Cheapest Cars to Fuel
The 2025 Lucid Air leads at 500 $/yr, followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 6 at 550 $/yr.
Annual fuel cost bundles fuel economy and fuel type into one number. An electric vehicle with modest efficiency can still beat a high-MPG hybrid here, because electricity per mile usually costs less than gasoline.
| # | Vehicle | Annual fuel cost | City / Hwy | Fuel cost/yr | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 Lucid Air | 500 $/yr | 149 / 142 | $500 | Electricity |
| 2 | 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 | 550 $/yr | 153 / 127 | $550 | Electricity |
| 3 | 2021 Hyundai Ioniq | 550 $/yr | 145 / 121 | $550 | Electricity |
| 4 | 2022 Tesla Model 3 | 550 $/yr | 138 / 126 | $550 | Electricity |
| 5 | 2026 Tesla Model Y | 550 $/yr | 148 / 129 | $550 | Electricity |
| 6 | 2026 Toyota bZ | 550 $/yr | 143 / 119 | $550 | Electricity |
| 7 | 2023 Hyundai Kona | 600 $/yr | 134 / 106 | $600 | Electricity |
| 8 | 2026 Lexus ES | 600 $/yr | 135 / 118 | $600 | Electricity |
| 9 | 2024 Lexus RZ | 600 $/yr | 137 / 112 | $600 | Electricity |
| 10 | 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class | 600 $/yr | 127 / 124 | $600 | Electricity |
| 11 | 2024 Tesla Model S | 600 $/yr | 127 / 116 | $600 | Electricity |
| 12 | 2026 Subaru Uncharted | 600 $/yr | 140 / 118 | $600 | Electricity |
| 13 | 2027 Audi A6 e-tron | 600 $/yr | 134 / 120 | $600 | Electricity |
| 14 | 2025 Audi Q4 e-tron | 650 $/yr | 125 / 104 | $650 | Electricity |
| 15 | 2024 BMW i4 | 650 $/yr | 122 / 119 | $650 | Electricity |
| 16 | 2027 BMW i5 | 650 $/yr | 120 / 113 | $650 | Electricity |
| 17 | 2020 BMW i3 | 650 $/yr | 124 / 102 | $650 | Electricity |
| 18 | 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV | 650 $/yr | 131 / 109 | $650 | Electricity |
| 19 | 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 650 $/yr | 131 / 100 | $650 | Electricity |
| 20 | 2024 Kia EV6 | 650 $/yr | 134 / 101 | $650 | Electricity |
| 21 | 2020 Kia Soul | 650 $/yr | 127 / 101 | $650 | Electricity |
| 22 | 2023 Kia Niro | 650 $/yr | 126 / 101 | $650 | Electricity |
| 23 | 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV | 650 $/yr | 125 / 104 | $650 | Electricity |
| 24 | 2026 Nissan LEAF | 650 $/yr | 131 / 111 | $650 | Electricity |
| 25 | 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 | 650 $/yr | 122 / 104 | $650 | Electricity |
Source: EPA fuel economy test data via fueleconomy.gov, model years 2020 and later. One row per model, using its best-performing configuration.
How the annual fuel cost figures compare
Across the 25 vehicles ranked here, annual fuel cost runs from 650 $/yr for the 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 up to 500 $/yr for the 2025 Lucid Air — a spread of -150 $/yr, or about -23% between the bottom and top of the list. The midpoint sits at 600 $/yr, so anything above that figure is in the upper half of what this dataset covers.
Hyundai places 4 models on the list, the most of any brand, ahead of Tesla with 3 and BMW with 3. In total 13 manufacturers are represented, which is a useful read on how widely this level of annual fuel cost is available rather than being confined to a single badge.
Estimated annual fuel cost across these entries ranges from $500 to $650 on the EPA's standard 15,000-mile driving assumption — a difference of $150 a year, or roughly $750 over a typical five-year ownership period. Read the ranking column alongside that figure: the highest-rated vehicle is not automatically the cheapest to run once fuel type and tank size differ.
What this list doesn't tell you
The EPA calculates this at 15,000 miles a year using national average fuel and electricity prices. Your figure scales directly with your annual mileage and local prices.