What Does It Cost To Run An Electric Car?

While the price of a gallon of gasoline is literally posted on street corners, it’s difficult to gauge what it costs to power an electric vehicle. To that end, the Department of Energy recently took the wraps off a new online tool called eGallon (http://energy.gov/maps/egallon) that makes quick work of the solution, comparing current average gas prices and the electric equivalent for all 50 states based on average local rates. As of this writing, the national average for a gallon of gas was $3.65, with the electric equivalent given at a bargain $1.14 a gallon. In Illinois, where gas averages a stiffer $3.84 a gallon, we found the electric equivalent to run a far cheaper $0.99 a gallon. While it’s certainly a step in the right direction to help buyers choose between conventional cars and EVs, eGallon ignores differences in resale values and maintenance/repair costs, and any expenditure necessary to rewire one’s garage to accommodate an EV charger. Clearly the devil is in the details here.