Why the ev vs gas running cost calculator matters
EV economics live almost entirely in the fixed column — the energy is cheap, so the payment and insurance decide whether the switch saves money. This page turns that decision into a handful of inputs you can defend in a budget review: volume, unit cost, rate of adoption, and time. The output is a planning baseline, not a promise — it tells you whether the idea deserves a vendor quote, a pilot, or a pass.
- • Biggest swing factor: the fixed monthly cost, which dominates
- • Second-order factor: electricity rate and charging location
- • Often ignored: annual mileage, which decides how fast the fuel saving accrues
What actually changes the answer
the fixed monthly cost, which dominates moves this number first, then electricity rate and charging location. Run a conservative case and an upside case before you commit. If the maths only works in the upside case, treat it as a time-boxed test with a kill date rather than a line in next year's plan.
What to do with the result
Compare total monthly cost, not cost per mile. High-mileage drivers save; low-mileage drivers rarely recover the payment difference.
Related guides
Long-form playbooks on the same topic, written by the RevenueLab editorial team.
FAQ
What does the ev vs gas running cost calculator work out?
It applies Cost per mile = (fixed costs + miles × variable cost) ÷ miles; Profit = miles × rate − total cost to the values you enter for miles driven per month, monthly payment, insurance and registration, energy cost per mile, cost per mile of the vehicle you are replacing. EV economics live almost entirely in the fixed column — the energy is cheap, so the payment and insurance decide whether the switch saves money.
How accurate is this ev vs gas running cost calculator?
Models fixed plus per-mile costs. Public DC fast charging can cost 3–4x home charging and changes the answer. Replace the defaults with your own invoice, usage export, payroll data, statement, or vendor quote before making a commitment — the maths is exact, so the answer is only as good as the inputs you feed it.
Which input should I stress-test first?
the fixed monthly cost, which dominates. Re-run with a pessimistic value for it; if the decision flips, that assumption is the thing you need real data on before signing anything. After that, check electricity rate and charging location and annual mileage, which decides how fast the fuel saving accrues.
Which scenario should I start from?
Start with the preset closest to your situation — low utilisation, typical month, high utilisation — then edit the sliders. Presets are realistic starting points, not benchmarks to match, and every change updates the result instantly.
What should I do after running the numbers?
Compare total monthly cost, not cost per mile. High-mileage drivers save; low-mileage drivers rarely recover the payment difference. A useful planning benchmark to compare against: Home-charged EVs run 3–5 cents per mile; gasoline cars 12–18.
Can I share or save this calculation?
Yes. Your inputs are written into the page URL, so copying the link shares the exact scenario you are looking at — the person who opens it sees the same numbers. You can also export the inputs and results to CSV or PDF from the result card and keep it with the rest of your workings.
How this calculator is built
Independently maintained
Written by Sam Doshi and the RevenueLab editorial team. We don't sell the data feeds this tool is built on.
Sourced from primary data
Benchmarks come from public AdSense / Stripe / IRS disclosures and reader-submitted data — never third-party "$X per view" claims. Full methodology.
Last editorial review
Reviewed on a rolling quarterly cycle. Dated reviews are published on the methodology record for each calculator.
Editorial standards
See our editorial policy and disclaimer. Results are estimates, not advice.