THE COST OF GETTING THERE
Every mile
has a number.
Fuel, charging and the everyday commute. See the energy cost of your driving with the rates you actually pay.
QUICK ESTIMATE / FUEL
Fuel Cost Calculator
Estimate spending on gasoline.
Change the example inputs to your own values. Check the method and limitations below.
Choose your route.
Fuel Cost Calculator
Estimate spending on gasoline.
Open tool →EV Charging Cost Calculator
Estimate charging spending.
Open tool →Commute Cost Calculator
Annual fuel and parking.
Open tool →Gas vs EV Calculator
Compare energy costs for identical miles.
Open tool →Read the How to Compare Gas and EV Energy Costs Fairly guide →
COMPARE ON THE SAME DISTANCE
Gas or electric?
Start with energy.
Compare the cost for identical miles. Electricity tariffs, MPG and charging efficiency change the answer. Energy is one part of ownership cost.
- Distance
- Miles driven
- Efficiency
- MPG or kWh / 100 miles
- Rate
- Price per gallon or kWh
DRIVING COSTS EXPLAINED
Driving cost calculators for fuel, charging and the commute
Distance, efficiency and the price of energy describe the basic cost of moving a vehicle. Drifftly puts those inputs in view so you can compare a trip, an annual commute or a gasoline-versus-electric scenario. Use observed efficiency where possible and choose a rate that matches where you buy fuel or charge. These tools focus on energy and the costs named in their fields; they do not automatically represent the full cost of owning a vehicle.
Estimate gasoline spending
The fuel cost calculator divides miles driven by miles per gallon and multiplies by the entered price per gallon. Use a recent receipt or a clearly labeled comparison price. Rated MPG and your own driving MPG can differ because of traffic, weather and vehicle condition. Keep the distance period consistent when comparing two results.
Estimate electricity bought for charging
The EV charging calculator uses miles, kWh per 100 miles, price per kWh and an added charging-loss percentage. Use an efficiency figure with the same basis as the model; adding losses to a number that already includes them can count them twice. Home and public charging rates may need separate scenarios rather than one blended guess.
Plan a recurring commute
The commute calculator turns round-trip miles, days per week and weeks per year into annual distance, then adds gasoline cost and entered parking charges. Adjust for days you work remotely or do not commute. Tolls, maintenance, tires and depreciation are outside this model, so label the result as fuel-and-parking cost rather than total ownership cost.
Compare gas and EV energy for equal miles
The gas-versus-EV calculator compares gasoline and electricity spending over identical annual miles. It is designed to hold distance constant while you change efficiency and rates. This comparison does not add charging losses or purchase-price differences automatically. Keep those limitations visible when comparing it with the more detailed charging tool.
ILLUSTRATIVE NUMBERS / ADJUST TO YOUR SITUATION
Worked example: 12,000 annual miles on gasoline
Driving 12,000 miles at 30 MPG requires 400 gallons. At an illustrative $3.50 per gallon, the energy cost is $1,400. If the same miles are driven at 25 MPG, the requirement becomes 480 gallons and the cost becomes $1,680. The $280 difference comes from the efficiency input while distance and fuel price remain unchanged.
For an EV example, 12,000 miles at 30 kWh per 100 miles represents 3,600 kWh before the charging-loss allowance. In the charging calculator, a 10% added allowance produces 3,960 kWh; at $0.17 per kWh, that scenario costs $673.20. Check whether your efficiency source already includes charging losses.
Name what is inside your driving-cost comparison
Use the same annual distance and reporting period for both vehicles. Record whether the electricity price is a home tariff, a public charging price or a deliberate scenario. When evaluating ownership, add separate records for purchase or financing, insurance, maintenance and resale expectations. An energy comparison alone cannot decide which vehicle costs less overall.
For a fuller explanation, read the How to Compare Gas and EV Energy Costs Fairly. You can also review our editorial policy or report a calculation issue with the page and input values.
