Electric Vehicle Savings Calculator
Compare an electric vehicle with a gasoline vehicle using your annual driving, efficiency, energy prices, maintenance and upfront costs. The result shows operating savings and a simple break-even estimate.
| Annual comparison | Electric vehicle | Gasoline vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Energy or fuel | ||
| Energy or fuel cost | ||
| Maintenance entered | ||
| Total operating cost |
Planning estimate: Efficiency, energy prices and maintenance vary. Purchase incentives, financing, depreciation, insurance, taxes, repairs, battery degradation, public-charging fees and resale value are excluded unless reflected in your inputs.
How the EV savings calculation works
For US customary inputs, annual EV energy equals miles divided by miles per kWh, while gasoline use equals miles divided by US mpg. For metric inputs, EV energy equals kilometers multiplied by kWh per 100 km and divided by 100; gasoline use uses the same relationship with liters per 100 km.
Annual operating savings = gasoline fuel cost + gasoline maintenance − EV electricity cost − EV maintenance. Upfront difference = EV price difference + charger cost. Net savings at the selected horizon = annual operating savings × years − upfront difference. Simple break-even divides the upfront difference by annual operating savings when savings are positive.
Checked example
At 12,000 miles per year, 3.5 mi/kWh and $0.18/kWh, an EV uses about 3,428.57 kWh and costs $617.14 in electricity. A 30 mpg gasoline vehicle at $3.50 per gallon uses 400 gallons and costs $1,400. With $300 EV maintenance and $600 gasoline maintenance, operating savings are $1,082.86 per year. A $3,000 price difference plus a $1,000 charger gives a simple break-even of about 3.69 years and net five-year savings of about $1,414.29.
Limits of the comparison
The model holds annual distance, efficiency, prices and maintenance constant. Cold weather, speed, towing, cabin heating, charging losses and public fast charging can change EV consumption and price. Traffic, load and driving style can change gasoline economy. Enter annual averages that reflect your use and compare like-for-like vehicles.
Related tools: EV Charging Cost Calculator for one charging session and Electricity Cost Calculator for a load inventory.
Use observed gasoline efficiency: Calculate real MPG from odometer readings and fuel added with the Gas Mileage Calculator, then use that value in this EV comparison.