The 5-year numbers, side by side
The calculator's defaults: average new-vehicle prices, 15,000 miles a year, gas at $4.465 a gallon, home electricity at $0.196 per kWh with 80% home charging, no rebates. Every figure is sourced below.
| Gas car | Electric car | |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | $50,089 | $54,813 |
| Fuel a year | $2,616 | $1,135 |
| Maintenance a year | $1,827 | $1,602 |
| Insurance a year | $1,704 | $2,070 |
| Registration a year | $609 | $1,051 |
| Worth after 5 years | $29,152 | $23,460 |
| 5-year cost, bought with cash | $54,718 | $60,645 |
Bought with cash, the gas car costs $5,927 less over 5 years. On a standard loan (7% APR, 72 months, 10% down) the gap widens to $6,862, because the EV borrows more at the same rate.
Where the EV wins, and where it loses
Fuel is the big win. Gas works out to 17.4 cents a mile; mostly-home charging works out to 7.6 cents. At 15,000 miles a year that is about $1,480 back every year.
Maintenance helps a little: $225 a year less than the gas car in the AAA figures. No oil changes, less to wear out.
Insurance and registration hurt: $366 and $442 a year more than the gas car in the same AAA figures.
Resale is the quiet killer. iSeeCars puts 5-year value loss at 57.2% for EVs vs 41.8% for the average vehicle. On these prices that is about $5,700 more value gone. Fuel savings take years to fill that hole.
Leasing flips the answer
Lease the same two cars for 5 years (average new lease $617 a month, 36-month terms, nothing due at signing) and the totals flip: $66,312 for the electric car against $70,801 for the gas car, so the EV costs $4,489 less.
The reason is resale. When you lease, the car's future value is the leasing company's problem, not yours, so the EV's weak resale stops counting against you while you keep the fuel savings. If you were going to lease anyway, the EV is the cheaper option on these numbers.
The gap over time
Same defaults, longer ownership, bought with cash:
| Years owned | Gas car total | EV total | EV costs more by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $54,718 | $60,645 | $5,927 |
| 8 | $83,071 | $87,581 | $4,510 |
| 10 | $100,685 | $103,356 | $2,671 |
The gap shrinks every year but does not close inside 10 years on these numbers. What closes it sooner: more miles a year, pricier gas, cheaper electricity, a state or utility rebate, or a cheaper EV. What widens it: fewer miles, mostly public fast charging, or a gas price drop.
What about diesel?
Diesel is the most expensive fuel of the three here: $6.382 a gallon works out to about 25.5 cents a mile, $3,829 a year at 15,000 miles. The calculator starts the diesel car from the gas car's price, upkeep, insurance and resale, changing only fuel price and mpg, because no diesel-specific upkeep figures were found. Edit those if your diesel differs.
What this shows, and what it does not
It shows one comparison at US average figures: an average-priced new gas car against an average-priced new EV, kept 5 years, driven 15,000 miles a year. It does not pick your car. A specific EV on sale, a cheaper used gas car, your state's electricity price and your actual miles can each move the answer by thousands. The calculator exists for exactly that: swap in your numbers.
Common questions
Is the federal EV tax credit still available? Not for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, per the IRS. Some state, local and utility incentives remain; whatever you qualify for goes in the calculator's rebate field, and every $1,000 of it cuts the gap by $1,000.
Is home charging really that cheap? $0.196 per kWh is the US city average for August 2026 (BLS). Public fast charging runs about $0.4775 per kWh on the Q3 2026 index used here, so drivers who fast-charge most of the time should expect fuel savings closer to half of what this page shows.
Why is EV insurance higher? The AAA 2026 figures used here put EV insurance $366 a year above the gas car, driven by repair and parts costs. Quotes vary widely, so price both before deciding.
Does mileage change the answer? Yes. The EV saves about $1,480 a year on fuel at 15,000 miles. Drive more and the gap closes faster; drive less and the gas car pulls further ahead.
Is this financial advice? No. It explains a calculation with sourced averages.
Related tool
Electric vs Gas vs Diesel Car Cost Calculator runs this exact comparison with your numbers: prices, fuel, efficiency, miles, years, loan terms, lease terms and rebates. It compares buy, finance and lease side by side.
Sources
Figures are the calculator's defaults, retrieved October 2, 2026. Fuel prices change weekly; check the EIA link for the latest.
Fuel and electricity: EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices (regular $4.465, on-highway diesel $6.382, week of September 28, 2026); BLS Average Price Data (home electricity $0.196 per kWh, US city average, August 2026); public fast charging about $0.4775 per kWh, Q3 2026 index.
Prices and resale: Kelley Blue Book (average new vehicle $50,089, August 2026); Kelley Blue Book data via InsideEVs (average new EV $54,813); iSeeCars (5-year value loss: EV 57.2%, all vehicles 41.8%).
Running costs and finance: AAA Your Driving Costs 2026 (maintenance, insurance, registration); Edmunds and Experian (new-car loan 7.0% APR, average new lease about $617 a month); EPA Automotive Trends Report (gas fleet 25.6 mpg); IRS (federal clean vehicle credit unavailable for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025).
Totals come from the calculator's model: annual fuel plus maintenance, insurance and registration, plus price minus resale (retention compounded over the years owned); finance adds standard loan amortization; lease adds payments and amounts due. Rounded to the nearest dollar.
Limits
Educational explanation, not tax, legal or investment advice. Examples are labelled. Nothing here promises a result.