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The reliable way to decide is to calculate both vehicles’ energy cost per mile using the prices you actually expect to pay. Treat that result as a fuel-cost comparison, not proof that the EV will have a lower total cost of ownership.
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What determines whether a mostly-public EV is cheaper?
Compare the EV’s electricity cost per mile with the gasoline car’s fuel cost per mile. For gasoline, divide the local price per gallon by the comparison car’s miles per gallon. For an EV, multiply electricity used per mile by the applicable charging price per kilowatt-hour.
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EV cost per mile = kWh per mile × [(home share × home rate) + (public Level 2 share × Level 2 rate) + (DC fast share × DC rate) + other shares]
Then calculate the annual difference:
Annual energy-cost difference = (gasoline cost per mile − EV cost per mile) × annual miles
A positive result means the EV uses less money for energy under those assumptions. A negative result means gasoline is cheaper for energy. Neither result includes purchase price, financing, insurance, maintenance, tires, taxes or other ownership costs.
Why public charging changes the calculation
Home electricity is usually the low-cost baseline
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center says public charging generally costs more than residential electricity, particularly DC fast charging. Home charging uses your utility’s residential rate, while public networks set their own prices and may use different billing models.
Public pricing can vary by station, time, connector, location and payment method. A station may charge by kilowatt-hour, by time connected, per session, or through a combination of energy and service fees. Membership pricing can change the effective rate, but only if the amount you use justifies the recurring charge. Use the rate you would actually pay, including applicable session, connection, parking or membership costs.
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Level 2 and DC fast charging should not be lumped together
Public Level 2 charging is generally slower and may have a different price structure from DC fast charging. If you mostly use DC fast chargers, enter that higher effective rate separately rather than averaging it with an inexpensive public or workplace rate. A small amount of home charging can also materially change the weighted average when public charging is costly.
Your public-charging share is a first-order input
Many national calculators assume that most battery-electric charging occurs at home. That assumption does not describe a driver who lives in an apartment, lacks a dedicated outlet or travels between public stations. Set the public share to match your expected routine, then divide the public portion between Level 2 and DC fast charging as realistically as possible.
A practical worksheet for your own numbers
Collect these inputs before comparing vehicles:
| Input | What to enter | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| EV efficiency | The vehicle’s electricity use in kWh per mile (or convert from an available efficiency figure) | More efficient EVs need less electricity at every charging price. |
| Gasoline efficiency | Fuel economy in miles per gallon for a comparable gasoline vehicle | This sets the gasoline vehicle’s cost per mile. |
| Gasoline price | Your local price per gallon for the period you want to model | Fuel prices vary by region and over time. |
| Home electricity rate | Your residential price per kWh, if any home charging is available | Use the rate on your utility bill or tariff, including relevant time-of-use differences. |
| Public Level 2 rate | The posted local rate you expect to pay, converted to an effective price if fees apply | Public networks do not share one standard price. |
| DC fast rate | The actual rate for the fast-charging sites you would use | DOE specifically cautions that DC fast charging is often more expensive. |
| Charging mix | Shares for home, workplace, public Level 2, DC fast and other charging | The weighted average determines the EV’s real energy cost. |
| Annual miles | Your expected yearly driving distance | The per-mile difference scales directly with mileage. |
Step 1: Calculate the gasoline cost per mile
Suppose a comparable gasoline car achieves 30 mpg and gasoline costs $3.60 per gallon. The illustrative calculation is $3.60 ÷ 30 = $0.12 per mile. This is an example of the method, not a current national price or a prediction.
Step 2: Calculate each EV charging segment
Assume, for illustration, an EV uses 0.30 kWh per mile. At a $0.40-per-kWh public rate, that segment costs 0.30 × $0.40 = $0.12 per mile. At a $0.20 home rate, it costs 0.30 × $0.20 = $0.06 per mile. Use your vehicle’s efficiency and the rates you can verify locally.
Step 3: Weight the segments
If 70% of charging is at $0.40 per kWh and 30% is at $0.20 per kWh, the weighted electricity rate is (0.70 × $0.40) + (0.30 × $0.20) = $0.34 per kWh. At 0.30 kWh per mile, the EV costs 0.30 × $0.34 = $0.102 per mile for energy. Compared with the illustrative gasoline cost of $0.12 per mile, the EV saves $0.018 per mile, or $180 over 10,000 miles. Change any input and the result changes.
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Using the current DOE and Argonne comparison tool
The DOE/Argonne Fuel Cost Comparison Calculator page displayed a last-updated date of Aug. 5, 2026. It compares gasoline vehicles with newer gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric options. Its inputs include local gasoline price, residential electricity price, public charging price and the share of charging done publicly.
- Select a battery-electric vehicle and a genuinely comparable gasoline vehicle. Similar size, performance and use are more informative than comparing unrelated models.
- Enter the local gasoline price and the gasoline vehicle’s registered or expected fuel economy.
- Enter the residential electricity price only for the charging you can actually do at home.
- Enter the public charging price that reflects the stations you expect to use. If Level 2 and DC fast prices differ substantially, run separate scenarios or use a weighted effective rate.
- Increase the public-charging share to match your circumstances. Do not leave the default assumption in place if you expect most charging to occur away from home.
- Review the result as a fuel-cost estimate. The calculator does not establish whether the EV has a lower purchase price or total ownership cost.
