By EV Charge Cost Editorial Team. Published September 28, 2026, updated October 26, 2026.
The rule of thumb
Yearly charging cost = miles per year × kWh per 100 miles ÷ 100 × price per kWh. With a 33.5 kWh/100 mi EV at 18.16¢/kWh, each 1,000 miles uses 335 kWh and costs about $60.84. A 30 mpg gas car spends about $142.80 per 1,000 miles at $4.284 a gallon.
These figures assume home charging. Public fast charging costs more per kWh; see public vs home charging cost.
Yearly cost by mileage
Electricity prices are EIA residential averages for August 2026: Nevada is the cheapest state at 12.72¢/kWh and Hawaii the most expensive at 47.18¢/kWh. The gas column uses the U.S. regular price for the week of 2026-10-19.
| Miles per year | kWh per year | EV, Nevada | EV, U.S. average | EV, Hawaii | Gas car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | 1,675 | $213.06 | $304.18 | $790.27 | $714.00 |
| 7,500 | 2,513 | $319.59 | $456.27 | $1,185.40 | $1,071.00 |
| 10,000 | 3,350 | $426.12 | $608.36 | $1,580.53 | $1,428.00 |
| 12,500 | 4,188 | $532.65 | $760.45 | $1,975.66 | $1,785.00 |
| 15,000 | 5,025 | $639.18 | $912.54 | $2,370.80 | $2,142.00 |
| 17,500 | 5,863 | $745.71 | $1,064.63 | $2,765.93 | $2,499.00 |
| 20,000 | 6,700 | $852.24 | $1,216.72 | $3,161.06 | $2,856.00 |
| 22,500 | 7,538 | $958.77 | $1,368.81 | $3,556.19 | $3,213.00 |
| 25,000 | 8,375 | $1,065.30 | $1,520.90 | $3,951.33 | $3,570.00 |
| 27,500 | 9,213 | $1,171.83 | $1,672.99 | $4,346.46 | $3,927.00 |
| 30,000 | 10,050 | $1,278.36 | $1,825.08 | $4,741.59 | $4,284.00 |
High mileage multiplies the savings
Because both costs scale with miles, the fuel savings grow in a straight line too. At these prices the EV saves about $81.96 per 1,000 miles compared with the gas car, so a 30,000-mile driver saves six times as much as a 5,000-mile driver. That is why EVs tend to pay back fastest for high-mileage drivers, delivery work and ride-hailing. See rideshare EV charging cost.
High mileage also changes how you charge. At 30,000 miles a year the car uses about 27.5 kWh a day on average, which takes about 19 h 7 min on a 1.44 kW outlet. That is usually more than a night on Level 1, so a Level 2 charger becomes close to essential.
The same numbers, per month
If you budget monthly, divide by 12. At the U.S. average price of 18.16¢/kWh:
- 5,000 miles a year (417 a month): about $25.35 a month and 140 kWh
- 10,000 miles a year (833 a month): about $50.70 a month and 279 kWh
- 15,000 miles a year (1,250 a month): about $76.05 a month and 419 kWh
- 20,000 miles a year (1,667 a month): about $101.39 a month and 558 kWh
- 25,000 miles a year (2,083 a month): about $126.74 a month and 698 kWh
- 30,000 miles a year (2,500 a month): about $152.09 a month and 838 kWh
Mileage is rarely even through the year. Summer road trips and winter consumption both push individual months above the average, so expect some months to run higher than these figures.
How to find your yearly mileage
If you have owned the car for a while, divide the odometer reading by its age in years. Service invoices and state inspection records often list mileage with a date, which gives a more recent picture. For a new commute, multiply the round trip by the number of days you expect to make it, then add a margin for other driving.
The car matters as much as the miles
At 15,000 miles a year and 18.16¢/kWh, the most efficient popular model we track, the Tesla Model 3 (26.4 kWh/100 mi, representative trim), costs about $718.47 a year to charge. The Chevrolet Silverado EV (49.6 kWh/100 mi) costs about $1,349.79. That gap of $631.32 a year grows with every mile. See the cheapest EVs to charge.
Keeping the estimate honest
- Check your real mileage. Your odometer and service records give a better number than a guess.
- Add a winter allowance. Cold months raise consumption above the EPA rating. See cold weather charging cost.
- Include public charging. Road-trip miles charged at fast chargers cost more per mile than home miles.
- Use your own rate. Enter your bill's price and mileage in the charging cost calculator.