What This Calculator Does
The EV vs Gas Cost Comparison Calculator shows how much money you can save by driving an electric vehicle instead of a gasoline car over a given distance. It converts your mileage into both gallons of gas and kilowatt-hours of electricity, multiplies each by its price, and reports the difference as your savings.
How to Use It
Enter the miles you drive (per trip, month, or year), the gas car's fuel economy in miles per gallon (MPG), and the local gas price per gallon. Then enter your EV's efficiency in miles per kilowatt-hour (mi/kWh) and your electricity price per kWh. The calculator returns your gas cost, EV charging cost, and net savings.
The Formula Explained
Gas cost equals miles divided by MPG, multiplied by the price per gallon. EV cost equals miles divided by efficiency (mi/kWh), multiplied by the price per kWh. Savings is simply gas cost minus EV cost. A positive number means electric is cheaper; a negative number means gas is cheaper for your inputs.
$$\text{Savings} = \left(\frac{\text{Miles}}{\text{MPG}} \times \text{Gas Price}\right) - \left(\frac{\text{Miles}}{\text{mi/kWh}} \times \text{Elec Price}\right)$$
Worked Example
Drive 1,000 miles. A gas car at 25 MPG uses 40 gallons; at $3.50/gallon that's $140. An EV at 3.5 mi/kWh uses about 285.7 kWh; at $0.15/kWh that's about $42.86. Savings = \($140 - $42.86 = \) about $97.14 over those 1,000 miles.
$$\text{Savings} = \$140 - \$42.86 \approx \$97.14$$
FAQ
What is a typical EV efficiency? Most EVs achieve 3 to 4 mi/kWh; larger trucks and SUVs may be 2 to 2.5 mi/kWh.
Does this include charging losses? No. To account for charger inefficiency, lower your mi/kWh figure by roughly 10–15%.
Can I use it for yearly savings? Yes—just enter your annual miles to see annual savings.
