← Guides · November 9, 2026
Is an EV Cheaper Than Gas? A 12,000-Mile Example
Drive 12,000 miles a year. A 30 mpg gas car at $3.40 a gallon burns $1,360 of fuel, plus $1,200 maintenance at $0.10 a mile: $2,560.
An EV using 0.30 kWh per mile charged 80% at home ($0.17) and 20% at fast chargers ($0.45) spends about $814 on power plus $720 maintenance: $1,534.
- Yearly savings: about $1,026
- An $8,000 premium repays in about 7.8 years
- Net after 6 years: about minus $1,842
Charging changes everything
Flip the mix to 80% public charging and EV energy cost jumps to roughly $2,138 a year including maintenance, cutting savings to about $422.
The EV wins clearly when you charge at home, drive more miles, or the premium is small. Check your case in the calculator.