Man compares gas and electric car costs in 2026 to see which is cheaper to see if the EV advantage has eroded
Published on Mar 26, 2026 at 9:10 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Mar 26, 2026 at 4:04 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
After 11 years of ownership, this man compared the costs of his electric car to a gas car to see if there was still such thing as an ‘EV advantage’.
If you’ve spent any length of time reading about EVs, you’ll have no doubt heard the arguments that EVs are cheaper to own than their gas counterparts.
But as electric cars have become more mainstream, has this narrative still held true or have times changed?
This British YouTuber ran the numbers to see how things stacked up.
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How much was this YouTuber spending on his EV compared to a gas car?
When YouTuber Electric Vehicle Man first got an EV 11 years ago, he called it a ‘financial no-brainer’ as fuel savings exceeded monthly car payments.
But a lot has changed in the last decade, from taxes to energy prices.
Here was this question he was posing – is owning an EV nowadays still delivering the savings it once was?
He was going to compare the vehicle types based on fuel costs only.
In the UK, gas costs around $1.66 per liter (131p per liter), and diesel comes out at $1.88 per liter (141p per liter).
There are obviously variables that come into play, which make this whole discussion a little more nuanced.
For example, home charging is obviously the best case scenario for EV charging, costing around $0.025 (approz 2p per mile), compared to $0.37 (28p per mile) with rapid charging.
By way of comparison, gas looks more expensive at $0.38 and $0.47 (between 30 and 36p per mile).
Diesel fared better in the comparison, at $0.12 per mile (9p per mile).
Ultimately, charging at home with an EV reigned supreme as the cheapest type of refueling.
Without the opportunity to charge at home, a lot of EVs’ saving advantages disappeared, in this YouTuber’s view.
“If I couldn’t charge from home, I wouldn’t own an EV right now,” he admitted.
“I could [afford it] but it’d be massively inconvenient.”
This won’t be the last time somebody has compared an electric car with a gas car
Let’s face it, if you’re thinking of making a change to EVs, you’re going to want to know you’re saving money.
Not many people would make such a big change if they thought it would cost them more in the long-run.
Ultimately, it’s tough to give a definitive answer on whether electric cars are always cheaper.
But we have seen more EV drivers proclaiming their savings in recent years – particularly among those who drive Teslas.
One Model 3 owner broke down the figures and threw in insurance and maintenance for good measure.
And even then, there’s competition among EV drivers about which brands are kinder on the wallet, as demonstrated when this GMC Hummer owner compared his charging costs to a neighbor’s Tesla.
Ultimately, every person needs to do their research and take everything into account before making any big decisions.
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Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
