Should I enter the federal clean vehicle credit here?

Only if it actually applies to your purchase. As of April 4, 2026, IRS guidance says the new and used federal clean vehicle credits are not available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. For many current comparisons, the right federal value is therefore $0 unless you acquired the vehicle on or before that date or you are modeling some other incentive.

What if I charge partly at home and partly in public?

Use a blended electricity rate that reflects your real mix. For example, if most charging is at home but some charging is on public DC fast chargers, choose a weighted-average dollars-per-kWh value instead of using an unrealistically low home-only rate.

Why can the EV still lose over five years even though electricity is cheaper than gas?

Because the route compares more than operating cost. If the EV starts with a much higher purchase price, lower energy and maintenance costs may not fully close that gap within five years, especially for lower-mileage drivers.

Does this include depreciation, insurance, or financing?

No. This page focuses on purchase price, energy or fuel cost, maintenance, and an entered incentive. Depreciation, resale value, insurance, taxes, fees, and financing can materially change a close decision and should be modeled separately if needed.

Can I use this for a hybrid or plug-in hybrid comparison?

You can approximate it, but the route is really built for battery-electric versus gas. A hybrid or plug-in hybrid has a different fuel and charging profile, so a dedicated hybrid comparison is usually more accurate.

finance calculator

EV vs Gas Calculator

Compare EV versus gas car ownership cost over five years using your miles, energy and fuel prices, maintenance, purchase price, and any incentive you actually qualify for.

Results

EV energy cost (annual): $480
Gas fuel cost (annual): $1,629
EV energy cost (5-year): $2,400
Gas fuel cost (5-year): $8,143
EV maintenance (5-year): $2,000
Gas maintenance (5-year): $4,000
EV 5-year ownership cost: $49,400
Gas 5-year ownership cost: $47,143
5-year savings (gas − EV): -$2,257

Overview

If you are searching for an `ev vs gas calculator`, the real question usually is not whether EVs are cheaper in theory. It is whether an electric car is cheaper than a comparable gas car for your miles, your utility rate, your fuel price, and your purchase budget. This route answers that by comparing annual operating cost and five-year ownership cost side by side, instead of forcing you to guess how fuel savings, maintenance, and sticker price interact.

The calculator is intentionally practical. It uses the assumptions most shoppers can actually estimate today: annual miles, EV efficiency in miles per kWh, gas efficiency in MPG, electricity and gasoline prices, annual maintenance, purchase price, and any incentive you can realistically claim. That means you can test a commute-heavy household, a lower-mileage driver, a cheap off-peak charging plan, or a no-incentive scenario without pretending every EV buyer gets the same answer.

Just as important, this page does not force the comparison to favor one side. Lower EV running costs can be meaningful, but a bigger upfront price can still keep a gas car ahead over five years if your mileage is low or your incentive is zero. A trustworthy EV vs gas calculator should show both outcomes clearly.

How to use this calculator

Enter annual miles and each vehicle's efficiency: EV miles per kWh and gas MPG.
Enter an electricity rate that reflects how you actually charge. If you split charging between home and public stations, use a blended rate rather than a home-only number.
Enter your expected gas price per gallon and realistic annual maintenance for both vehicles.
Enter purchase prices for the EV and the gas vehicle, then add only an incentive or tax credit you can actually document. If no current incentive applies, leave it at 0.
Review annual EV energy cost, annual gas fuel cost, five-year operating totals, five-year ownership costs, and the final savings figure.
Rerun the scenario with higher miles, different gas prices, or no incentive at all to see what actually moves the decision.

