Electric cars
Data updated · How we calculate this
You'd save on fuel
$1,355 a year
Charging at home is like paying $1.44 a gallon instead of $4.33.
Uses 310 kWh a month at 18.2¢; 2027 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD is rated 31.1 kWh per 100 miles by the EPA.
2027 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD: EPA range 319 miles. Home charging only; public fast charging typically costs more per kWh.
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$420
For the charger
Our pick, at Lectron's price. Add an electrician if you don't already have a 240-volt outlet where you park.
$1,359/yr
Saved vs gas
Charging a Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD at home for 12,000 miles, against a 25.5 mpg car. Home charging is what unlocks it.
8x faster
Than a wall-outlet cord
About 5 miles of range an hour from an ordinary outlet vs up to 38 with a 40-amp charger.
Do you need one? Not always. If you drive under about 40 miles a day, the cord that comes with many EVs on an ordinary outlet adds roughly 46miles overnight (10 hours), which can be enough. A 240-volt charger refills even a long day's driving overnight, so you never think about it.
Renting or not ready to wire? Lectron's portable charger ($319.99 when we checked) works on an ordinary outlet and on a 240-volt one, and moves with you.
Our pick for a home charger · sponsored link
Adds up to 38 miles of range an hour, so you wake up full every morning. It plugs into a 240-volt outlet (the dryer or RV kind, NEMA 14-50), is weatherproof for the driveway, and has a 3-year warranty. Pick the plug that matches your car.
Prices and specs from Lectron's US site on October 15, 2026. Miles per hour is Lectron's figure; the ordinary-outlet figure assumes a 12-amp cord and a 31.1 kWh/100 mi EV (EPA). Sponsored links: we earn a commission if you buy.
Cost per 100 miles = kWh per 100 miles × price per kWh.We take each car's combined energy use from the EPA ratings on fueleconomy.gov, which are measured at the wall and so include the energy lost while charging. Electricity prices are each state's average residential price for January–July 2026 from the US Energy Information Administration.
Worked example: a 2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard RWD uses 24.3 kWh per 100 miles. At the US average of 18.2¢, that is 24.3 × $0.1819 = $4.42 per 100 miles. A 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Ext Range WT pickup at 47.8 kWh per 100 miles costs $8.69 for the same distance.
The gasoline comparison uses 25.5 mpg, the EPA's average real-world fuel economy for new model-year 2024 vehicles excluding electric and plug-in hybrid models, and each state's latest weekly regular gasoline price from EIA (or its regional average where EIA does not publish a state figure).
Sorted from cheapest to most expensive for a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD (31.1 kWh/100 mi) charged at home, 1,000 miles a month.
| # | State | ¢/kWh | EV per 100 mi | EV per month | Gas per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 12.4 | $3.84 | $38 | $163 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 12.9 | $4.01 | $40 | $163 |
| 3 | Idaho | 13.0 | $4.03 | $40 | $174 |
| 4 | Utah | 13.2 | $4.09 | $41 | $174 |
| 5 | Louisiana | 13.3 | $4.15 | $42 | $151 |
| 6 | Nevada | 13.5 | $4.21 | $42 | $199 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 13.6 | $4.22 | $42 | $163 |
| 8 | Arkansas | 13.6 | $4.23 | $42 | $151 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 13.9 | $4.31 | $43 | $163 |
| 10 | Montana | 13.9 | $4.34 | $43 | $174 |
| 11 | Wyoming | 13.9 | $4.34 | $43 | $174 |
| 12 | Missouri | 14.0 | $4.34 | $43 | $163 |
| 13 | Iowa | 14.2 | $4.42 | $44 | $163 |
| 14 | Kentucky | 14.3 | $4.44 | $44 | $163 |
