Cost to run an electric car

Charging an EV at home costs the miles you drive times the car's efficiency, times your electricity rate. Pick your state or enter your own rate to see what it costs you.

Official EIA data · August 2026

Miles driven per month

Efficiency

kWh/100 mi

Efficiency is listed as kWh/100 mi on fueleconomy.gov and on the window sticker; most EVs are between about 25 and 40. Home charging also has some losses, so real use is a bit higher.

Electricity rate

EIA average residential price, August 2026. Your bill shows your exact rate.

Cost to run an electric car per month

$63.56

350 kWh at 18.16¢/kWh (U.S. average)

Per day: $2.09
Per year (same use every month): $762.72

Energy per year

4,200 kWh

if used like this all year

Typical home that uses it

2,363 kWh/yr

$429.12 a year · EIA RECS, U.S.

Full details Costs in every state, real-world usage, formula and tips

Cost to run an electric car in every state

For 1,000 miles a month at 35 kWh per 100 miles, at each state's average residential electricity rate (August 2026, EIA). Click a state for more detail.

State	Rate	Per month	Per year
Nevada	12.72¢	$44.52	$534.24
Louisiana	12.87¢	$45.05	$540.54
North Dakota	13.31¢	$46.59	$559.02
Utah	13.31¢	$46.59	$559.02
Idaho	13.37¢	$46.80	$561.54
Tennessee	13.42¢	$46.97	$563.64
Nebraska	13.54¢	$47.39	$568.68
Kentucky	13.80¢	$48.30	$579.60
Arkansas	14.37¢	$50.30	$603.54
Mississippi	14.43¢	$50.51	$606.06
Wyoming	14.43¢	$50.51	$606.06
Washington	14.63¢	$51.21	$614.46
Oklahoma	14.82¢	$51.87	$622.44
North Carolina	14.95¢	$52.33	$627.90
Florida	14.99¢	$52.47	$629.58
Arizona	15.05¢	$52.68	$632.10
South Dakota	15.15¢	$53.03	$636.30
Kansas	15.47¢	$54.15	$649.74
Montana	15.57¢	$54.50	$653.94
South Carolina	15.76¢	$55.16	$661.92
Georgia	15.90¢	$55.65	$667.80
Texas	15.91¢	$55.69	$668.22
Oregon	15.92¢	$55.72	$668.64
Missouri	16.02¢	$56.07	$672.84
West Virginia	16.31¢	$57.09	$685.02
Alabama	16.33¢	$57.15	$685.86
New Mexico	16.51¢	$57.79	$693.42
Indiana	17.02¢	$59.57	$714.84
Iowa	17.06¢	$59.71	$716.52
Colorado	17.17¢	$60.10	$721.14
Minnesota	17.20¢	$60.20	$722.40
Virginia	17.64¢	$61.74	$740.88
Delaware	18.70¢	$65.45	$785.40
Illinois	19.32¢	$67.62	$811.44
Ohio	19.38¢	$67.83	$813.96
Wisconsin	19.41¢	$67.94	$815.22
Maryland	21.40¢	$74.90	$898.80
Pennsylvania	21.77¢	$76.20	$914.34
Michigan	22.99¢	$80.46	$965.58
Vermont	23.84¢	$83.44	$1,001.28
Connecticut	24.51¢	$85.79	$1,029.42
New Jersey	24.61¢	$86.14	$1,033.62
District of Columbia	25.98¢	$90.93	$1,091.16
New Hampshire	27.64¢	$96.74	$1,160.88
Rhode Island	28.18¢	$98.63	$1,183.56
New York	28.65¢	$100.28	$1,203.30
Alaska	29.41¢	$102.94	$1,235.22
California	29.75¢	$104.13	$1,249.50
Massachusetts	30.48¢	$106.68	$1,280.16
Maine	32.11¢	$112.39	$1,348.62
Hawaii	47.18¢	$165.13	$1,981.56

How much homes actually use, by region

Average annual electricity used by an electric car in homes that have one, from the EIA's 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), and what that use costs at today's U.S. average rate.

Region	kWh per year	Cost per year
United States	2,363	$429.12
New England	2,605	$473.07
Middle Atlantic	1,990	$361.38
East North Central	1,755	$318.71
South Atlantic	2,594	$471.07
Mountain North	3,588	$651.58
Mountain South	2,700	$490.32
Pacific	1,646	$298.91

How the cost is calculated

Miles × kWh per 100 miles ÷ 100 = kWh, then multiply by your rate. 1,000 miles at 35 kWh/100 mi is 350 kWh. Charging losses add a little on top, so treat the result as a minimum.

How to lower the cost

Charge overnight if your utility has a cheaper time-of-use rate.
Highway speeds and winter cold raise kWh per mile.
Public fast chargers usually cost much more per kWh than charging at home.

Quick answers

How much does it cost to run an electric car per month?

At the U.S. average residential rate of 18.16¢ per kWh (August 2026), 1,000 miles a month at 35 kWh per 100 miles uses about 350 kWh and costs about $63.56 a month, or $762.72 a year if used the same way all year.

Where is it cheapest to run an electric car?

Electricity prices vary a lot by state. In August 2026, Nevada had the lowest average residential rate (12.72¢/kWh) and Hawaii the highest (47.18¢/kWh). The same use costs $44.52 a month in Nevada and $165.13 in Hawaii.

How much electricity does an electric car use in an average home?

According to the EIA's Residential Energy Consumption Survey, U.S. households that have an electric car used about 2,363 kWh a year for it in 2020. At today's average rate that is about $429.12 a year.

Sources

Last reviewed November 2, 2026. Rates refreshed automatically when EIA publishes a new month.

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See everything

These are estimates. State rates are EIA averages (total residential revenue ÷ kWh sold), so they include fixed monthly charges spread across usage; your own price per kWh, time-of-use rates and taxes can differ. Real appliance use depends on the model, settings, climate and habits.