MeterMath

EV vs gas California

EV charging cost in California vs gas

$559 a year saved by charging an electric car at home in California instead of buying gas.

Driving 12,000 miles a year, an EV costs about $1,296 to charge here and a 28 mpg gas car about $1,856 to fuel. California has the 2nd most expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 33.61¢/kWh, 84% above the U.S. average of 18.31¢.

Prices updated October 2026 from EIA, AAA and BLS data.

¢/kWh
 
mi
$/gal
mpg
New car average is about 28.
mi/kWh
Sedans 3.5 to 4.5, trucks 2 to 2.5.
Public charging and charging losses
%
Road trips and fast charging.
$/kWh
AAA national average, October 16, 2026.
%
Energy lost between the outlet and the battery. Level 2 chargers lose about 10%.

How California compares

Ranked by yearly saving, California is 50th of 51. Savings run from $66 in Hawaii to $1,276 in Louisiana. The saving here is $525 less than the $1,084 a driver saves at the U.S. average price.

Gas would have to fall below $3.02 a gallon, from $4.33 now, before charging an EV in California stopped saving money.

Public chargers averaged $0.42/kWh nationally on October 16, 2026, according to AAA. Divided by the 33.61¢/kWh home rate here, that makes public charging 1.2 times the home price, so every mile charged in public cuts the saving. Charging only at home would raise it to $575 a year.

Every neighboring state saves more, led by Nevada at $1,274.

StateElectricityEV saving a year
Nevada12.77¢$1,274
Arizona15.38¢$1,184
Oregon15.97¢$1,164
California33.61¢$559

More for California

What these numbers assume

  • 12,000 miles a year.
  • An EV that goes 3.5 miles per kWh, with 10% of home charging energy lost between the outlet and the battery.
  • 10% of miles charged at public stations at $0.42/kWh, the AAA national average on October 16, 2026.
  • A 28 mpg gas car, with regular gas at $4.33 a gallon, the national average on October 12, 2026 (EIA weekly retail price survey).
  • Home electricity at the California average of 33.61¢/kWh.

Change any of them in the calculator above to match your own bills. The formulas are on the main EV vs gas calculator.

Sources

  • Electricity price: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data).
  • Gasoline: EIA weekly U.S. regular retail price, October 12, 2026.
  • Public charging: AAA national average, October 16, 2026.
  • Rankings: MeterMath calculation with the same inputs for all 50 states and DC.