Driving-cost questions
Should the commute distance be one way or round trip?
Enter round-trip miles in the commute calculator. Entering only the morning journey understates annual distance unless you intentionally plan to model that leg alone. Then adjust days and weeks to the schedule you actually expect, rather than assuming every week has the same number of trips.
Why can two EV cost calculators give different answers?
They may use different efficiency units, tariffs or charging-loss assumptions. Drifftly’s charging tool adds the entered loss allowance, while its gas-versus-EV tool is a simpler direct energy comparison. Align the assumptions and understand the scope before comparing their totals.
Does the fuel estimate include wear and depreciation?
No. The fuel tool calculates gasoline spending from distance, MPG and price. Vehicle wear, maintenance, insurance and depreciation need separate estimates. The commute tool also includes parking when entered, but it still does not represent every cost of driving.
Can I use a different rate for home and public charging?
Run separate scenarios for the miles or energy allocated to each charging source, then combine comparable costs. A single average rate is only useful if it represents the mix you actually expect. Keep the rate period and any included fees consistent when checking a charging bill.
Check the four example scenarios
These are the prefilled calculator scenarios, provided so you can reproduce the arithmetic. They are not current fuel-price quotes, electricity tariffs or recommendations for a particular vehicle. Select a tool, leave its defaults in place to check the example, then replace the inputs with your own values.
Estimate gasoline spending
At 12,000 miles and 30 MPG, a vehicle uses 400 gallons. With an illustrative $3.50 gallon price, spending is $1,400. Keep miles and efficiency on the same reporting period.
Estimate electricity bought for charging
At 12,000 miles and 30 kWh per 100 miles, baseline energy is 3,600 kWh. The tool adds a 10% allowance to give 3,960 kWh; at $0.17 per kWh, cost is $673.20.
Plan a recurring commute
A 30-mile round trip, five days a week and 48 weeks gives 7,200 miles. At 30 MPG and $3.50 per gallon, fuel costs $840. Parking is additional when a daily charge is entered.
Compare gas and EV energy for equal miles
At 12,000 equal miles, 30 MPG and $3.50 per gallon, gasoline costs $1,400. At 30 kWh per 100 miles and $0.17 per kWh, EV energy costs $612 before losses. The energy difference is $788.
FROM AN ESTIMATE TO A DECISION
Align the reporting period before comparing energy
A monthly fuel receipt and an annual mileage estimate should not be compared as totals. Choose a common distance and period first. Use observed efficiency when available, while keeping city driving, winter conditions and towing in context. For charging, decide whether the efficiency figure already reflects energy from the wall. Adding a loss allowance to an all-in consumption figure can count the same loss twice. Save the source and basis of each efficiency value.
Separate an energy saving from ownership savings
Gas-versus-EV results compare energy under the entered values. Purchase price, finance charges, insurance, tires, maintenance and resale value are outside that comparison. Public charging can also require a separate rate scenario from home charging. If a commute changes, update distance and attendance together before comparing old and new annual figures. A lower electricity total is useful evidence about one cost category; a vehicle decision needs the other categories on the same time basis.
Keep a reproducible scenario
A useful calculation record has five parts: the question you want to answer, the source of each input, the units and period, the output, and the assumptions left outside the model. Preserve the original scenario before experimenting with an alternative. That makes it easier to explain why a second answer differs and to update the record when a measurement or quote changes.
Use the same model for both scenarios. If you switch methods, explain the difference before comparing totals. Check the mathematical result separately from the practical decision: correct arithmetic can still depend on an incomplete cost category or unsuitable source value. Keep a label, dated quote, policy or dataset reference with your notes where it matters.
Continue with a practical guide
Read Make a Fair Gas-versus-EV Energy Comparison for a step-by-step workflow, checks and an example. The guide library brings both reference articles together. Start with the measurement or input method, then use the relevant calculator and return to the guide to check what the result means.