The calculator’s methodology uses local gasoline prices and assumes, for a typical battery-electric case, that most charging takes place at home based on prior charging-behavior research. That makes the default useful for a conventional home-charging driver, but potentially misleading for a mostly-public driver unless the public share is changed.
What the historical 15-cent figure does—and does not—tell you
The Department of Energy published a modeled figure of 15 cents per kilowatt-hour on Aug. 31, 2020. That model assumed 81% of charging at home, 14% at work or public stations and 5% with DC fast charging. It was a historical modeled average, not a current public-charging rate and not a calculation for a driver who mostly uses public stations.
Do not use that figure as the answer to your situation. Public-network prices, utility rates, gasoline prices, vehicle efficiency and charging behavior have all changed, and your own charging mix may be very different from the model’s assumptions.
When a mostly-public EV is likely to save on energy
- Your EV has strong efficiency in kWh per mile.
- You can use reasonably priced public Level 2 charging for a meaningful share of your miles.
- You reserve DC fast charging for trips instead of relying on it for nearly every session.
- Local gasoline is expensive or the comparable gasoline vehicle has poor fuel economy.
- You drive enough miles for a modest per-mile difference to matter.
- A workplace, apartment or municipal station provides charging at a low posted rate or as a genuine included benefit.
When gasoline may be cheaper for energy
- Nearly all charging is high-priced DC fast charging.
- Stations add substantial session, parking or time-based fees.
- Your EV is inefficient for its size or is used heavily at highway speeds and in conditions that raise consumption.
- Gasoline is inexpensive locally and the comparison car has high fuel economy.
- You drive very few miles, so annual energy savings are too small to offset other costs.
- A network membership appears cheap but your actual charging volume is too low to recover its recurring fee.
These are decision conditions, not universal rules. Your local posted prices and vehicle data control the result.
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Public-network fees and memberships: use the effective price
Look beyond the advertised energy rate. Record what a typical session actually costs, including any connection charge, minimum charge, parking fee, idle fee or subscription allocation. If a network bills by time rather than by kilowatt-hour, divide the session total by the energy delivered to estimate an effective price for your vehicle and charging pattern.
Run two cases when prices are uncertain: a normal-use case based on the stations you expect to choose and a high-cost case based on frequent fast charging, peak pricing or failed access to cheaper stations. This range is more useful than a single optimistic rate.
Can a Level 1 cordset reduce public charging?
A portable Level 1 cordset can help only when you have access to a suitable 120-volt outlet, a compatible vehicle connection and a practical place to park while charging. The Department of Energy says most EVs come with a cordset, so check the vehicle’s included equipment before buying anything.
Level 1 is an alternative source of electricity, not a discount on public charging. If it lets you replace some paid public sessions with electricity from an outlet you are authorized to use, include that portion as home or site electricity in your weighted calculation. If no suitable outlet or parking arrangement exists, it does not change your public-charging cost.
Energy savings are not total ownership savings
A lower energy bill does not automatically mean the EV is cheaper to own. Purchase price, financing, insurance, registration, taxes, maintenance, tires, charging equipment and depreciation require a separate comparison. The DOE/Argonne calculator is designed to compare fuel costs, while EPA guidance recommends personalizing fuel prices and driving habits for its vehicle fuel-cost comparisons.
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For a total-cost decision, build a second worksheet that uses the same annual mileage and ownership period for both vehicles. Keep energy savings as one line item rather than allowing a favorable fuel result to stand in for the entire ownership calculation.
A decision checklist for buyers without home charging
- List the public stations you can reliably reach near home, work and regular destinations.
- Copy their current posted rates and fee rules, noting whether prices differ for Level 2 and DC fast charging.
- Estimate the percentage of charging each location will provide during an ordinary month and during road trips.
- Record efficiency for the EV under consideration and mpg for a comparable gasoline vehicle.
- Calculate both costs per mile, then multiply the difference by your annual miles.
- Repeat the calculation with higher public-fast-charging use and higher gasoline or electricity prices.
- Compare purchase and other ownership costs separately before deciding that the EV saves money overall.
- Recheck rates, fees, vehicle specifications and incentives immediately before purchase because they can change.
Common mistakes that produce an unrealistic answer
- Using a national average: A national number cannot represent your local station prices or utility tariff.
- Leaving the home-charging default unchanged: A calculator’s typical BEV assumption may not fit your apartment or travel pattern.
- Using one public rate for every charger: Separate Level 2 and DC fast charging when their prices differ.
- Ignoring fees: Include the complete session cost, not only the displayed per-kWh figure.
- Comparing unlike vehicles: Match size, capability and use before interpreting a per-mile difference.
- Calling fuel savings total savings: Purchase and ownership costs need their own analysis.
- Treating the 2020 15-cent figure as current: It was a historical model with a mostly-home charging mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a national average for savings when most charging is public?
No. The available guidance does not establish one authoritative national savings amount for a mostly-public charging profile. Local rates, gasoline prices, efficiency and charging mix must be used.
Should I include free workplace or public charging?
Include it only to the extent that access is dependable for your expected mileage. Enter the actual cost of that charging, including any required membership, parking or access fee.
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Use the total session cost divided by the energy delivered to estimate an effective price per kilowatt-hour for your vehicle and typical session.
Does the DOE/Argonne calculator prove an EV is cheaper to own?
No. It compares fuel costs. Purchase price and other ownership expenses require a separate calculation.
How often should I update the comparison?
Recheck local charging rates, gasoline prices, vehicle efficiency and fees before purchase and whenever your charging routine changes.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
