Gas vs Electric Car Cost Calculator (5-Year TCO)
Total cost of ownership = purchase price − incentives − resale value + fuel or charging + maintenance + insurance over the years you keep the car. A $35,000 gas car at 30 MPG and 15,000 miles a year typically costs about $1,700 a year to fuel, while an equivalent EV at 3.5 mi/kWh and $0.16/kWh costs about $690 — roughly $5,000 saved over five years before maintenance and incentives.
Gas car
Electric car
| Cost over 5 years | Gas | EV |
|---|---|---|
| Net purchase price (after incentives) | $35,000.00 | $34,500.00 |
| Fuel / electricity (5 yr) | $8,500.00 | $3,428.57 |
| Maintenance (5 yr) | $6,000.00 | $3,000.00 |
| Insurance (5 yr) | $8,500.00 | $10,000.00 |
| Resale value recovered | -$15,000.00 | -$18,000.00 |
| Total cost of ownership | $43,000.00 | $32,928.57 |
Over 5 years and 75,000 miles, the EV costs about $10,071.43 less to own — roughly $2,014.29 a year.
Running costs: $4,600.00 a year for the gas car vs $3,285.71 for the EV, a saving of $1,314.29 a year. The EV also costs less upfront after incentives, so it's ahead from day one.
Estimates only. Charging at public DC fast chargers costs far more per kWh than home charging, and insurance, incentives and resale values vary widely by state and model.
How to use the gas vs ev cost calculator
Enter your own numbers in the fields above and the result updates instantly — there is no submit step, no account, and no data leaves your browser. Everything is computed client-side from the values you type, so you can try several scenarios back to back and compare the outcomes without reloading the page.
For the most realistic result, use figures that reflect how you actually drive rather than best-case numbers. Fuel prices vary by state and by season, annual mileage is usually higher than people estimate, and EPA combined MPG is a laboratory rating that most drivers fall roughly 10-15% short of in mixed real-world use — more in cold weather, heavy traffic, or at sustained highway speeds. Running the calculation twice, once with optimistic inputs and once with conservative ones, gives you a realistic range instead of a single misleading number.
Treat the output as a planning estimate, not a quote. It does not include insurance, registration, financing interest, depreciation, or unscheduled repairs, all of which can move total ownership cost more than fuel does over a five-year window.
Frequently asked questions
How does the gas vs ev cost calculator work?
Total cost of ownership = purchase price − incentives − resale value + fuel or charging + maintenance + insurance over the years you keep the car. A $35,000 gas car at 30 MPG and 15,000 miles a year typically costs about $1,700 a year to fuel, while an equivalent EV at 3.5 mi/kWh and $0.16/kWh costs about $690 — roughly $5,000 saved over five years before maintenance and incentives.
Are EVs really cheaper to maintain?
Generally yes. EVs have no oil changes, spark plugs, timing belts, exhaust or transmission fluid, and regenerative braking makes brake pads last far longer. Tires wear faster because of the extra weight and instant torque, so budget slightly more there.
Does the federal EV tax credit apply to my car?
The credit depends on the model year, where the vehicle and battery were assembled, the purchase price cap and your income. Enter whatever incentive you actually qualify for in the incentives field rather than assuming the full amount.
What about depreciation?
Resale value is often the single largest ownership cost, larger than fuel. The calculator subtracts the value you expect to recover when you sell, so a car that holds its value can beat a cheaper car that doesn't.
How many miles until an EV breaks even?
Divide the extra upfront cost (EV price minus incentives, minus the gas car's price) by the annual savings in fuel and maintenance. Most mainstream EVs break even somewhere between 3 and 7 years of average driving.
Is it free?
Yes. The calculator runs entirely in your browser, needs no sign-up, and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
Where can I find my vehicle's specs?
Look it up on its AutoSpecData model page — every figure comes from official manufacturer and EPA data, broken out by year, engine and drivetrain.
Don't know your MPG?
Every vehicle on AutoSpecData lists its official EPA city, highway and combined ratings year by year. Search your vehicle or start from the fuel economy rankings.