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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →There was no single 2025 savings figure for every U.S. driver. An electric vehicle could cost less to drive on energy when its electricity cost per mile was below a comparable gasoline car’s fuel cost per mile—but the answer depended on local prices, vehicle efficiency, annual mileage, and how much charging happened at home versus public stations.
To estimate your own difference, compare the two vehicles over the same miles using your local gas price and the rates you actually pay for charging. That measures energy cost, not the full cost of owning either vehicle.
What 2025 energy prices can—and cannot—tell you
U.S. Energy Information Administration data put the 2025 national average retail price of regular gasoline at $3.10 per gallon. Regional annual averages ranged from $2.39 per gallon on the Gulf Coast to $4.32 on the West Coast. Those differences alone can materially change the cost of driving a gasoline car.
Electricity prices varied too. EIA reports 2025 annual average retail electricity prices across customer classes of 8.20 cents per kilowatt-hour in North Dakota and 35.72 cents in Hawaii. These are broad state price figures, not a promise that an EV owner pays that rate for home charging; a household’s actual utility tariff and charging arrangement matter. See EIA’s 2025 gasoline price report and its explanation of electricity prices and factors affecting them.
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- Charge with Confidence: ChargePoint builds reliable, flexible EV charging stations for home, business, and fleets. Get 24/7 support and access to hundreds of thousands of North American charging locations.
- Charge Smart: With the user-friendly ChargePoint Mobile App, you can control your electric car charger, manage reminders, connect to smart home devices, find stations, get data and charging info, and access the latest features. Note: WiFi is needed for certain functionalities and troubleshooting steps if connectivity issues arise.
- Vast Network: Wherever you go, ChargePoint’s network includes 274k+ stations across North America and Europe and 565k+ roaming partner stations.
- Safe & Durable: Rely on this UL-certified EV charger for safe home charging. It can be installed indoors or outdoors by an electrician and includes a cold-resistant cable.
- Fast & Powerful: This EV charger charges 9× faster than a 120V outlet, delivering up to 45 mi/hr., dependent upon your vehicle. It features a J1772 connector for all non-Tesla EVs and requires a 20A or 80A circuit. For Tesla EVs, this will require an adapter.
National averages are useful context, but they do not establish a national EV savings amount. A price per gallon cannot be compared directly with a price per kilowatt-hour: each vehicle uses its energy source at a different rate. You need the gas car’s miles per gallon and the EV’s electricity use per mile.
How to calculate your cost per mile
Use the same location, driving distance, and comparable vehicle types for both calculations. The formulas are:
Rank #2
- Charge with Confidence: ChargePoint builds reliable, flexible EV charging stations for home, business, and fleets. Get 24/7 support and access to hundreds of thousands of North American charging locations
- Charge Smart: With the user-friendly ChargePoint Mobile App, you can control your electric car charger, manage reminders, connect to smart home devices, find stations, get data and charging info, and access the latest features
- Vast Network: Wherever you go, ChargePoint’s network includes 274k+ stations across North America and Europe and 565k+ roaming partner stations
- Safe & Durable: Rely on this UL-certified EV charger for safe home charging. It can be installed indoors or outdoors by an electrician and includes a cold-resistant cable
- Fast & Powerful: This EV charger charges 9× faster than a 120V outlet, delivering up to 45 mi/hr., dependent upon your vehicle. It features a J1772 connector for all non-Tesla EVs and plugs into a 240V outlet with a 14-50 receptacle, requiring a 40A or 50A circuit. For Tesla EVs, this will require an adapter
- Gas car: local gasoline price per gallon ÷ that car’s miles per gallon = fuel cost per mile.
- EV: electricity price per kilowatt-hour × that vehicle’s kilowatt-hours per mile = electricity cost per mile.
- Annual energy cost: cost per mile × annual miles driven.
For example, if your gas car’s fuel cost per mile is higher than your EV’s electricity cost per mile, the difference between those figures multiplied by your annual miles estimates the EV’s annual energy savings. Use the vehicles’ actual efficiency figures; different vehicle sizes and efficiency levels can reverse or widen the result.
Account for home and public charging separately
If you charge in more than one place, split the EV’s miles or energy use by charging type. Apply your home electricity rate to the home-charged portion and the applicable public charging price to the rest, then add the costs. Do not use your residential utility rate for public charging unless it is actually the rate you pay there.
Rank #3
- WORKS WITH EVERY NON-TESLA EV: Standard J1772 connector plugs straight into Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Rivian, Lucid and every other EV or plug-in hybrid sold with a J1772 port - no adapter needed. Tesla drivers can charge too, using the J1772 adapter that comes with the car.
