This EV savings calculator runs the honest electric-vs-gas comparison: fuel cost per mile for both cars, annual savings at your mileage, and the CO₂ difference — with gas price, electricity price and efficiency all adjustable.
Fuel only — EVs also typically skip oil changes, belts and most brake work (regenerative braking), while insurance and tires can run higher. CO₂ uses 8.887 kg per gallon of gasoline and 0.386 kg per kWh of grid electricity (US averages).
The Per-Mile Truth Table
Fuel cost is a per-mile story: gas = price ÷ mpg; electric = kWh-per-mile × rate. At the defaults, gasoline costs 12.0¢ per mile and electricity 4.8¢ — a gap that quietly compounds over every mile of ownership. Your own gas car’s true economy may differ from its sticker (measure it with our MPG Calculator); charging at home overnight, ideally on off-peak rates, is where the EV advantage lives — public fast-charging prices can halve it. Part of our Ecology Calculators collection.
Worked Example (Verified)
30 mpg gas car vs 0.30 kWh/mi EV, $3.60/gal, $0.16/kWh, 12,000 miles/year:
- Fuel: gas $1,440/yr vs EV $576/yr → save $864 per year (≈ $7,800 over a 9-year ownership before maintenance differences)
- CO₂: gas 3.55 t vs EV 1.39 t → 2.17 t saved annually on today’s average grid; on a clean grid the EV figure approaches tire-and-road wear trivia
- Breakeven thinking: at these rates, every $1,000 of EV price premium pays back in ~14 months of fuel savings
What Else Belongs in the Real Comparison
- Home charging install: a Level 2 circuit runs ~$500–1,500 once — amortize it over the first year or two of savings.
- Maintenance: no oil, fewer brake pads, no exhaust/timing belt — independent analyses put lifetime maintenance savings in the $4,000+ range, partly offset by faster tire wear on heavier, torque-rich EVs.
- Battery longevity: modern packs commonly retain 85–92% capacity at 150k miles; degradation is a slope, not a cliff.
- Resale & incentives move with policy and market — treat them as upside, not spreadsheet foundations.
Related Tools
- Carbon Footprint Calculator — the full household picture
- MPG Calculator — your gas car’s honest number
- Ecology Calculators — the full collection
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you save with an EV per year?
At typical US prices (defaults here): ~$864/year in fuel alone at 12,000 miles, before maintenance savings. High-mileage drivers and high-gas-price states save multiples of that; low-mileage drivers on expensive electricity save least.
What does it cost to charge an EV at home?
Consumption × your rate: a 60 kWh full charge at $0.16/kWh costs $9.60 for roughly 200 miles — about a third of the equivalent gasoline. Off-peak rates can cut it further.
Are EVs really lower-carbon if the grid uses coal?
On even the dirtiest grids, efficient EVs generally beat comparable gasoline cars per mile because electric drivetrains convert ~85–90% of energy to motion versus ~25–30% for combustion — and grids keep cleaning while a gas car’s emissions never improve.
What is a typical EV’s kWh per mile?
0.25–0.35 kWh/mi for most cars (equivalently 100–135 MPGe); large trucks/SUVs run 0.40+. Your window sticker’s MPGe converts as kWh/mi = 33.7 ÷ MPGe.
Does cold weather change the math?
Yes — EV consumption can rise 20–40% in deep cold (cabin heat plus battery chemistry), and gasoline cars lose efficiency too (~10–20% on short trips). Annual averages smooth most of it; northern drivers should test the winter scenario with the consumption input.
Is this EV savings calculator free?
Yes — free, instant, no sign-up.