EV Road Trip Cost Calculator

At the US national home charging average of $0.1765/kWh and a typical 3.5 mi/kWh efficiency, 100 miles costs around $5.05. On the road, using DC fast charging, it runs higher: about $9.60 at Tesla Supercharger's $0.35/kWh average, or around $13.10 on Electrify America at $0.48/kWh. A 28 MPG gas car at $3.20/gal costs about $11.40 for the same 100 miles. Home charging is almost always your cheapest option; road trip charging sits closer to gas car costs.

At highway speed, 30 miles takes about 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic and speed limit. Cost-wise, an EV charging at home covers 30 miles for roughly $1.50, a gas car at 28 MPG and $3.20/gal costs about $3.40. Neither distance is far enough to need a charging stop for almost any EV on the market, so this is really a fuel cost comparison rather than a route-planning question.

Usually yes, even at DC fast charging rates. At Supercharger's $0.35/kWh average, a Tesla Model 3 Long Range costs about 8.9 cents per mile on the highway. A 28 MPG gas car at $3.20/gal costs 11.4 cents per mile, so the EV still wins by roughly 22%. On Electrify America at $0.48/kWh, cost rises to 12.3 cents per mile, slightly more than the gas car. Which network you use changes the outcome more than almost anything else, the EV advantage is strongest on Tesla Supercharger and weakest on Electrify America without a membership.

Less than most people expect. A CDK Global 2025 road trip study found that 37% of EV drivers added only 30 to 60 extra minutes total compared to a gas car, and many spent that time eating anyway. At 150 to 350 kW DC fast chargers, most modern EVs add 150 to 200 miles of range in 15 to 25 minutes (charging from 20% to 80%). Older EVs on 50 kW chargers take 45 to 60 minutes per stop. For a 500-mile trip, plan on 1 to 2 charging stops of 20 to 30 minutes each, similar in length to a gas stop that includes a bathroom break and food.

The EPA test cycle assumes about 55 mph and mixed urban and highway driving. At 75 mph, aerodynamic drag increases roughly with the cube of speed, so a 15% speed increase translates into about a 15% range reduction. Consumer Reports 2025 real-world range tests found that half of 26 EVs tested fell short of their EPA estimates at highway speeds, some by up to 50 miles. As a rule of thumb, plan on 70 to 80% of EPA range for highway cruising at 70 to 75 mph. This calculator applies a speed correction automatically based on your selected speed, which is also the core of how to calculate EV mileage accurately for a real trip rather than a sticker number.

Range leaders change as new model years launch, but as of 2026 the longest-range production EVs are generally large luxury sedans with bigger battery packs and slippery aerodynamics, think Lucid Air and Mercedes EQS class vehicles, with EPA ratings above 400 miles. Among mainstream models, the Tesla Model 3 Long Range, Hyundai Ioniq 6, and Hyundai Ioniq 5 Long Range typically land in the 300 to 350 mile range on paper. Remember that highway range runs lower than the EPA number, often 70 to 80% of it at 70+ mph, so check real-world range tests rather than the sticker figure when planning a long trip.

Tesla Supercharger remains the strongest overall option, with 3,100+ stations, the fastest typical speeds (150 to 250 kW), the lowest prices ($0.30 to $0.45/kWh), and the highest uptime. Since 2023, non-Tesla EVs with NACS ports or adapters can access Superchargers too. For non-Tesla vehicles without NACS, Electrify America has the best highway coverage on the CCS side, though at a higher cost ($0.48 to $0.56/kWh without a membership). An EA Pass+ membership at $4 a month cuts rates to $0.36 to $0.44/kWh and pays for itself after a single charging session. It's worth keeping a backup network in mind too, using an app like PlugShare or ABRP alongside this calculator.