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EV vs gas trip cost calculator

Put the same trip through an electric car and a petrol car, with your own electricity and fuel prices, and see which costs less and at what price they tie.

The EV trip costs the energy it needs in kWh times your price per kWh; the petrol trip costs the litres it burns times the price per litre. Whichever number is lower is the cheaper trip, by your inputs.

Distance unit
Efficiency unit

Use the price of the chargers you will use.

EIA, July 2026 (preliminary), U.S. residential. Source. Fast-charger prices differ by network: type what yours charges.

Fuel economy unit
Petrol price unit

EIA weekly retail price, week of October 5, 2026. Source.

Optional. Starts at 0.

Cheaper trip

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Enter an electricity price and a petrol price. We do not fill in prices.

EV trip energy cost

enter a price

148.6 kWh billed

Petrol trip fuel cost

enter a price

65.6 litres

Enter a petrol price and your efficiency to see the electricity price at which the two trips cost the same.
See the math, step by step
  1. EV energy: 520 mi ÷ 3.5 mi/kWh = 148.6 kWh; billed with 0% losses: 148.6 kWh.
  2. EV cost: billed kWh × price per kWh.
  3. Petrol: 836.9 km × 7.8 L/100 km ÷ 100 = litres; litres × price per litre.
  4. Break-even: petrol cost ÷ billed kWh.

This is arithmetic on the numbers you type, not a route planner or a promise: real trips change with speed, weather, hills and the charger you find. Nothing you type leaves this device. It compares only the energy or fuel for one trip: no maintenance, depreciation, tolls or time.

How to compare an EV trip with a gas trip

Two multiplications and one subtraction.

For the EV, the energy for the trip is the distance divided by your efficiency; you pay for the energy billed (add losses if you know them) at the price of the chargers you use. For the petrol car, the fuel is the distance times its litres per 100 km, and you pay the price per litre. The calculator converts everything to kilometres and litres inside, using 1 mile = 1.609344 km and 1 US gallon = 3.785412 litres (NIST), so mpg, L/100 km, miles and kilometres can be mixed freely.

The result that matters most is the break-even price: the electricity price at which the two trips cost the same. It does not depend on guessing the other side. If the chargers on your route charge less per kWh than that number, the EV wins the trip; if more, the petrol car does. On a long trip most charging happens at fast chargers, so test it with their price and not with your home tariff.

Both prices start empty. The home field and the petrol field each offer a dated U.S. reference as a one-click suggestion: 18.31 cents per kWh for U.S. residential electricity in July 2026 (EIA, preliminary) and $4.354 per gallon of regular gasoline for the week of October 5, 2026 (EIA). Neither is your price.

Worked example: 300 miles, 3.5 mi/kWh against 30 mpg
  1. EV energy: 300 ÷ 3.5 = 85.7 kWh. At an example price of 0.40 per kWh the trip costs 34.29.
  2. Petrol: 300 mi ÷ 30 mpg = 10 gallons. At an example price of 4.00 per gallon the trip costs 40.00.
  3. Difference: 40.00 − 34.29 = 5.71 in favour of the EV.
  4. Break-even: 40.00 ÷ 85.7 kWh = 0.467 per kWh. Above that price per kWh, petrol is cheaper for this trip.

The prices in this example are round numbers to show the formula, not averages.

Sources: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (page dated September 24, 2026); EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices (page dated October 5, 2026); NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8 (page shows no date) · opened

Next steps

To see how many stops the EV trip needs and how long they take, use the EV road trip charging calculator. To price one charge on its own, use the charging cost calculator.

Check which plug your car needs

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to drive an EV than a gas car on a road trip?

It depends on two prices you control: what you pay per kWh and what you pay per gallon or litre. The tool computes both trips from the same distance and also shows the electricity price at which the two cost the same. Prices differ by network and place, so use the price of the chargers you will really use.

What gas price should I use?

The price at stations on your route. As a reference, the U.S. Energy Information Administration weekly retail price for regular gasoline was 4.354 dollars per gallon for the week of October 5, 2026. It changes weekly, which is why it is offered as a one-click suggestion with its date and never as a default.

How do I convert mpg to L/100 km?

Divide 235.2146 by the mpg (US): 30 mpg is 7.84 L/100 km. The constant is 100 × 3.785412 litres per gallon ÷ 1.609344 km per mile, with the factors from NIST.

What is the break-even electricity price?

The price per kWh at which the EV trip costs exactly as much as the petrol trip. If the chargers you will use charge less than that, the EV is cheaper for this trip, by your numbers.

Does this include maintenance, depreciation or tolls?

No. It compares only the energy or fuel for one trip, from the numbers you type.

More EV charging tools

Each page answers one question about a charging trip.