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EV Charging vs Gas Cost Per Mile Calculator

What a mile costs in an electric car against a gas car, on your state's electricity and gas prices, with home and public fast charging mixed in.

Updated · By Niraj Kumar · 6 sources

How the EV Charging vs Gas Cost Per Mile Calculator works

The EPA's kWh per 100 miles is measured at the wall socket, so charging losses are already in it. Multiply it by the average price you pay per kWh, mixing home charging with public fast charging, and compare with the pump price divided by the car's mpg.

EV ¢/mile = kWh/100 mi ÷ 100 × [h × home rate + (1 − h) × public rate]; gas ¢/mile = price per gallon ÷ mpg
h
Share of charging done at home
kWh/100 mi
EPA combined consumption, lower is better
mpg
EPA combined miles per gallon

Worked example

A Texas driver weighing an EV that uses 30 kWh/100 mi against a 30 mpg car, charging 80% at home at 15.9¢ and 20% at fast chargers at 48.0¢, with gas at $3.96.

  1. 1Average electricity price: 0.8 × 15.9¢ + 0.2 × 48.0¢ = 22.3¢ a kWh
  2. 2EV: 0.30 kWh × 22.3¢ = 6.7¢ a mile
  3. 3Gas: $3.96 ÷ 30 = 13.2¢ a mile

Over 12,000 miles a year the EV spends about $803 on electricity against $1,584 on gas.

Frequently asked questions

Why does fast charging change the answer so much?

Public DC fast chargers typically cost around 48.0¢ a kWh, often two or three times the price of electricity at home. A driver who charges mostly at fast chargers can pay as much per mile as a 35-40 mpg hybrid, while one who charges overnight at home pays a fraction of it.

Is there still a federal EV tax credit in 2026?

No. The $7,500 new clean vehicle credit and the used EV credit ended for vehicles acquired after 30 September 2025. Some states and utilities still offer rebates, which you can enter in the calculator; the AFDC keeps a list by state.

How much does time-of-use charging save?

Most of an EV's energy can be scheduled overnight, so a plan with a cheap window cuts the price of every home-charged mile. In California, for example, SDG&E's EV-TOU-5 charges 13.1¢ a kWh overnight against a state average above 33¢. The calculator shows the saving against your state's average rate. See the cost per mile calculator for just the fuel side.

Sources

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