After three years of daily-driving an electric car and tracking everything in Car Money, here is an honest account of what surprised me, what did not, and what the numbers actually look like.
The headline numbers
- Total miles: 36,400
- Total energy cost: $1,860 (mostly home charging at $0.13/kWh average)
- Total maintenance: $340 (tires, washer fluid, cabin air filter, one wiper set)
- Total insurance: $4,860 (EV-specific, full coverage, urban garage)
- Cost per mile: $0.19 all-in
For comparison, my previous gas car at the same miles cost about $0.32/mile.
What was better than expected
- Quietness on long drives. The first time I noticed I was tired and realized I had not been straining to hear at highway speed.
- Free charging at work. Once you find a free charger, your daily fuel cost is zero.
- No oil changes, no spark plugs, no transmission service. Three years of saved Saturdays.
What was worse
- Winter range loss. About 25–30% in cold weather. The math: a 280-mile EPA range becomes 200 miles in February. Plan accordingly.
- Tire wear. EVs are heavy. Tires last about 70% as long as on a comparable gas car. This is the cost line nobody talks about.
- Fast-charging on road trips is still slower than gas. Plan 30–45 minutes per stop on a multi-stop day. It works, but it is not gas-pump fast.
Charging math (the only thing that really matters)
At home, $0.13/kWh × 4 mi/kWh = $0.0325/mile in fuel.
At public DC fast charging, $0.40/kWh × 4 mi/kWh = $0.10/mile — more than gas for a 30-mpg car at $3/gallon.
The EV economic case is home charging. Without it, the numbers are still fine but not dramatic.
What I tracked in Car Money
- Every charging session as a “Refueling” with kWh in place of gallons
- Energy cost per session
- A custom category for “Public charging” so I can see the home-vs-public split
- Tire purchases as a tracked maintenance item
The Reports view has shown me, very clearly, that 86% of my charging dollars are home and that road trips cost me about 4× my daily-driving rate. That is how I plan.
Three-year verdict
The math works, the experience is better, and the only real surprise is tires. If you are considering one, run your home-charging math first.