Fuel cost calculator
Pick two vehicles, set your prices and mileage, and see what each costs to fuel per year and over the time you plan to keep it.
Pick two vehicles to compare.
| Vehicle | Rating | Per year | Over 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
Fuel and electricity prices (EPA's current figures)
Covers the 25 models on this site, model years 2016 to 2026. Plug-in hybrids are calculated running on gas only.
How the math works
Gas, hybrid and diesel
Gallons a year = miles × (city share ÷ city MPG + highway share ÷ highway MPG). The city and highway ratings are EPA's, scaled so that the default mix of 55% city driving gives EPA's combined rating exactly. At 15,000 miles and EPA's prices, the result matches EPA's own annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.
Electric vehicles
Cost = miles ÷ 100 × EPA's kWh per 100 miles × your electricity price. EPA's kWh figure already includes charging losses.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026, and EPA's fuel price assumptions.
Your costs will differ with prices, weather, speed and how you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.