Home › Appliances › Electric car
How much does it cost to run an electric car?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running an electric car costs about $696 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per day
- $1.91
- Per month
- $57.98
- Per year
- $696
Assumption: 3,800 kWh a year. 12,000 miles a year at roughly 3.5 miles per kWh, plus about 10% charging losses, on home Level 2 charging.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $40.28 | $483 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | $40.44 | $485 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | $41.55 | $499 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | $42.46 | $510 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $43.41 | $521 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $43.48 | $522 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $43.64 | $524 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $43.73 | $525 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $45.38 | $545 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $45.44 | $545 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $45.47 | $546 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $46.04 | $553 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $46.58 | $559 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $47.47 | $570 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $47.59 | $571 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $48.01 | $576 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $48.35 | $580 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $48.67 | $584 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $48.70 | $584 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $48.99 | $588 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $49.97 | $600 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $50.29 | $603 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $50.57 | $607 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $50.63 | $608 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $50.95 | $611 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $50.95 | $611 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $51.52 | $618 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $51.93 | $623 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $52.98 | $636 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $53.83 | $646 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $55.26 | $663 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $55.58 | $667 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $58.52 | $702 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $60.36 | $724 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $60.86 | $730 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $61.59 | $739 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $67.80 | $814 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $68.78 | $825 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $72.99 | $876 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $75.21 | $902 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $76.51 | $918 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $79.77 | $957 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $79.83 | $958 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $84.23 | $1,011 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $89.58 | $1,075 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $91.30 | $1,096 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $94.68 | $1,136 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $96.55 | $1,159 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $103 | $1,232 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $106 | $1,277 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $152 | $1,824 |
Cutting the number down
- Charging on an off-peak or EV rate plan is usually the single largest lever, and it costs nothing but a schedule setting.
- Charging losses are real: the meter sees noticeably more than the battery receives, especially in cold weather.
- Cost per mile, not cost per charge, is the number that compares cleanly against a tank of gasoline.
Questions
- How many watts does an electric car use?
- Usage is better expressed as 3,800 kWh a year.
- How much does an electric car cost per month?
- About $57.98 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $696 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $483 a year, versus $1,824 in Hawaii — a spread of $1,341.