Inputs explained

Annual miles driven: Miles you expect to drive per year in this comparison. Higher annual mileage usually increases the importance of energy and fuel efficiency.
EV miles per kWh: The EV's efficiency. Higher is better. Use your own real-world driving data when possible instead of assuming the best-case sticker number.
Electricity rate: Your effective charging cost per kWh. If most charging is at home, use your home rate. If you regularly use paid public charging, use a blended rate that reflects that mix.
Gas car MPG: Miles per gallon for the gas vehicle. Combined real-world MPG is usually more useful than an optimistic highway-only estimate.
Gas price per gallon: A current or expected average gas price for your area. Try a higher number as a stress test if fuel prices are volatile where you live.
EV annual maintenance: Your estimate for tires, inspections, brake work, and other recurring EV service. If you want charger installation included, add it to purchase price instead because it is not annual maintenance.
Gas annual maintenance: Your estimate for oil changes, filters, fluids, brakes, and other routine gas-car service over a typical year.
EV purchase price: The all-in EV purchase price you want to compare before any incentive you enter below. Keep the EV and gas purchase numbers on the same basis so the comparison stays fair.
Gas purchase price: The purchase price of the gas vehicle you are comparing against.
EV incentive / tax credit: Only enter an incentive you can realistically claim. As of April 4, 2026, IRS guidance says new and used federal clean vehicle credits are not available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, so many current scenarios should leave this at 0 unless another state, utility, employer, dealer, or earlier eligible federal credit applies.

Outputs explained

EV energy cost (annual): Your estimated yearly electricity cost for driving the EV at the miles, efficiency, and electricity rate you entered.
Gas fuel cost (annual): Your estimated yearly gasoline cost for the gas vehicle at the MPG and fuel price you entered.
EV 5-year ownership cost: The EV purchase price minus the entered incentive, plus five years of EV energy cost and five years of EV maintenance.
Gas 5-year ownership cost: The gas vehicle purchase price plus five years of gasoline cost and five years of maintenance.
5-year savings (gas - EV): The headline comparison number. Positive means the EV is cheaper over five years. Negative means the gas vehicle still costs less in this scenario.

How it works

Annual EV energy use = annual miles ÷ EV miles per kWh, and annual EV energy cost = annual EV kWh × your electricity rate.

Annual gas use = annual miles ÷ gas MPG, and annual gas cost = annual gallons × your gas price per gallon.

The route multiplies annual fuel or energy cost and annual maintenance by five to build a simple five-year ownership window.

EV ownership cost = EV purchase price − entered incentive + EV five-year energy cost + EV five-year maintenance. Gas ownership cost = gas purchase price + gas five-year fuel cost + gas five-year maintenance.

Savings = gas ownership cost − EV ownership cost. A positive result means the EV is cheaper over five years; a negative result means the gas vehicle still costs less in this scenario.

The incentive field is user-entered on purpose. For many current U.S. buyers, the correct federal value is now zero unless a vehicle was acquired on or before September 30, 2025, or some other state, utility, employer, or dealer incentive applies.

Formula

EV annual fuel = (annualMiles ÷ evMpkwh) × evElectricityRate. Gas annual fuel = (annualMiles ÷ gasMpg) × gasPrice. Five-year totals = 5 × annual. EV TCO = evPurchasePrice − taxCredit + evFuelTotal + evMaintenanceTotal. Gas TCO = gasPurchasePrice + gasFuelTotal + gasMaintenanceTotal. Savings = gasTco − evTco.

When to use it

Checking whether an EV is actually cheaper than a gas car for a specific commute and annual mileage.
Testing how much gas-price spikes improve the EV case in a five-year comparison.
Seeing whether low home charging rates or off-peak power materially change the ownership math.
Comparing a no-incentive EV scenario with a state-rebate, dealer-discount, or employer-incentive scenario.
Figuring out whether a higher EV sticker price is offset by lower operating cost over the first five years.
Comparing two realistic replacement options for a household that wants a straight dollar answer instead of a general EV debate.

