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Chevrolet Bolt Total Cost of Ownership Calculator

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, the cheapest new EV in America, against a Honda Civic: 7-year cost of ownership in your state.

Updated · By Niraj Kumar · 6 sources

The cars

$

2027 LT starting price. Replace it with your quote.

$

LX sedan, 34 mpg combined.

Where and how you charge

%
0%100%

The rest is public fast charging. Most owners with a driveway charge 80-90% at home.

¢/kWh

California residential average (EIA). Enter the all-in rate from your bill to override.

¢/kWh

Driving

years
1 yr10 yrs
$per gallon

California average for regular (AAA).

Fine-tune

%
0%10%
%
0%10%
%
0%8%

About 2% is typical; the loss slows after that. Hot climates and frequent fast charging push it up.

$

The federal credit ended for cars bought after 30 September 2025.

$

Set to 0 if you already have one or will use a standard outlet.

$
$

Assumed full coverage; replace both with quotes.

How you payHow you pay
Over 7 yearsGas saves $1,661The EV does not catch up within 7 years

The Chevrolet Bolt costs 10.2¢ a mile to charge, against 18.2¢ a mile in gas for the Honda Civic.

Chevrolet Bolt, total cost
$55,584
66.2¢ a mile, all in
Honda Civic, total cost
$53,923
64.2¢ a mile, all in
EV price premium repaid
6.4 years
from running savings, before resale
Battery at the end
92%
about 242 of 262 miles of range
CO₂ avoided
13.2 tonnes
at the US grid average
Cost of ownership if sold at the end of each yearChevrolet BoltHonda Civic
$0$20 K$40 K$60 K$55.58 K$53.92 K1234567
Cash saved by choosing the EV, before resaleStill to recoverAhead
$-8 K$-6 K$-4 K$-2 K$0$2 KPayback, year 6.401234567
Where the money goes over 7 years
CostChevrolet BoltHonda Civic
Purchase less resale$23,545$15,071
Charging or gas$9,352$16,242
Maintenance$5,040$7,560
Insurance$16,800$15,050
EV registration fees$847$0
Total$55,584$53,923
Year-by-year costs and battery healthShow
YearChargingGasBatteryRangeEV cost to dateGas car cost to date
1$1,226$2,18598%256 mi$16,704$11,349
2$1,264$2,22896%253 mi$24,688$19,030
3$1,299$2,27395%250 mi$31,548$26,261
4$1,335$2,31895%248 mi$37,864$33,292
5$1,372$2,36594%246 mi$43,927$40,121
6$1,409$2,41293%244 mi$49,736$46,998
7$1,447$2,46092%242 mi$55,584$53,923

How the Chevrolet Bolt Total Cost of Ownership Calculator works

TCO = Price × (1 + tax) − rebates + charger + Σ₍y₎ [energy₍y₎ + maintenance + insurance + fees] + interest − resale₍N₎

This page uses the same method as the EV vs Gas Total Cost of Ownership Calculator, which explains each term and assumption in full.

Worked example

A Chevrolet Bolt 2027 LT ($28,995) against a Honda Civic LX sedan ($24,695) in California, driven 12,000 miles a year for 7 years, paid in cash, charging 80% at home.

  1. 1Home electricity costs about 33.6¢ a kWh; with 20% fast charging at 48.0¢ the blend is 36.5¢
  2. 2At 28 kWh/100 mi the Chevrolet Bolt costs 10.2¢ a mile; at 34 mpg and $6.19 a gallon the Honda Civic costs 18.2¢ a mile
  3. 3Buying costs $33,113 for the EV with tax and a home charger, against $26,925
  4. 4After 7 years the battery keeps about 92% of its capacity, and the cars would sell for about $9,568 and $11,854

Over 7 years the Chevrolet Bolt costs $55,584 to own and the Honda Civic $53,923, so the gas car comes out $1,661 cheaper at these assumptions.

Frequently asked questions

Why compare the Bolt with a Civic rather than a hybrid?

At $28,995 the Bolt is priced against compact gas cars rather than hybrids, and the Civic LX is the best-selling car in that bracket. Its 28 kWh/100 mi against the Civic's 34 mpg is one of the widest energy-cost gaps on the site. Pick a hybrid in the calculator to see how the answer changes.

How much does it cost to charge a Chevrolet Bolt at home in California?

At California's average residential rate of 33.6¢ a kWh, filling the Chevrolet Bolt's roughly 65 kWh battery from empty costs about $22 before charging losses. At 28 kWh per 100 miles measured at the wall, 12,000 miles a year with 20% fast charging comes to about $1,226, or 10.2¢ a mile.

How much range does a Chevrolet Bolt lose in 7 years?

At 12,000 miles a year the model here expects the battery to keep about 92% of its capacity after 7 years, so the 262-mile EPA range becomes roughly 242 miles. Heat, frequent fast charging and keeping the battery at 100% speed this up; the retention curve is an assumption you can change.

Sources

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