A 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric costs about 4.6 U.S. cents per mile in electricity at US$0.16/kWh. The gas Kona costs 11.3 cents per mile at US$3.50 per gallon. With those vehicles and that gas price, the break-even charging rate is about US$0.39/kWh. Above that rate, the gas version costs less per mile in this example.
These are energy costs based on published combined ratings and illustrative prices. A per-mile comparison helps you judge a charging rate before you plug in. You can then multiply the result by your mileage to estimate an annual fuel budget.
How to calculate EV and gas cost per mile
- Electric car. Divide the EV’s kWh per 100 miles by 100, then multiply by the charging price per kWh.
- Gas car. Divide the price per U.S. gallon by the car’s miles per U.S. gallon.
- Annual fuel or charging cost. Multiply each cost per mile by your annual mileage. Use the unrounded per-mile result for the calculation.
Use the kWh/100 miles figure on the U.S. electric vehicle label for a dollar calculation. MPGe measures the distance a vehicle can travel on the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline, so it does not tell you what a mile costs at your electricity rate. The EPA’s published kWh/100 mile figures for plug-in vehicles already include charging losses in the test. If you enter one of those figures in our calculator, leave Extra electricity use at zero.
U.S. example with the electric and gas Hyundai Kona
The EPA lists the 2025 Kona Electric with 17-inch wheels at 29 kWh/100 miles and the 2.0-litre front-wheel-drive gasoline Kona at 31 MPG. The table compares the same 12,000 miles with different charging prices. All dollar figures in this example are U.S. dollars.
| Energy scenario | Cost per mile | Cost for 12,000 mi |
|---|---|---|
| Gas at $3.50/gal | 11.29¢ | $1,354.84 |
| EV at $0.16/kWh | 4.64¢ | $556.80 |
| EV at $0.45/kWh | 13.05¢ | $1,566.00 |
At US$0.16/kWh, the electric Kona saves about US$798 a year at this mileage. At US$0.45/kWh, it costs about US$211 more if every kWh is billed at that rate. A single expensive stop has a smaller effect when most of your charging happens at a cheaper rate.
What charging price breaks even with gas?
Divide the gas car’s cost per mile by the EV’s kWh per mile. For the Kona example, US$3.50 ÷ 31 MPG gives US$0.1129 per mile. Divide that by 0.29 kWh per mile and you get US$0.389 per kWh. That is the charging price at which both energy costs are equal. Update the gas price and the vehicle ratings to find your threshold.
If you charge in more than one place, weight each price by the share of kWh you buy there. Buying 80% of your kWh at US$0.16 and 20% at US$0.45 gives a blended US$0.218/kWh, or 6.32 cents per mile at the Kona’s EPA rating. The blended rate stays below the break-even point even though the individual public rate is higher. For a completed session, divide the total you paid by the billed kWh to include any session fees in the comparison. The examples use the same rated electricity consumption for every rate. If your billed energy use differs by charging location, use your actual costs and distance to estimate your real cost per mile.
Canadian example in dollars per 100 km
Natural Resources Canada lists the 2025 2.0-litre gas Kona with stop/start at 7.5 L/100 km and the Kona Electric with 17-inch wheels at 18.1 kWh/100 km. In metric, multiply each consumption rating by its matching unit price. The result is dollars per 100 km. Divide by 100 for dollars per kilometre.
| Energy scenario | Cost per 100 km | Cost for 15,000 km |
|---|---|---|
| Gas at CA$1.60/L | CA$12.00 | CA$1,800.00 |
| EV at CA$0.16/kWh | CA$2.90 | CA$434.40 |
| EV at CA$0.50/kWh | CA$9.05 | CA$1,357.50 |
For this Canadian example, break-even is CA$12.00 ÷ 18.1 kWh, or about CA$0.66/kWh. That is a Canadian comparison using Canadian ratings, litres and dollars. Use your actual electricity rate and pump price rather than converting the U.S. result.
Which numbers should you use for your own driving?
Start with the combined rating for your exact model, drivetrain and wheel size. If you have a few months of records, divide your charging spend by the kilometres or miles driven over the same period. Include home and public charging, and choose a period that starts and ends at a similar battery level. Compare a similar driving pattern and season for the gas car. Cold weather, sustained highway driving and a different charging mix can change the estimate.
The break-even rate in this guide compares the cost of energy. For a purchase decision, also compare the actual purchase prices, insurance and other ownership costs. For a closer look at the bill itself, see our guide to home and public charging costs or estimate a single session with the EV Charging Cost Calculator.
Vehicle ratings and calculation sources
- U.S. Department of Energy and EPA 2025 Hyundai Kona combined ratings and EV testing methodology for charging losses.
- Natural Resources Canada 2025 Fuel Consumption Guide for the Canadian gasoline and battery-electric ratings.
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