Tips & cautions

Use a blended charging rate if some charging happens away from home. A home-only rate can make the EV look cheaper than it will feel in practice if you rely on paid public charging.
Be honest about maintenance on both sides. EVs often need less routine service, but heavier vehicles can still mean higher tire costs.
If the current federal clean vehicle credit does not apply to your purchase, leave the incentive field at 0 instead of carrying over an outdated $7,500 assumption.
Keep purchase prices apples-to-apples. If one number includes dealer discounts or destination fees, make sure the other one is treated the same way.
Run at least three cases: base case, high gas-price case, and no-incentive case. That usually exposes whether the result is robust or depends on one optimistic assumption.
If you are comparing against a high-MPG hybrid rather than a conventional gas car, use a dedicated hybrid comparison route as well. Efficient hybrids can narrow the operating-cost gap.
This is not a full total-cost-of-ownership model. It excludes depreciation, resale value, insurance, registration, taxes, and financing costs.
Gas and electricity prices are treated as flat averages over the full five-year window. The route does not forecast future price changes.
It does not include charger installation, public-charging session fees, subscription fees, or demand charges unless you manually fold those into your purchase price or electricity rate.
It assumes constant annual miles and constant efficiency, even though weather, driving style, speed, and tire choice can materially change real-world EV and gas consumption.
The route does not determine whether you qualify for any tax credit or rebate. It simply subtracts whatever incentive amount you enter.
Results are for planning and comparison only and should not be treated as financial, tax, or legal advice.

Worked examples

12,000 miles per year, no current incentive

Annual miles = 12,000. EV efficiency = 3.5 mi/kWh at $0.14/kWh. Gas car = 28 MPG at $3.80/gallon.
EV annual energy cost ≈ (12,000 ÷ 3.5) × 0.14 ≈ $480. Gas annual fuel cost ≈ (12,000 ÷ 28) × 3.80 ≈ $1,628.57.
With EV maintenance = $400/year, gas maintenance = $800/year, EV purchase price = $45,000, gas purchase price = $35,000, and incentive = $0, the EV five-year ownership cost is ≈ $49,400 while the gas vehicle is ≈ $47,142.86.
In this case the EV is cheaper to run each year, but the purchase-price gap still leaves the gas car ahead by about $2,257 over five years.

Higher mileage flips the decision

Keep the EV at 3.5 mi/kWh and $0.12/kWh, keep the gas car at 28 MPG and $4.20/gallon, and increase annual miles to 18,000.
EV annual energy cost becomes ≈ $617.14, while gas annual fuel cost becomes ≈ $2,700.
With EV maintenance = $450/year, gas maintenance = $850/year, EV purchase price = $45,000, gas purchase price = $35,000, and no incentive, the EV five-year ownership cost is ≈ $50,335.71 versus ≈ $52,750 for the gas vehicle.
At higher mileage, operating-cost savings can overcome the bigger EV purchase price even without a federal credit.

State rebate or dealer discount closes the gap

Use the original 12,000-mile base case, but reduce EV purchase price to $42,000 and enter a $2,000 incentive instead of assuming a federal credit.
EV five-year ownership cost becomes ≈ $44,400, while the gas vehicle remains ≈ $47,142.86.
That puts the EV ahead by about $2,742.86 over five years. The point is not that every buyer gets this outcome; it is that a smaller price gap or a real local incentive can materially change the answer.

Deep dive

Use this EV vs gas calculator to compare five-year ownership cost using the numbers that actually drive the decision: annual miles, EV efficiency, gas MPG, electricity price, gas price, maintenance, purchase price, and any incentive you can really claim.

The route is built around the real search job behind `ev vs gas calculator`, not around finance jargon alone. Most users want to know whether an EV or a gas car is cheaper for their driving pattern, and whether lower EV running costs are enough to overcome a higher sticker price.

That is why the page shows annual EV energy cost, annual gas fuel cost, five-year operating totals, and the final five-year savings number side by side. It lets users see not just the answer, but what is causing the answer.

It is also useful for users searching `ev vs gas cost calculator` and `ev vs gas savings calculator`, because the route makes the comparison readable in plain dollars instead of treating everything like an abstract ownership model.

For many current U.S. buyers, the right incentive input is zero, not a legacy federal number. The calculator leaves that field flexible so you can model a no-credit purchase, a state rebate, a dealer discount, or a previously eligible federal credit without baking in the wrong assumption.

