Are electric cars cheaper to maintain and own than gas-powered cars? We’ve been led to believe this, but the facts might be a little different than perception.

Electric vehicles are creating a divided feeling in the automotive world. Some people love the EVs and their silent driving, cheap electric power, and clean burning features. Others feel that EVs cost too much, use far too many rare-earth metals, and require new charging stations, which only add to the ruin of the world’s landscape.

Should you drive an electric car, and are they cheaper to maintain and own than ICE models? Let’s explore.

What are we being told?

Most automakers tout lower maintenance costs for electric vehicles while also promising owners won’t need to visit service centers nearly as often with EVs as ICE models. Overall, fewer visits mean you’ll spend more time driving and less time at the service center, but the cost per visit could be greater for EVs. Electric cars are relatively new in Israel, and some owners are learning that these infrequent visits can be costly compared to what they paid per tip for gas-powered vehicles.

Still, the overall maintenance costs could be less for electric vehicles during a specific time period. The best way to learn about this is to compare gas and electric versions of nameplates that offer both types of vehicles. For this comparison, we’ll use the data collected by Car and Driver concerning the Hyundai Kona and Ford F-150, which offer gas and electric versions.

What are the maintenance cost comparisons?

When electric and gas versions of the same vehicles are compared, electric cars are cheaper to maintain. The three-year timeline provided for the Kona and F-150 shows the electric models cutting costs by almost $900 for the Kona and $600 for the F-150. The actual maintenance costs after 45,000 miles of driving are:

• Hyundai Kona: $0.0984 per mile/$4,428
• Hyundai Kona Electric: $0.0794 per mile/$3,573
• Ford F-150: $0.0933 per mile/$4,199
• Ford F-150 Lightning: $0.0794 per mile/$3,573

How much does the fuel cost for each vehicle type?

This is where comparisons become murky, and it’s hard to know how to gauge exactly what it costs to fuel different vehicle types. For the gas-powered versions of these two vehicles, Car and Driver used $3.70 per gallon for regular fuel, which was the national average fuel price at the time of their study. This means the gas-powered versions cost:

• Hyundai Kona: $5,162
• Ford F-150: $8,325

When looking at the electric versions of these two vehicles, the average rate of $0.1546/kWh is used for at-home charging. Of course, there are other factors to consider as well. Some drivers will use public charging exclusively, while others might never need to plug in at a DC fast-charger. We know these public chargers are much more expensive than at-home charging.

Tossing the figures in a bucket to figure out how much it costs to charge the electric versions of the Kona and F-150 for 45,000 miles, the total comes to:

• Hyundai Kona Electric: $2,548
• Ford F-150 Lightning: $4,529

What have we learned?

Are electric cars cheaper to maintain than gas-powered vehicles? In this example, the answer is a resounding “yes.” The difference we find is that EVs don’t have to visit the service center nearly as often as gas-powered vehicles, which is a plus, but those visits can be more costly each time, which is a negative.

Driving EVs is much less expensive than driving gas-powered vehicles, especially in areas where gasoline costs nearly $4.00 per gallon. It’s also much cheaper to recharge electric vehicles at home than out on the road.

Why are some drivers avoiding electric vehicles?

Typically, when you buy a vehicle, you’re familiar with how it drives, what to do to fuel the vehicle, and how to maintain it. Transitioning from a gas-powered vehicle to an electric model creates a challenge for most drivers. Where are the charging stations in your area? If you don’t know the answer to this question, you’ll need more information to change from a traditional model to an EV.

Another reason some drivers aren’t ready to make the change is the need for an at-home charger. Some people live in apartments and don’t have electric chargers at their buildings, while homeowners with garages might avoid an EV because running a 240-volt electric line and plug can be expensive.

Electric cars are cheaper to maintain so far, but we only have a few years and a small sample size. We won’t know everything about EVs until some have lasted for 20 or 30 years to prove they can stay on the road as long as some gas-powered vehicles. Still, EVs are cheaper to fuel and maintain, and they are cleaner to drive, which are only a few of the benefits of EVs.