# EV vs Gas Savings Calculator Compare gasoline costs with electric vehicle charging rates across various mileages to see how much you could save by switching to an EV. --- - **Canonical URL:** https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/ev-vs-gas-calculator - **Category:** Eco & Sustainability - **Publisher:** Do The Calculation (https://dothecalculation.com) - **Cost:** Free, no account or sign-up required - **Privacy:** Runs entirely in the browser; inputs are never sent to a server - **Methodology:** https://dothecalculation.com/methodology - **Reviewed by:** Dr. Olivia Martinez, PhD, PhD in Sustainable Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology (https://dothecalculation.com/about/team/olivia-martinez) --- ## Compare gas expenses to electric charging Estimate annual fuel and charging costs from mileage, fuel economy, electricity rates, and EV efficiency. - Annual operating cost comparison - Gasoline vs charging math - Monthly savings equivalent ## Comparing energy cost per mile The cleanest way to compare a gasoline vehicle to an electric vehicle is to convert both into energy cost per mile. Gasoline vehicles consume gallons over distance, while EVs consume kilowatt-hours over distance. Once both are translated into annual operating cost using mileage, a direct comparison becomes possible. ## The EV versus gas formulas The gasoline operating cost is: $$\text{Gas Cost} = \frac{\text{Annual Miles}}{\text{MPG}} \times \text{Gas Price per Gallon}$$ The EV charging cost is: $$\text{EV Cost} = \text{Annual Miles} \times \text{kWh per Mile} \times \text{Electricity Rate}$$ Annual savings are then: $$\text{Savings} = \text{Gas Cost} - \text{EV Cost}$$ This comparison isolates fuel or energy expense only. It does not automatically include insurance, financing, depreciation, or maintenance differences unless they are modeled separately. ## Why mileage changes everything The more you drive, the more important per-mile energy economics become. A driver covering 20,000 miles per year experiences much larger fuel savings from efficiency improvements than a driver covering 6,000 miles. This is why high-mileage commuters often feel EV operating savings more strongly than low-mileage drivers. ## Charging assumptions and real-world caution Home charging rates, public fast-charging premiums, seasonal range changes, and battery efficiency all affect real-world EV cost. Likewise, gas price volatility affects combustion-vehicle budgeting. This calculator is strongest as a scenario planner: it helps users test assumptions rather than promising one fixed result. It is worth running the numbers at a few different electricity rates and gas prices rather than a single snapshot, since both inputs can swing meaningfully by season and by region — a household paying off-peak overnight charging rates will see a very different result than one paying a flat residential rate. ## How to Use This Calculator Enter your annual mileage, local gas price and your vehicle's MPG, then your home electricity rate and the EV's efficiency in kWh per mile. The calculator returns the annual cost of each option and the dollar savings from driving electric instead of gas. ## Worked Example: 15,000 Miles a Year At 15,000 annual miles, $3.50/gallon gas, a 30 MPG car, $0.15/kWh electricity, and an EV efficiency of 0.3 kWh/mile: the gas vehicle costs (15,000 / 30) × $3.50 = $1,750 a year to fuel, while the EV costs 15,000 × 0.3 × $0.15 = $675 a year to charge. That is a savings of $1,075 a year, or about $90 a month, from energy cost alone — before factoring in any difference in maintenance, insurance, or purchase price between the two vehicles. ## Related Calculators See the same trip priced out for a gas vehicle alone with the [fuel cost calculator](/calculators/fuel-cost-calculator), or roll these savings into your full household emissions with the [carbon footprint calculator](/calculators/carbon-footprint-calculator). For a deeper breakdown of the charging-cost side alone — home versus public rates, and the charging loss this calculator's per-mile figure already folds in — see the [EV charging cost calculator](/calculators/ev-charging-cost-calculator). For an even cheaper alternative on shorter trips, the [e-bike vs car savings calculator](/calculators/ebike-vs-car-savings-calculator) compares car costs against e-bike riding instead of another vehicle. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I compare EV and gas cost per year? Estimate annual gasoline cost and annual EV charging cost from mileage and efficiency, then subtract the two. ### Why is annual mileage so important? Because the more miles driven, the larger the effect of per-mile operating cost differences. ### What is kWh per mile? It is the amount of electrical energy an EV consumes for each mile driven. ### Does this include maintenance savings? No. This calculator focuses on energy cost only unless maintenance is modeled separately. ### Can public fast charging make EVs less cheap? Yes. Frequent DC fast charging at premium rates can reduce or erase part of the home-charging savings advantage. ### Why is gasoline comparison based on MPG? Because miles per gallon is the standard efficiency denominator for combustion vehicles. ### Can higher electricity rates reduce EV savings? Yes. Rising utility prices shrink the gap between gasoline and electric operating cost, though EVs may still remain cheaper. ### Do cold temperatures affect EV cost? Yes. Cold weather can reduce battery efficiency and increase energy use per mile. ### Why is this not a total cost of ownership calculator? Because it isolates operating energy cost only. Purchase price, depreciation, maintenance, and insurance need separate modeling. ### Should I compare monthly as well as annual savings? Yes. Monthly savings often make budgeting implications easier to understand even when annual totals are the strategic view. ## Related concepts - **Cost per mile** — The operating energy cost required to move a vehicle one mile. - **kWh per mile** — A vehicle-efficiency measure for electric vehicles. - **MPG** — Miles per gallon, the standard fuel-efficiency metric for combustion vehicles. ## Related guides - [EV vs Gas Savings: Compare Fuel Cost, Charging Cost, and Annual Savings](https://dothecalculation.com/blog/green/electric-vehicle-savings-analysis) — Compare electric vehicle charging cost with gasoline fuel cost using annual mileage, gas price, MPG, electricity rate, and EV kWh per mile. ## Related calculators - [EV Charging Cost Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/ev-charging-cost-calculator) — Calculate your real annual EV charging cost split between home and public charging, including charging loss. - [Water Conservation Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/water-conservation-calculator) — Calculate water volume and utility bill savings from installing low-flow fixture upgrades to see how much water and money you could save. - [Water Heater Efficiency & Lifetime Cost Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/water-heater-efficiency-calculator) — Compare standard electric, gas, and hybrid heat pump water heaters to evaluate lifetime operating costs, payback, and carbon footprints. - [AI Tokens & Cost Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/ai-tokens-calculator) — Estimate tokens, simulate prompt caching savings, compare API costs across leading LLM models, and calculate multi-turn chat context growth. - [Appliance Energy Cost Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/appliance-energy-calculator) — Calculate power costs for home appliances based on wattage, usage hours, and local utility rates to find your biggest energy expenses. - [Carbon Offset Cost Comparison Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/carbon-offset-cost-comparison-calculator) — Compare the annual cost to offset your footprint across renewable energy, reforestation, and direct air capture credits. --- _This calculator is for educational and planning purposes. Savings and emissions estimates depend on regional utility rates, climate conditions, appliance efficiency, fuel composition, and behavioral usage patterns. Always verify major retrofit or energy-transition decisions with local providers and technical installers._ --- _Source: [Do The Calculation](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/ev-vs-gas-calculator). Quote freely with attribution and a link to this page._