EV Maintenance Cost vs Gas: A 5-Year, 60,000-Mile Ledger
Over five years and 60,000 miles, an EV saves roughly $1,100 to $2,400 in maintenance and repairs compared with a gas car, depending on whose data you use. We ran both studies through the same five-year ledger and show what is actually on each car's service list.
Assumptions for the ledger: 12,000 miles a year for five years, 60,000 miles total. Two cost rates, from two credible sources that measure different things:
| Source | What it measures | EV | Gas car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Reports owner survey (2020) | Out-of-pocket repair and maintenance reported by owners | 1.2¢/mi (0–50k mi), 2.8¢/mi (50–100k mi) | 2.8¢/mi (0–50k mi), 6.0¢/mi (50–100k mi) |
| Argonne National Laboratory, for DOE (2021) | Modeled scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, averaged over the vehicle’s life | 6.1¢/mi | 10.1¢/mi |
Hybrids, for reference, come in at about 9¢ a mile in the Argonne model, mostly thanks to longer brake life.
The ledger: owner-reported costs (Consumer Reports rates)
| Year | Miles | EV | Gas car | EV saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0–12k | $144 | $336 | $192 |
| 2 | 12–24k | $144 | $336 | $192 |
| 3 | 24–36k | $144 | $336 | $192 |
| 4 | 36–48k | $144 | $336 | $192 |
| 5 | 48–60k | $304 | $656 | $352 |
| Total | 60k | $880 | $2,000 | $1,120 |
Year 5 jumps because the last 10,000 miles cross into the 50,000–100,000-mile bracket, where both cars’ per-mile costs more than double. The EV doubles from a much smaller base.
The ledger: modeled lifetime-average costs (Argonne rates)
| Year | EV | Gas car | EV saves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5, each | $732 | $1,212 | $480 |
| Total | $3,660 | $6,060 | $2,400 |
Why the two ledgers disagree
They are not measuring the same thing, and both are useful:
- Consumer Reports’ figures are what owners actually paid. In the first few years, much of the cost is covered by warranties and, for some brands, free scheduled maintenance. That keeps both columns low.
- Argonne’s figures are a lifetime average across scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, including the expensive later years. Applying them to years one through five overstates early spending but gives a better sense of what you are signing up for over the car’s whole life.
Read it this way: expect the first five years to look like the Consumer Reports ledger, about $1,100 saved. If you keep the car for 10 or 15 years, the gap widens toward the Argonne figure and beyond, because older gas cars get expensive fast. Consumer Reports’ lifetime averages tell the same story: 3.1¢ a mile for EVs versus 6.1¢ for gas cars.
What is on each car’s service list
| Item | Gas car | EV |
|---|---|---|
| Oil and oil filter changes | Yes, several times in 60k miles | None |
| Spark plugs | Yes, on many engines before or around 100k | None |
| Engine air filter | Yes | None |
| Transmission fluid | On many cars | Reduction gear fluid on some models, rarely |
| Timing belt, water pump, exhaust, oxygen sensors | Possible, especially after 60k | None |
| Brake pads and rotors | Regular wear | Much slower wear thanks to regenerative braking |
| Brake fluid | Yes | Yes |
| Tires, rotations, alignment | Yes | Yes, often more important on a heavy EV |
| Cabin air filter, wipers | Yes | Yes |
| Coolant | Engine coolant | Battery and electronics coolant on many models; long intervals |
| 12-volt battery | Yes | Yes |
The EV list is shorter, but the items that remain are not trivial. Tires are the line to watch. EVs are heavy and deliver torque instantly, and EV-rated tires can cost more. Rotate them on schedule and check alignment once a year. AAA’s numbers include one set of replacement tires in five years, and EVs still came out cheapest.
What the ledger leaves out
- Depreciation. AAA’s 2025 Your Driving Costs study found EVs had the lowest maintenance, repair, and tire costs of any category, but the highest depreciation, giving them a total ownership cost of 71¢ per mile versus 64¢ for hybrids. A $1,100 maintenance saving is real money, but it is not the biggest number in the ownership equation.
- Battery replacement. Outside warranty, a replacement can cost five figures. It is uncommon, and most EV batteries are covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles, but check the warranty’s capacity threshold. On a used EV, get a battery health report; see our used Model 3 and EV6 inspection checklist.
- Fuel. Charging at home is a much bigger saving than maintenance for most commuters; see EV vs hybrid and the charging cost calculator.
- Insurance, which usually runs the other way; see is EV insurance more expensive?
Data notes
Consumer Reports rates are from Table 2.1 of its 2020 EV ownership cost report, based on owner survey data. Argonne rates are from the DOE-funded vehicle cost of ownership analysis, summarized by Yale Environment 360. Total cost per mile and the category rankings are from the AAA Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet. The five-year ledgers are our calculation; costs are in the studies’ original dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
Checked October 2026.
FAQ
Are EVs cheaper to maintain than gas cars?
Yes. Argonne National Laboratory estimates about 6.1 cents per mile for battery-electric cars versus 10.1 cents for gas cars. Consumer Reports owner data puts the early-life gap even wider in percentage terms: 1.2 cents versus 2.8 cents per mile in the first 50,000 miles. AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs study ranks EVs as the least expensive category for maintenance, repair, and tires.
What maintenance does an electric car still need?
Tires and tire rotations, wheel alignment, cabin air filters, wiper blades, brake fluid, brake service (less often than a gas car, thanks to regenerative braking), battery coolant checks on many models, and eventually the 12-volt battery. There are no oil changes, spark plugs, timing belts, or exhaust repairs.
Do lower maintenance costs make an EV cheaper to own overall?
Not by themselves. AAA's 2025 study found EVs had the lowest maintenance, repair, and tire costs but the highest depreciation of any category, at 71 cents per mile in total ownership cost versus 64 cents for hybrids and 56 cents for small sedans.