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EV & HybridEV Cost Per Mile Calculator
See what driving an EV costs per mile in electricity. Enter the efficiency in miles per kWh and your electricity rate — add your yearly mileage for the annual cost.
Divide your electricity rate by the car’s efficiency. At $0.16 per kWh and 3.5 miles per kWh, an EV costs about 4.6 cents a mile — $549 a year over 12,000 miles, against about $1,400 for a 30-MPG gas car at $3.50 a gallon.
How this calculator works
Cost per mile is your electricity rate divided by efficiency (miles per kWh). Multiply by annual mileage for the yearly energy bill. Home charging usually lands around 4–6 cents a mile — a fraction of what a gas car costs — though public fast charging can be several times more.
What changes the number
- Home charging is far cheaper than public DC fast charging — the per-mile cost can differ 3–5×.
- Cold weather and high speeds lower efficiency (mi/kWh), nudging the per-mile cost up.
- Time-of-use electricity plans with cheap overnight rates can cut your cost per mile substantially.
EV cost per mile by efficiency and electricity rate
Home charging usually falls in the $0.12–$0.20 columns; public DC fast charging often runs $0.30–$0.50 per kWh. For comparison, a 30-MPG gas car at $3.50/gal costs about 11.7¢ a mile.
| Efficiency | At $0.12/kWh | At $0.16/kWh | At $0.20/kWh | At $0.30/kWh | At $0.45/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mi/kWh (pickup, large SUV) | 4.8¢ | 6.4¢ | 8.0¢ | 12.0¢ | 18.0¢ |
| 3.0 mi/kWh (midsize SUV) | 4.0¢ | 5.3¢ | 6.7¢ | 10.0¢ | 15.0¢ |
| 3.5 mi/kWh (sedan) | 3.4¢ | 4.6¢ | 5.7¢ | 8.6¢ | 12.9¢ |
| 4.0 mi/kWh (efficient compact) | 3.0¢ | 4.0¢ | 5.0¢ | 7.5¢ | 11.3¢ |
Yearly charging cost at 12,000 miles
Gas at 12,000 miles and $3.50/gal: about $1,400 a year at 30 MPG, $1,680 at 25 MPG. If your efficiency comes from the dash rather than the EPA label, add roughly 10–15% for charging losses.
| Efficiency | Home at $0.12/kWh | Home at $0.16/kWh | Public at $0.30/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mi/kWh | $576 | $768 | $1,440 |
| 3.0 mi/kWh | $480 | $640 | $1,200 |
| 3.5 mi/kWh | $411 | $549 | $1,029 |
| 4.0 mi/kWh | $360 | $480 | $900 |
Frequently asked questions
How does this compare to a gas car?
Usually much cheaper — an EV at 4–6 cents a mile versus 10–15 for a typical gas car. Use the EV vs Gas calculator to compare directly with your numbers.
What rate should I enter?
Your home electricity price per kWh from your bill, or your off-peak rate if you charge overnight. For public charging, enter the charger’s per-kWh price instead.
What efficiency is realistic?
Most EVs do 3–4 mi/kWh; efficient compacts do better, trucks and SUVs worse. Use the EPA figure or your trip computer’s average.
How much does it cost to charge an EV per mile?
Divide your price per kWh by the car’s miles per kWh. At home, with electricity around $0.12–$0.20 per kWh and a typical 3–4 mi/kWh, that’s about 3–7 cents a mile. Public DC fast charging at $0.30–$0.50 per kWh pushes it to roughly 8–17 cents — close to, or above, a gas car.
Is an EV cheaper per mile than gas?
On home charging, usually by a wide margin: about 4.6 cents a mile at $0.16/kWh and 3.5 mi/kWh, versus 11.7 cents for a 30-MPG car at $3.50 a gallon. On fast chargers the gap mostly closes, so the more of your charging happens at home, the bigger the saving.
How much does it cost to drive an EV 1,000 miles?
At 3.5 mi/kWh you use about 286 kWh — roughly $46 at $0.16/kWh on home power, or about $86 at $0.30/kWh on public chargers. A 30-MPG gas car covering the same 1,000 miles burns 33 gallons, about $117 at $3.50.
Does cold weather raise an EV’s cost per mile?
Yes. Cabin heating and a cold battery cut efficiency in freezing weather, and the cost per mile rises by the same proportion — a car that does 3.5 mi/kWh in summer may manage closer to 2.5–3 in a hard winter. Preheating the cabin while plugged in and using seat heaters instead of cabin heat both help.