If you charge mostly at home on a low off-peak rate, the EV case can improve quickly. If you drive fewer miles, pay high public-charging prices, or face a large upfront price gap, the gas vehicle may still stay ahead over five years. That balance is exactly what this route is meant to reveal.

Use it as a practical ownership comparison first, then follow up with more detailed depreciation, insurance, or financing analysis if the decision is close.

Methodology & assumptions

The route reads annual miles, EV efficiency in miles per kWh, electricity rate, gas MPG, gas price, annual EV maintenance, annual gas maintenance, purchase prices, and an entered incentive amount.
All money and mileage inputs are clamped to non-negative values, and efficiency inputs use a small positive floor so division remains stable.
Annual EV energy use is calculated as `annualMiles / evMpkwh`, and annual EV energy cost is calculated as `annualEvKwh * evElectricityRate`.
Annual gas use is calculated as `annualMiles / gasMpg`, and annual gas fuel cost is calculated as `annualGasGallons * gasPrice`.
The route multiplies annual fuel and maintenance figures by `5` to create five-year energy, fuel, and maintenance totals.
EV five-year ownership cost is calculated as `evPurchasePrice - taxCredit + evFuelTotal + evMaintenanceTotal`.
Gas five-year ownership cost is calculated as `gasPurchasePrice + gasFuelTotal + gasMaintenanceTotal`.
Five-year savings are calculated as `gasTco - evTco`, where a positive result means the EV is cheaper in the modeled scenario.
The route does not determine incentive eligibility. The entered incentive is treated as a simple user-supplied reduction to the EV side of the comparison.
Copy, examples, and FAQs are kept aligned with `evVsGasTcoFiveYearCalculator` in `src/lib/calculators/calculations.ts`.

Sources

Alternative Fuels Data Center - Electric Vehicles for ConsumersUsed for official consumer guidance that EV fuel and maintenance costs are generally lower than those of conventional vehicles and for general EV ownership framing.
Alternative Fuels Data Center - Vehicle Cost Calculator Assumptions and MethodologyUsed for source-backed vehicle operating-cost methodology and framing around annual fuel-cost comparisons.
FuelEconomy.gov - Save Money and FuelUsed as an official comparison benchmark for annual fuel-cost and fuel-savings style search intent.
Internal Revenue Service - Clean Vehicle Tax CreditsUsed to keep the incentive guidance current. As of the IRS page updated in late 2025 and reviewed in 2026, federal new and used clean vehicle credits are not available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025.

FAQs

Should I enter the federal clean vehicle credit here?: Only if it actually applies to your purchase. As of April 4, 2026, IRS guidance says the new and used federal clean vehicle credits are not available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. For many current comparisons, the right federal value is therefore $0 unless you acquired the vehicle on or before that date or you are modeling some other incentive.
What if I charge partly at home and partly in public?: Use a blended electricity rate that reflects your real mix. For example, if most charging is at home but some charging is on public DC fast chargers, choose a weighted-average dollars-per-kWh value instead of using an unrealistically low home-only rate.
Why can the EV still lose over five years even though electricity is cheaper than gas?: Because the route compares more than operating cost. If the EV starts with a much higher purchase price, lower energy and maintenance costs may not fully close that gap within five years, especially for lower-mileage drivers.
Does this include depreciation, insurance, or financing?: No. This page focuses on purchase price, energy or fuel cost, maintenance, and an entered incentive. Depreciation, resale value, insurance, taxes, fees, and financing can materially change a close decision and should be modeled separately if needed.
Can I use this for a hybrid or plug-in hybrid comparison?: You can approximate it, but the route is really built for battery-electric versus gas. A hybrid or plug-in hybrid has a different fuel and charging profile, so a dedicated hybrid comparison is usually more accurate.

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This EV vs gas calculator is a simplified five-year ownership-cost comparison based on user-entered purchase price, energy or fuel cost, maintenance, and any entered incentive. It does not include depreciation, resale, insurance, financing, taxes, registration, charging hardware, or exact incentive eligibility. Use it for planning and comparison only, and verify current tax-credit or rebate rules, local utility rates, and vehicle-specific costs before making a purchase decision.