| 15 | Washington | 14.4 | $4.48 | $45 | $211 |
| 16 | South Dakota | 14.5 | $4.51 | $45 | $163 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 14.9 | $4.65 | $46 | $154 |
| 18 | New Mexico | 15.1 | $4.69 | $47 | $151 |
| 19 | Mississippi | 15.2 | $4.72 | $47 | $151 |
| 20 | Kansas | 15.2 | $4.73 | $47 | $163 |
| 21 | Florida | 15.3 | $4.76 | $48 | $156 |
| 22 | Georgia | 15.4 | $4.79 | $48 | $154 |
| 23 | Oregon | 15.4 | $4.79 | $48 | $199 |
| 24 | Arizona | 15.4 | $4.80 | $48 | $199 |
| 25 | West Virginia | 15.5 | $4.81 | $48 | $154 |
| 26 | South Carolina | 15.9 | $4.95 | $50 | $154 |
| 27 | Texas | 16.1 | $4.99 | $50 | $148 |
| 28 | Minnesota | 16.3 | $5.05 | $51 | $164 |
| 29 | Alabama | 16.5 | $5.14 | $51 | $151 |
| 30 | Colorado | 16.7 | $5.20 | $52 | $164 |
| 31 | Virginia | 16.8 | $5.23 | $52 | $154 |
| 32 | Indiana | 17.0 | $5.30 | $53 | $163 |
| 33 | Delaware | 17.9 | $5.55 | $56 | $170 |
| 34 | Ohio | 18.7 | $5.82 | $58 | $152 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.0 | $5.91 | $59 | $163 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.2 | $5.98 | $60 | $163 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.0 | $6.54 | $65 | $170 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.3 | $6.62 | $66 | $170 |
| 39 | Michigan | 21.5 | $6.70 | $67 | $163 |
| 40 | Vermont | 23.9 | $7.45 | $74 | $168 |
| 41 | New Jersey | 24.0 | $7.46 | $75 | $170 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | 24.7 | $7.67 | $77 | $170 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 26.8 | $8.33 | $83 | $168 |
| 44 | Alaska | 27.1 | $8.42 | $84 | $199 |
| 45 | Connecticut | 28.0 | $8.70 | $87 | $168 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2 | $9.09 | $91 | $168 |
| 47 | New York | 29.4 | $9.14 | $91 | $171 |
| 48 | Maine | 30.0 | $9.33 | $93 | $168 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 30.1 | $9.37 | $94 | $167 |
| 50 | California | 33.3 | $10.34 | $103 | $239 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 46.3 | $14.39 | $144 | $199 |
At the US average residential price of 18.2¢ per kWh (January–July 2026, EIA), a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD rated at 31.1 kWh per 100 miles costs about $5.66 per 100 miles, or about $57 for 1,000 miles a month. State averages range from $3.84 per 100 miles in North Dakota to $14.39 in Hawaii.
Multiply the car's energy use in kWh per 100 miles by your electricity price in dollars per kWh. That gives the cost per 100 miles. EPA kWh-per-100-mile ratings are measured at the wall outlet, so they already include charging losses.
On national averages, yes. Regular gasoline averaged $4.33 a gallon in the week of 2026-10-12 (EIA), so a 25.5 mpg car costs about $16.98 per 100 miles, versus about $5.66 for a compact electric SUV charged at home. Relying on public DC fast charging, which usually costs more per kWh than home electricity, narrows or can erase that gap.
Multiply the energy you add by your price per kWh, then allow a little extra because some energy is lost as heat while charging. For example, adding 75 kWh at 18 cents per kWh costs $13.50 before those losses. Most drivers top up from partly full, so a typical night's charge costs less. For per-mile costs, use the calculator above: EPA ratings already include charging losses.
Only if your utility offers a time-of-use or EV rate plan with cheaper overnight prices. On a flat-rate plan the price is the same at any hour. Many utilities offer such plans; check your utility's website or the state incentive links on our state pages.
Estimates only. Your actual costs depend on your utility's rate plan, how and when you charge or use power, and local prices. This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. See our disclaimer.
Photo: Zaptec on Unsplash (Unsplash License).