drive, and how long would a higher EV price take to earn back?
This comparison runs in your browser. CompareMage does not send the numbers you enter to our servers.
Gasoline vehicle
Option A
Electric vehicle
Option B
Comparison result
The electric vehicle costs less to drive under the rates you entered.
Annual operating difference is $1,030.00 (143.06%). Over 5 years the energy-cost gap is $5,150.00. Break-even against the sticker gap is not applicable.
- Cheaper to drive
- Electric
- Gas annual energy
- $1,750.00
- EV annual energy
- $720.00
- Break-even miles
- —
| Powertrain | Annual energy cost | Cost over 5 years |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $1,750.00 | $8,750.00 |
| Electric | $720.00 | $3,600.00 |
How to read the result
The lower annual energy cost is cheaper to drive under these rates. A break-even year only answers the sticker-price gap you entered. Insurance, repairs, and charging access remain decision factors.
Calculated facts
Totals, differences, and break-even figures come only from the values on this page. They describe the math, not what you should do.
Decision factors
Fit, risk, time, quality, and personal constraints stay outside the calculator. A cheaper path can still be the wrong path for those reasons.
Methodology
Gas annual cost is (miles ÷ MPG) × price per gallon. EV annual cost is miles × (kWh per 100 miles ÷ 100) × electricity price. Horizon totals multiply by years. If you enter a purchase-price gap, break-even years are gap ÷ annual operating savings when that savings has the same sign as a payback.
Assumptions
- Energy prices stay at the values you entered.
- No charging-session idle fees, winter efficiency loss, or public DC-fast premium unless you raise the electricity price.
Examples
15,000 miles
A 30 MPG car at $3.50/gal costs $1,750 a year in gas. An EV using 30 kWh/100 miles at $0.16/kWh costs $720 a year to charge.
How to use it
- Enter annual miles, MPG, gas price, EV kWh/100 miles, and your electricity rate.
- Optionally enter how much more (or less) the EV costs to buy.
- Read annual operating costs, the horizon totals, and break-even if it exists.
Limits
- Incentives, registration fees, and battery replacement are not included.
- This is not a vehicle-buying recommendation.
Questions
Where do I find kWh per 100 miles?
The window sticker and fueleconomy.gov list MPGe and often kWh/100 miles. If you only have miles per kWh, kWh/100 miles is 100 divided by miles per kWh.
Does this include insurance or tires?
No. Those belong in a full ownership comparison. This page is operating energy cost, plus an optional sticker-price gap.
Why might break-even be blank?
If the cheaper-to-drive vehicle is also cheaper to buy, there is nothing to earn back. If the more expensive vehicle also costs more to drive, it never breaks even in this model.
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