The Full Cost

EV vs Gas: The Full Cost Compared

Over the years you'd keep the car, does an EV actually cost less than a comparable gas car? Enter your numbers for the full cost of each — purchase, fuel or charging, maintenance, and resale at the end — the year the cheaper path flips, and what's driving it. The honest answer in 2026 is often "it depends on how far you drive."

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How long, and how far

These two move the result more than anything else — mileage especially.

How long you'll realistically keep the car. The break-even can land after this.
1 yr10 yrs
The single biggest lever: more miles favors the EV (cheaper per mile to fuel). Default is the U.S. average (FHWA).
3,00030,000
Gas car
The gas option

A comparable gas car. The price defaults to the fleet average — edit it to your actual model.

Negotiated price. Default = new-vehicle average transaction price (KBB/Cox, Feb 2026) — edit to your model.
$15k$120k
Real-world combined economy. Default ≈ EPA new-vehicle average (Automotive Trends, 2024).
1255
Dated snapshot — EIA U.S. average, June 2026. This one is volatile; set it to your local price.
$2.00$7.00
Service, repairs, tires. Default ≈ 6¢/mile at the default mileage (Consumer Reports).
$200$3,000
Auto-filled from a typical gas depreciation curve (iSeeCars 2026, ~58% retained at 5yr). Adjust if your model holds value unusually.
$0$120k
Electric
The EV option

A comparable EV. Price defaults to the EV fleet average — edit to your actual model.

Negotiated price (before any credit). Default = EV average transaction price (KBB/Cox, Apr 2026) — edit to your model.
$20k$120k
EPA from-wall figure — it already includes ~10–15% charging losses. If you enter your dashboard number (which excludes them), it reads higher, so adjust down.
1.55.0
Your home rate. Default = EIA U.S. residential average (Feb 2026). Public DC fast-charging costs more.
$0.05$0.45
Lower than gas — no oil, fewer brakes. Default ≈ 3¢/mile at the default mileage (Consumer Reports).
$100$2,000
Auto-filled from a steeper EV curve (iSeeCars 2026, ~43% retained at 5yr — EVs depreciate more). Adjust for your model.
$0$120k
Default $0: the federal new-EV credit (30D) expired for purchases after Sept 30, 2025 (IRS / OBBBA). Set a value only if you qualify under the pre-deadline rules or a future program.
Any state, local, or utility rebate that applies to you. Default $0.
Uncertain — your call. Most warranties cover 8 years / 100k miles, and many packs outlast the car; leave $0 unless you want to model a specific out-of-warranty replacement.
If you entered a battery cost above, the year it lands. Default year 8.

The 10-year picture

Net cost on each path at the end of every year — everything you've paid (purchase, fuel or charging, maintenance) minus what the car is worth at resale. The lower number is cheaper; the highlighted row is where the cheaper path flips.

YearCost: gasCost: EVDifferenceCheaper

What's driving the cost

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    How this is calculated: each figure is net cost over your holding period — everything you pay (purchase, fuel or charging, maintenance, and any battery replacement) minus what the car is worth at the end. Resale is taken on the car's gross price (a federal credit lowers what you paid, not what the car later sells for). The two depreciation curves are modeled, anchored to iSeeCars 2026 five-year data — gas keeps ~58% of value at five years, the EV ~43%, because EVs depreciate faster; both are editable. The horizon stops at 10 years because measured EV resale beyond that is too thin to model honestly. The EV's 3.5 mi/kWh is the EPA from-wall efficiency, which already accounts for ~10–15% AC charging losses (EPA Level 2 testing protocol); if you enter your dashboard/trip-computer efficiency instead, it reads higher because it excludes those losses — adjust down accordingly. Vehicle prices default to fleet average transaction prices (KBB/Cox) and are meant to be replaced with your actual models; the gas price is a dated EIA snapshot and is volatile; the federal credit defaults to $0 because the 30D new-EV credit expired for purchases after Sept 30, 2025 (IRS / OBBBA). Default figures current as of June 2026. These are transparent assumptions, not forecasts — adjust them to your situation. Not financial advice.

    Going deeper