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Chevrolet Bolt vs Honda Civic Cost of Ownership

The $28,995 Chevrolet Bolt against a Honda Civic: whether America's cheapest EV costs less to own than a compact gas car.

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 vs Honda Civic Cost of Ownership 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

How much more does the Bolt cost than a Civic?

About $4,300 at list prices: $28,995 for the 2027 Bolt LT against $24,695 for a Civic LX sedan. Add the home charger and state EV registration fee, and the question is whether the Bolt's much lower cost per mile repays that within the years you keep it.

How much more does the Chevrolet Bolt cost upfront than the Honda Civic?

Paid in cash in California, the Chevrolet Bolt 2027 LT costs $33,113 on day one with sales tax and a home charger, against $26,925 for the Honda Civic LX sedan, $6,188 more. Charging then costs about $1,226 a year against $2,185 in gas at 12,000 miles, a difference of $959 a year before maintenance and insurance.

Sources

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