Is an EV Cheaper Than Gas in Washington? (2026)

Yes. An EV is roughly 5.7× cheaper per mile than a comparable gas car in Washington.

EV cost
3.4¢/mi
12.0¢/kWh ÷ 3.5 mi/kWh
Gas cost
19.7¢/mi
$5.52/gal ÷ 28 mpg

Annual fuel cost at 12,000 mi/year

EV (charging at home)$411
Gas car (28 mpg sedan)$2,366
EV savings$1,954/yr

Over 5 years that's $9,771 in fuel savings — before factoring in oil changes, brake wear, or EV tax credits.

How we calculated this

We use Washington's average residential electricity rate of 12.0¢/kWh (averaged across major utility EV plans) and the current statewide average gas price of $5.52/gallon from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's PADD data.

The reference EV gets 3.5 mi/kWh — typical for a Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 6, or Chevy Equinox EV. The reference gas car gets 28 mpg combined — typical for a Toyota Camry, Honda CR-V, or Ford Escape.

Charging at public DC fast chargers costs 2–4× more than charging at home. If you can't charge at home in Washington, the math changes — see our home vs public charging guide for the breakdown.

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