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Nissan Leaf vs Honda Civic Cost of Ownership

The 2026 Nissan Leaf against a Honda Civic: a budget EV's 7-year cost of ownership next to a compact gas car's.

Updated · By Niraj Kumar · 6 sources

The cars

$

2026 S+ 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 $1,750The EV does not catch up within 7 years

The Nissan Leaf costs 9.5¢ a mile to charge, against 18.2¢ a mile in gas for the Honda Civic.

Nissan Leaf, total cost
$55,673
66.3¢ a mile, all in
Honda Civic, total cost
$53,923
64.2¢ a mile, all in
EV price premium repaid
6.8 years
from running savings, before resale
Battery at the end
92%
about 279 of 303 miles of range
CO₂ avoided
13.8 tonnes
at the US grid average
Cost of ownership if sold at the end of each yearNissan LeafHonda Civic
$0$20 K$40 K$60 K$55.67 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 6.801234567
Where the money goes over 7 years
CostNissan LeafHonda Civic
Purchase less resale$24,301$15,071
Charging or gas$8,684$16,242
Maintenance$5,040$7,560
Insurance$16,800$15,050
EV registration fees$847$0
Total$55,673$53,923
Year-by-year costs and battery healthShow
YearChargingGasBatteryRangeEV cost to dateGas car cost to date
1$1,138$2,18598%296 mi$16,985$11,349
2$1,174$2,22896%292 mi$24,998$19,030
3$1,207$2,27395%289 mi$31,845$26,261
4$1,240$2,31895%287 mi$38,125$33,292
5$1,274$2,36594%284 mi$44,140$40,121
6$1,308$2,41293%282 mi$49,888$46,998
7$1,344$2,46092%279 mi$55,673$53,923

How the Nissan Leaf 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 Nissan Leaf 2026 S+ ($29,990) 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 26 kWh/100 mi the Nissan Leaf costs 9.5¢ a mile; at 34 mpg and $6.19 a gallon the Honda Civic costs 18.2¢ a mile
  3. 3Buying costs $34,198 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 $9,897 and $11,854

Over 7 years the Nissan Leaf costs $55,673 to own and the Honda Civic $53,923, so the gas car comes out $1,750 cheaper at these assumptions.

Frequently asked questions

Which budget EV is cheaper to run, the Leaf or the Bolt?

On energy, the Leaf: the EPA rates it at 26 kWh per 100 miles against the Bolt's 28, so it uses about 7% less electricity. The Bolt is $995 cheaper to buy. Over seven years the two land close together; use the calculator with your own charging mix to split them.

How much more does the Nissan Leaf cost upfront than the Honda Civic?

Paid in cash in California, the Nissan Leaf 2026 S+ costs $34,198 on day one with sales tax and a home charger, against $26,925 for the Honda Civic LX sedan, $7,273 more. Charging then costs about $1,138 a year against $2,185 in gas at 12,000 miles, a difference of $1,046 a year before maintenance and insurance.

Sources

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