Electric Car Calculator

Is it worth buying an Electric Car?

The answer to this question depends on a number of factors including: your driving habits, gas prices, price of electricity and how you value the environmental impact of your driving.

To help you decide if an electric car is the right choice for you, we have created a calculator that will compare the financial and environmental costs of buying an electric car versus buying a hybrid or standard gas powered car.

To find out if an electric car is the right choice for you, simply fill out the calculator below.

Step 1: Enter Your Driving Profile

Location

Weekday Driving

Miles Per Day

 50% City50% Highway

Weekend Driving

Miles Per Day

 50% City50% Highway

Road Trips

How many trips per year?

Round Trip Distance (miles)

Total Distance Driven in a year

 12,000 miles

Fuel Costs

Gas Cost ($ per gallon)

 See current gas prices

Diesel Cost ($ per gallon)

 See current diesel prices

Electricity Cost (¢ per kWh)

 See current electricity prices

Step 2: Select Cars

Car #1 Make and Model:
City MPG on gas/diesel
Highway MPG on gas/diesel
Electric Cars Only:
Battery Range (miles)
Battery Capacity (kWh for full charge)
Annual Maintenance:
Total Maintenance Costs2
 
Car #2 Make and Model:
City MPG on gas/diesel
Highway MPG on gas/diesel
Electric Cars Only:
Battery Range (miles)
Battery Capacity (kWh for full charge)
Annual Maintenance:
Total Maintenance Costs2
 

Step 3: Payment Options

Payment Options:
Term:
Term:
Payment Details:
  Car #1 Car #2
Purchase Price
Down Payment
Monthly Payment
One Time Tax Credit1

Additional Information & Notes

1 For more information on tax credits for energy efficient vehicles, see US Dept.of Energy.

2 Estimates for maintenance costs are based on engine type, class of car and driving habits. Does not include repairs.

3 Cost equivalent MPG converts electrical energy usage of EVs and PHEVs to its equivalent in gasoline based on cost. For example, if gas price is $4.00/gallon, an electric car that could go 100 miles on $4.00 worth of electricity would have cost equivalent MPG of 100.

4 Tailpipe CO2 includes emissions for gasoline calculated at 8.8 kg CO2/gal. Diesel is calculated at 10.1 kg CO2/gal. (source)

5 Upstream CO2 includes emissions for energy generation and delivery. For electricity, the rate of upstream CO2 emissions used for this calculation depends on your state. (source) Upstream CO2 for gasoline is calculated at 2.21 kg CO2/gal (source) and diesel is calculated at 2.42 kg CO2/gal (source pdf).

6 We assume CO2 absorption of 38.6 kg per tree. (source)

  • Resale value and depreciation are not considered in the breakeven analysis.

Comments and Feedback

Thank you for all the feedback and comments on earlier versions of the calculator.

And thanks to your feedback, we have now added leasing and finance options to the calculator.

Please use our feedback form to let us know what you think. Feedback Form


See the Cost Equivalent MPG FAQ for more information.

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