Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Lower total cost option
EV
EV total ownership cost
$40,464
Gas car total ownership cost
$48,800
Total cost difference
$8,336
Breakeven point
1.8
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How to use this
- 1Enter ev price ($).
- 2Enter gas car price ($).
- 3Enter ev tax credit/incentive ($).
- 4Enter miles driven per year.
- 5Enter electricity price ($/kWh).
- 6Enter gas price ($/gal).
- 7Enter ev efficiency (mi/kWh).
- 8Enter gas car mpg.
- 9Enter ev annual maintenance ($).
- 10Enter gas car annual maintenance ($).
- 11Enter years of ownership.
- 12Read your lower total cost option on the right — it updates as you type.
- 13Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
EVs typically cost more upfront (before incentives) but cost far less per mile to fuel and require less routine maintenance since there's no oil, transmission, or exhaust system to service. This calculator totals purchase price minus incentives, energy or fuel cost over your annual mileage, and maintenance across your ownership period to show which vehicle actually costs less.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- EV price: 42000 $
- Gas car price: 32000 $
- EV tax credit/incentive: 7500 $
- Miles driven per year: 12000
- Electricity price: 0.15 $/kWh
- Gas price: 3.5 $/gal
- EV efficiency: 3.3 mi/kWh
- Gas car MPG: 30
- EV annual maintenance: 200 $
- Gas car annual maintenance: 700 $
- Years of ownership: 8
Results
- Lower total cost option: EV
- EV total ownership cost: $40,464
- Gas car total ownership cost: $48,800
- Total cost difference: $8,336
- Breakeven point: 1.8
What each field means
Inputs
- EV price ($)
- The ev price used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 42000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Gas car price ($)
- The gas car price used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 32000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- EV tax credit/incentive ($)
- The ev tax credit/incentive used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 7500 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Miles driven per year
- The miles driven per year used in the calculation. Starts at 12000 so you have a working example on load.
- Electricity price ($/kWh)
- The electricity price used in the calculation, measured in $/kWh. Starts at 0.15 $/kWh so you have a working example on load.
- Gas price ($/gal)
- The gas price used in the calculation, measured in $/gal. Starts at 3.5 $/gal so you have a working example on load.
- EV efficiency (mi/kWh)
- The ev efficiency used in the calculation, measured in mi/kWh. Starts at 3.3 mi/kWh so you have a working example on load.
- Gas car MPG
- The gas car mpg used in the calculation. Starts at 30 so you have a working example on load.
- EV annual maintenance ($)
- The ev annual maintenance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 200 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Gas car annual maintenance ($)
- The gas car annual maintenance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 700 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Years of ownership
- The years of ownership used in the calculation. Starts at 8 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–15.
Results
- Lower total cost option
- Returned as a plain value and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- EV total ownership cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gas car total ownership cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total cost difference
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Breakeven point
- Returned as a length of time. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Does this include battery replacement risk?
No — most EV batteries are warrantied 8-10 years and rarely need full replacement within that window, but budget extra caution if you plan to keep the car well past the warranty.
What about home charger installation cost?
Add $500-$2,000 for a Level 2 home charger installation to the EV side if you don't already have one; it's excluded here since many buyers already have compatible wiring.
Do incentives really apply to every EV?
No — federal and state incentives depend on income, vehicle price caps, and battery sourcing rules, so confirm eligibility for your specific model before counting on the full credit.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). EV vs Gas Car Total Ownership Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ev-vs-gas-ownership-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ev-vs-gas-ownership-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EV vs Gas Car Total Ownership Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [EV vs Gas Car Total Ownership Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ev-vs-gas-ownership-cost) (2026).