What we do
Gas vs EV Calculator is a free online tool that compares what it really costs to fuel a gasoline car versus charge an electric one. Enter your annual mileage, the gas car's MPG and your local gas price, and the EV's efficiency and your electricity rate — and it shows the yearly cost of each, the cost per mile, the annual savings, and the five-year difference.
Because it works in cost per mile, it makes a fair comparison out of two things that are normally measured in completely different units.
Why we built it
"Are electric cars actually cheaper to run?" is one of the most common questions car shoppers ask — and the honest answer is "it depends on your prices and your mileage." Generic national averages don't help much. We built this tool so you can plug in your own numbers and get a personal answer in seconds.
How our numbers work
For the gas car, we divide your annual miles by its MPG to find gallons used, then multiply by your price per gallon. For the EV, we divide annual miles by its efficiency in miles per kWh to find the electricity used, then multiply by your price per kWh. We compare fuel and charging costs only — not purchase price, incentives, insurance, or maintenance — so the numbers are estimates for planning.
Free and ad-supported
This tool is completely free. We keep it that way through advertising and never charge for calculations or hide features behind a paywall. We do not require an account and we do not sell your information — see our Privacy Policy for details. Questions or feedback? Visit our Contact page.