Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator
Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator. Compare fuel and charging expenses. Enter your values and view the result.
Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator
Compare fuel and charging expenses.
Use the calculation engine below to model your exact costs with custom fuel prices, distances, and vehicle efficiencies:
Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator: inputs
Adjust sliders or enter exact figures
Monthly Fuel Budget
Real-Time Visual Breakdown
Comparing your expense against alternative vehicle classes
Price Fluctuation Stress Test
See how unexpected gas price surges would impact your monthly budget
How Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator Works
This tool works by pricing the same distance in a gasoline car at the pump price and in an electric vehicle (EV) at the electricity rate, then comparing the 2 totals.
- Step 1
Enter annual distance
Type the yearly distance in miles or kilometers.
- Step 2
Enter the gasoline car data
Add the gas car MPG and the price per gallon.
- Step 3
Enter the EV data
Add EV efficiency in miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh), charging efficiency, and the price per kWh.
- Step 4
Compare fuel and charging
The calculator shows gas cost, charging cost, the yearly saving, and cost per mile for each vehicle.
Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator Formula
The formula compares gallons × gas price with kWh × electricity price for the same distance.
Gas Cost = (Miles ÷ MPG) × Gas Price
EV Cost = (Miles ÷ Miles per kWh ÷ Charging Efficiency) × Price per kWh
Break-Even Electricity Price = Gas Cost per Mile ÷ Wall kWh per Mile
- Miles per kWh
- = EV efficiency
- Charging Efficiency
- = battery energy ÷ wall energy (0.90 in this example)
- Break-Even Electricity Price
- = rate at which the EV costs the same per mile as the gas car
Worked Example
- A driver covers 12,000 miles (19,312 km) per year.
- Gas car at 28 MPG (8.4 L/100 km) and $3.50 = 428.6 gal = $1,500.00.
- EV at 3.5 mi/kWh, 90% efficiency, $0.16/kWh = 3,809.5 kWh = $609.52.
- Yearly fuel saving with the EV = $890.48.
Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator Conversion Table
The table compares a 28 MPG gas car with an EV at 3.5 mi/kWh and $0.16 per kWh across gasoline prices.
| Gas Price / gal | Gas Cost / Mile | EV Cost / Mile | EV Saving / 12,000 mi | Break-Even kWh Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.50 | $0.089 | $0.051 | $461.90 | $0.28 |
| $3.00 | $0.107 | $0.051 | $676.19 | $0.34 |
| $3.50 | $0.125 | $0.051 | $890.48 | $0.39 |
| $4.00 | $0.143 | $0.051 | $1,104.76 | $0.45 |
| $4.50 | $0.161 | $0.051 | $1,319.05 | $0.51 |
| $5.00 | $0.179 | $0.051 | $1,533.33 | $0.56 |
The EV costs less per mile than the gas car whenever the electricity rate stays below the break-even kWh price.
What is a Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator?
A Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator is a comparison tool that weighs gasoline fuel costs against EV charging costs for the same driving.
Gas cars buy energy by the gallon and EVs buy energy by the kWh, so their costs are hard to compare at a glance. The Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator converts both into cost per mile and cost per year. The break-even electricity price shows how high charging rates must climb before the EV loses its running-cost edge.
Home charging keeps EV running costs low. Heavy reliance on DC fast charging at $0.40 to $0.60 per kWh narrows the gap with gasoline.
What are the uses of a Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator?
There are 4 main uses of the Gas vs Electric Cost Calculator, including EV purchase decisions, charging plan reviews, and fleet electrification.
Decide on an EV
Measure yearly running-cost savings before buying.
Review charging habits
See how public charging changes the savings.
Plan fleet electrification
Rank fleet roles by EV savings potential.
Explain EV savings
Show family or managers a clear cost-per-mile comparison.