Vehicle Technologies Office

Transportation Analysis Fact of the Week #1109

November 25, 2019

All-Electric Vehicles Have the Lowest Estimated Annual Fuel Cost of All Light-Duty Vehicles

The estimated annual fuel costs for model year (MY) 2019 all-electric light-duty vehicles are the lowest of all the different vehicle technologies, ranging from a low of $500 to a high of $900 per year. The annual fuel costs for plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles, which can fuel with gasoline and electricity, are next lowest, and are heavily influenced by the electric range of the vehicle. Hybrid-electric vehicles, which are fueled only with gasoline, generally use their technology for maximizing fuel economy; however, because some models use their hybrid systems to boost performance rather than to increase fuel economy, not all hybrid vehicles have low fuel costs. Conventional gasoline vehicles for MY 2019 have estimated annual fuel costs ranging from $1,000 to $4,100—the widest range, with the most vehicle models available.

Note: All annual vehicle fuel costs are rounded to the nearest $50. Annual fuel cost estimates are based on combined city/highway fuel economy, 15,000 annual miles, and the following fuel prices: $2.55 regular gasoline; $3.00 premium gasoline; $2.85 diesel; and $0.13 electricity per kilowatt-hour.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Fuel Economy Data, accessed October 1, 2019.

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