- Compared with a gas vehicle in the same class, an EV driver saves $3,257 to $5,922 in fuel over 5 years at 12,000 miles a year, depending on vehicle class.
- At the national average electricity rate, an EV with the median model year 2024 rating (38.4 kWh per 100 miles) costs about $0.063 per mile to fuel versus $0.114 per mile for a 27.2 MPG gas car, 44% less.
- Savings are largest in states with low electricity rates and high gas prices: among six states shown, from −$210 over 5 years in Massachusetts to $6,373 in Washington.
- Savings scale with mileage: a 15,000 mile a year driver saves $1,265 more over 5 years than a 10,000 mile a year driver.
01 Cost per Mile: EV vs Gas
The fuel cost comparison between EVs and gas cars starts with cost per mile. For gas vehicles this is the price per gallon divided by MPG. For EVs it is the electricity price per kWh multiplied by the vehicle's kWh per 100 miles, divided by 100.
| Metric | Gas Vehicle | Electric Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | 27.2 MPG (average new vehicle) | 38.4 kWh/100 mi (median MY2024 EV) |
| Energy price | $3.10/gallon (2025) | $0.165/kWh (2024 national avg) |
| Cost per mile | $0.114 | $0.063 |
| Annual cost (12,000 mi) | $1,366 | $759 |
| Annual savings (EV) | n/a | $607 |
At national average rates an EV costs 44% less per mile to fuel than the average gas vehicle, roughly $607 a year at 12,000 miles.
02 Five-Year Savings by Vehicle Class
Savings depend on the gas vehicle being replaced. Replacing a less efficient gas SUV or truck yields larger savings than replacing an efficient sedan. Each row compares the class-average gas vehicle with the class-average EV.
EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide (vehicles.csv): gasoline MPG is the unweighted mean of comb08 of conventional gasoline vehicles (hybrids, plug-in hybrids and flex-fuel excluded) for model years 2024–2025; EV kWh per 100 miles is the mean of combE for model years 2022–2026, by EPA vehicle class| Comparison | Gas MPG | EV kWh/100 mi | Gas Cost/yr | EV Cost/yr | Annual Savings | 5-Year Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compact car vs EV | 26.2 | 38.7 | $1,417 | $765 | $651 | $3,257 |
| Midsize car vs EV | 26.0 | 34.1 | $1,428 | $674 | $755 | $3,773 |
| Small SUV/crossover vs EV | 24.4 | 33.6 | $1,526 | $664 | $862 | $4,308 |
| Standard SUV vs EV | 18.6 | 41.4 | $2,003 | $818 | $1,184 | $5,922 |
| Pickup truck vs EV | 17.8 | 47.3 | $2,086 | $936 | $1,150 | $5,752 |
The five-year savings range from roughly $3,257 for compact car replacements to $5,922 for standard SUV replacements. The gasoline comparison is conventional (non-hybrid) gasoline vehicles, so hybrids and plug-in hybrids are not in the gas MPG figures.
Estimate your vehicle's driving cost using official EPA fuel economy data.
Use the Calculator03 Savings Vary by State
Both electricity rates and gas prices vary by state. The states below are the ones where the EIA publishes weekly state-level gasoline prices in this site's source data; the table uses each state's 2025 average gasoline price and 2024 residential electricity rate with the national-median EV and a 27.2 MPG gas car.
EIA-861 Table 5A (2024 residential electricity rates by state); EIA weekly state-level Regular All Formulations retail gasoline prices (2025 annual average of weekly prices)| State | Electricity Rate | Gas Price | EV Annual Savings | 5-Year Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $0.119/kWh | $4.13 | $1,275 | $6,373 |
| Florida | $0.141/kWh | $2.96 | $653 | $3,265 |
| Texas | $0.149/kWh | $2.66 | $485 | $2,427 |
| California | $0.320/kWh | $4.41 | $473 | $2,363 |
| New York | $0.244/kWh | $3.06 | $223 | $1,113 |
| Massachusetts | $0.293/kWh | $2.97 | −$42 | −$210 |
Washington has the highest EV savings in this sample, from a low electricity rate ($0.119/kWh) combined with a high gas price ($4.13). Massachusetts has the smallest, with $0.293/kWh electricity and $2.97 gas. For a full 50-state ranking, see our EV charging cost by state article.
04 How Driving Distance Affects Savings
Fuel savings scale directly with miles driven, because the per-mile savings apply to every additional mile.
Calculated from the per-mile cost differential applied to various annual mileage levels| Annual Miles | Gas Cost (27.2 MPG) | EV Cost | Annual Savings | 5-Year Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,000 | $911 | $506 | $405 | $2,024 |
| 10,000 | $1,139 | $633 | $506 | $2,530 |
| 12,000 | $1,366 | $759 | $607 | $3,036 |
| 15,000 | $1,708 | $949 | $759 | $3,794 |
| 20,000 | $2,277 | $1,265 | $1,012 | $5,059 |
A 20,000 mile a year driver saves $5,059 in fuel over 5 years, 2.5 times the savings of an 8,000 mile a year driver ($2,024). This compares fuel cost only; it does not cover purchase price, charging away from home, maintenance or depreciation.
05 Data Sources
- EPA/DOE: Fuel Economy Guide (vehicles.csv), EV energy use and gasoline MPG. fueleconomy.gov
- EIA: Form EIA-861 Annual Electric Power Industry Report, Table 5A, Average Monthly Bill, Residential (2024). eia.gov/electricity
- EIA: Annual and weekly retail gasoline prices, national and state-level. eia.gov
- EPA: The 2025 Automotive Trends Report (EPA-420-R-26-001). epa.gov/automotive-trends