- PLUG IN, NO HARDWIRING: Level 2 charger delivers up to 40A to fully charge most EVs overnight. Plugs into a 240V, 4-prong NEMA 14-50 outlet (the RV/range type - NOT a dryer outlet) on a dedicated 50A circuit. The extra-long 25 ft cable easily reaches across a garage or driveway. Before ordering, check your car's port type and that you have the right outlet.
- CONTROL & SAVE FROM YOUR PHONE: A stronger built-in antenna keeps the charger online even in a garage or basement. Use the free app to start/stop charging, set speed (6-40A), get reminders, and track energy use and cost. Schedule off-peak overnight charging to cut your electric bill. Requires 2.4 GHz WiFi.
- SAFETY-CERTIFIED & WEATHERPROOF: Independently tested and certified (UL, ETL, FCC, Energy Star). A fully sealed IP66 / NEMA 4 housing stands up to rain, snow, heat and dust indoors or out, and internal steel shielding protects the electronics for years of reliable use.
- GLOW-IN-THE-DARK HOLSTER: The included high-visibility holster glows in the dark so you can find and dock the plug easily at night. Holds the connector securely when not in use.
Argonne National Laboratory’s Fuel Cost Comparison Calculator is a practical way to make a location-based comparison. It accepts ZIP code and vehicle-size inputs and compares gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric options. Its read-me identifies 2025 vehicle and electricity data inputs. Treat the result as an estimate based on the calculator’s assumptions, and check the inputs—including mileage and charging mix—against your circumstances.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How AAA’s 2025 assumptions compare
AAA’s 2025 Your Driving Costs analysis used $3.151 per gallon for regular gasoline and 16.7 cents per kilowatt-hour for EV charging. These are inputs for AAA’s analysis, not a forecast of what every driver paid or an exact comparison of the same vehicle under every local rate. They are useful for understanding one published methodology, but your local prices and vehicle efficiencies are better inputs for a personal estimate. AAA also frames vehicle costs more broadly than energy alone; see its 2025 vehicle-cost report.
Rank #4
- WORKS WITH EVERY NON-TESLA EV: Standard J1772 connector plugs straight into Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Rivian, Lucid and every other EV or plug-in hybrid sold with a J1772 port - no adapter needed. Tesla drivers can charge too, using the J1772 adapter that comes with the car. The extra-long 25 ft cable easily reaches across a garage or driveway.
- HARDWIRED - PROFESSIONAL INSTALL: This Level 2 charger is hardwired (not plug-in), so a licensed electrician installs it per National Electrical Code. It delivers up to 48A on a dedicated 60A, 240V circuit - enough to charge most EVs fully overnight. Want more speed? You can set DIP switches 4 and 5 to unlock 50A on a dedicated 70A circuit. Before ordering, check your car's port type and that your electrical panel can support the circuit.
- CONTROL FROM YOUR PHONE: A stronger built-in antenna keeps the charger online even in a garage or basement. Use the free app to start and stop charging, set the charging speed (6-48A), get reminders, and track how much energy and money each charge uses. Requires a 2.4 GHz home WiFi network.
- SAFETY-CERTIFIED & WEATHERPROOF: Independently tested and certified (UL, ETL, FCC, Energy Star). A fully sealed IP66 / NEMA 4 housing stands up to rain, snow, heat and dust indoors or out, and internal steel shielding protects the electronics for years of reliable use.
- GLOW-IN-THE-DARK HOLSTER: The included high-visibility holster glows in the dark so you can find and dock the plug easily at night. Holds the connector securely when not in use.
Driving cost is not total ownership cost
Energy is only one part of a household’s vehicle budget. Purchase price, financing, depreciation, insurance, maintenance, and any home charging equipment or installation are separate costs. An EV having a lower energy cost per mile does not by itself prove that it is cheaper to own overall.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center lists average maintenance costs of $0.061 per mile for all-electric vehicles and $0.101 per mile for gasoline vehicles. These are AFDC averages, not a model-specific 2025 guarantee. AFDC also gives an illustrative example in which 100 miles of EV range costs $2.46 at 12.3 cents per kilowatt-hour; that is an assumption-based example, not the 2025 national average. Its Electric Vehicles for Consumers page provides the figures and charging guidance.
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A home charger can make overnight charging convenient, but its equipment and installation costs should be counted separately from electricity cost per mile. Before choosing equipment, check compatibility with your vehicle, your electrical service, where the charger will go, and local utility rates. AFDC advises selecting equipment certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory and recommends ENERGY STAR-rated products. Local permitting authorities may require permits, and contractors should know the applicable codes and standards.
Quick Recap
A practical comparison checklist
- Use the gas and electricity prices you actually face, not national averages as though they applied to your household.
- Compare similar vehicle classes and use each vehicle’s own efficiency figure.
- Estimate annual miles consistently for both vehicles.
- Separate home charging from public charging and use the relevant price for each.
- Keep energy costs distinct from maintenance, depreciation, financing, insurance, purchase price, and charger installation.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
