What is included in EV total cost of ownership?

Depreciation, loan interest, insurance, maintenance and tires, registration and EV road-use fees, home charger installation, and electricity or public charging costs over the ownership period.

Is an EV cheaper to own than a gas car?

Over five years most EVs are cheaper to fuel and maintain, but faster depreciation and higher insurance can offset that. The result depends on purchase price, incentives, local electricity rates, and annual mileage.

How much does EV maintenance cost per mile?

About 6 cents per mile for an EV versus about 10 cents per mile for a comparable gas car, since EVs have no oil changes, spark plugs, or exhaust systems, but wear tires faster.

EV Total Cost of Ownership Calculator

Everything the sticker price hides: financing, insurance, maintenance, registration, depreciation, and charging — over 3, 5, or 10 years, priced with your local electricity tariff and gas prices.

EV — Make

EV — Model · Year

ZIP code (local electricity & gas prices)

EV purchase price

Incentives / tax credit

Down payment %

Loan APR %

Loan term

Ownership period

EV insurance / yr

Gas car insurance / yr

Home charger install

% charged at home

Annual miles: 12,000

Compare against gas car

Pick an EV to start.

Assumptions we use

Electricity rate: your ZIP's residential tariff (curated utility data or OpenEI URDB), blended with 48¢/kWh DC fast charging by your home-charging share.
Gas price: latest EIA per-state average for your location.
Maintenance: 6¢/mile for EVs and 10¢/mile for gas cars, including tires.
Depreciation: blended market retention curves — roughly 49% of price retained after 5 years for EVs vs 58% for gas cars.
Financing: simple amortization at your APR; interest is prorated if you sell before the loan ends.
Registration includes typical EV road-use fees charged in place of gas tax.

Read the full methodology, or check fuel-only savings and payback if you only care about running costs.