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Gas vs EV Cost Comparison: What You’ll Actually Spend Over 1, 5, and 10 Years
The running-cost gap between a gas car and an EV usually comes down to one simple fact: electricity is typically cheaper per mile than gasoline, but by how much depends entirely on your local fuel and electricity prices. Over a single year the difference might not feel dramatic. Stretched over 5 or 10 years, even a modest annual gap compounds into a number worth knowing before you decide. Use the comparison above with your own real numbers — here’s what it’s actually measuring.
What this comparison includes (and deliberately doesn’t)
This tool compares running costs only: fuel or electricity, plus whatever annual maintenance figure you enter for each vehicle. It does not factor in the purchase price of either car. That’s a deliberate scope choice, not an oversight — mixing running costs with a purchase-price difference muddies what each tool is best at. If you want to know when a pricier EV’s fuel savings would offset a higher sticker price, that’s a break-even calculation, which deserves its own dedicated tool rather than being bolted onto this one.
Maintenance is left for you to estimate rather than assumed, because it varies enormously by specific model, age, and driving conditions — a default figure here would do more harm than good. If you’re not sure, leaving both maintenance fields blank treats them as roughly equal, which is a reasonable simplification for a first-pass comparison.
How to use the comparison
- Select your country to set the currency for results.
- Enter your annual driving distance and choose miles or kilometers — this updates the fuel and efficiency field labels automatically (gallons/MPG for miles, liters/km-per-liter for kilometers).
- Fill in the gas car side: current fuel price, the car’s fuel efficiency, and an optional annual maintenance estimate.
- Fill in the EV side: your electricity rate, the car’s efficiency, and an optional annual maintenance estimate.
- Read the 1/5/10-year totals and the summary line showing which option costs less at these rates.
Why the gap grows over time
A cost difference that looks small annually becomes more meaningful the longer you own the car. This is simple multiplication rather than compounding growth — the tool doesn’t assume fuel or electricity prices will change over the period, just extends your current entered rates forward. That’s a deliberate simplifying assumption, not a prediction, and it’s worth revisiting the numbers periodically as prices shift.
| Time horizon | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| 1 year | Useful for comparing against a single year’s budget or lease term. |
| 5 years | A common ownership window and typical loan term — often the most realistic planning horizon. |
| 10 years | Shows the full scale of the running-cost gap for long-term owners, though maintenance assumptions matter more at this range. |
Frequently asked questions
Does this comparison include the purchase price of the car?
No — this tool compares ongoing running costs only. For a comparison that factors in the purchase price difference and calculates a break-even point, use a dedicated break-even calculator instead.
Why do I need to enter maintenance costs myself?
Maintenance costs vary enormously by vehicle model, age, and how you drive, so a single default figure would be misleading for most readers. Leaving it blank is a reasonable simplification if you’re unsure.
Is the EV electricity cost here as precise as a dedicated EV charging calculator?
This tool uses a simplified electricity-cost estimate for a like-for-like comparison against gas. For a more detailed estimate that accounts for charging losses, use a dedicated EV charging cost calculator.
Why compare 1, 5, and 10 years instead of just annual cost?
A small annual difference compounds into a much more meaningful number over time, which is often more useful for a longer-term ownership decision than looking at a single year alone.
What if gas turns out cheaper than EV in my numbers?
It can happen, particularly with high electricity rates or very fuel-efficient gas vehicles — the comparison reflects whatever rates you enter rather than assuming EVs are always cheaper to run.
Related tools and guides
- EV Charging Cost Calculator — a more detailed electricity-cost estimate including charging losses.
- EV vs ICE Break-Even Calculator — factor in purchase price to see when an EV pays for itself.
- Multi-Country EV Cost Comparator — compare EV running costs between two countries instead of against gas.
This tool and article were built with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy. All fuel prices, electricity rates, and maintenance figures come from what you enter — this page doesn’t assert specific current prices, since they change often and vary by region. Check current local prices before relying on this for a major purchase decision.