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How Much Does it Cost to Charge a Chevy Volt?

I’ve gotten feedback lately that as much fun as it is to read my very long detailed cost of charging by time of day analysis combined with expected weekly usage analysis, that people just want a simple layman’s answer to the basic question – how much does it cost to charge a Chevy Volt?

This is a fair question – and instead of nerding it out over graphs, I will try my best to explain it in simple to understand terms comparing electricity costs to gasoline costs.  For this explanation, I will leave out the complexity of situations when someone starts to use burn gasoline after you’ve used up your battery energy.

The cost to charge your Volt is based on 2 numbers.  How much electricity you used how much it costs for a unit of electricity.  Because many are not familiar with the terminology, I have a little table below to compare the two.



Usage Amount Units

Gallons of Gas


Cost Units

$ per Gallon of Gas

$ per Kilowatt-Hour


Before I explain how to put things together, here’s a little definition for a word you might not have heard about.  A Kilowatt-Hour is the unit we use to describe how much electricity is “put into” your Volt.  You will normally see this in your electricity bill.  Depending on how big your home is, most families will use somewhere between 300 to 600 kilowatt-hours (If you use heavy air condition obviously it could be a lot more!) of electricity per month.  Check your bill and look for the total number of KwH you used to see just how much electricity you used for your home.  You can see an example of an electricity bill here.

Now to make the comparison, lets think in terms of a normal gas powered car and make the comparison to electricity.  To know how much you spend on gas for a car, you typically know…

1.)    How many miles you drive

2.)    How many miles do you get per gallon of gasoline

3.)    How much does it cost per gallon of gasoline

When you have those three, you can calculate your estimated fuel costs.

Example 1 –  Gasoline:  You drive 1,000 miles per month, your car gets 25 Miles Per Gallon, and you pay $4.00 for a gallon of gasoline.  That means:

1000 miles / 25 Miles Per Gallon = 40 gallons of gasoline


40 gallons of gasoline * $4.00 a gallon = $160 per month in Gas Costs.

If you can do the math above – you can easily do the math for electric costs!  Just substitute a few numbers.

Example 2 – Electricity:  You drive 1,000 miles per month, your car (The Chevy Volt) gets 2.7 miles per kilowatt hour used (EPA estimated average), and you pay $0.12 per kilowatt-hour (national average)  That means:

1000 miles / 2.7 miles per kilowatt-hour = 370 Kilowatt-Hours


370 Kilowatt-Hours * $0.12 Per Kilowatt Hour = $44.44 in Electricity per month.

Now you know the basics of how to calculate how much it costs to charge a Chevy Volt.  Here are some important considerations.

1.)     Electricity Costs, unlike gasoline costs, typically increase when you use more electricity.  (That is just how most utilities are).  So with this calculation, you need to be careful and understand how your electric rates changes as you use more electricity.

2.)    Some utilities will charge you more if you use electricity during the peak of the day and less when you are sleeping.  You often need to sign up for special rate plans for them to give you these rates.  During off hours, you can pay as little at $0.06 per KwH  (Half Price!)  Or as much as $0.40 per KwH during peak times (3.5x more than average!)  That’s why it’s important to charge at night in many cases because it save you lots on your electricity bill.

In the example above – if you pay $0.40 per KwH, you save nearly nothing vs gasoline on a 25 MPG Car!  Which is bad!  However, if you pay $0.06 per KwH, you can save as much as $120 per month.

This example is a quick and dirty way to understand how electricity costs work.  In actuality, if you really want to know – read the following articles to learn more about the complexity.  Or if you know you electricity rate and how much you drive a month, you can do a quick calculation and be done with it :)

-Off Peak Charging Analysis

-Chevy Volt 240v Charging Efficiency

-First Chevy Volt Electricity Bill

53 Responses to “How Much Does it Cost to Charge a Chevy Volt?”

  1. Chris C. says:

    Patrick -

    This is great info, but I think it’s best to provide an even shorter answer to curious people, and here’s what I tell them.

    Ten dollars a month.

    That is in fact how much it costs me to fuel my Volt. Now, I personally am benefiting from A) slightly low mileage, 8000 miles per year typically, and B) wonderfully low electrical rates. Here in Georgia, our utility offers a TOU rate plan that drops my overnight rate to 5 cents per kWh.

    If you put more like 15000 miles per year on your car then the Volt might cost you about $20 per month to run. If you drive 15000 miles and have more typical electrical rates (say, 11 cents) then it would be about $40/month.

    My point is that while all the cents per mile calculations are neat, they don’t drive the crucial point home, which is that the operating cost of this car is trivial! $40 is less than a single fill-up for most people, and stating it in terms of dollars per month illustrates it best.

    When standing around in a parking lot (or an outreach event) answering questions, I think it’s important to start with the simple, dramatic answer. I do love the look on their face when I say “ten dollars per month” :)

    - Chris

    P.S. By the way, you said that a typical household consumes 300-600 kWh per month. Maybe that’s true in sunny, temperate California, but across the southern half of the United States it’s far more due to heavy A/C loads. I’m in an average sized house in Atlanta and my last bill was for 1900 kWh! Of course I’m working on bringing that down, but that’s frankly typical.

    • Jolly Roger says:

      NO this was not a good answer, because it overcomplicates things. Yes it is good for engineering analysis, but not for the average guy on the street. Here’s the SIMPLE answer:

      Volt G1 used 10.4 kilowatthour battery (usable).
      Volt G2 uses 17.1 kilowatthour battery (usable).

      Recharging that battery is KWh times about 13 cents per kwh (national average). Please note I’m ignoring charging inefficiency because that is variable depending on temperature, voltage, etc.

      G1 costs $1.36 for the first 39 miles (pure EV mode).
      G2 costs $2.23 for the first 50 miles (pure EV mode).

      ANSWER: The numbers just stated + whatever gasoline you burn after the battery is exhausted.

      • Ries says:

        I realise you didn’t mention charging efficiently, but what would be a balkpark inefficiently value be at 20 degrees and at your option 115 or 230V? (I change at 230V in Europe).

      • Jon says:

        Your numbers are similar, but since these things vary by weather and electricity rates, I am sharing mine:

        I have a 2016 Gen 2 Volt. I live in San Mateo, California and get a special EV electricity rate during certain hours of the day (11pm-7am weekdays, and all but 3pm-7pm on weekends) because I own an electric car.

        I typically charge it in my driveway overnight, and a full charge is 14.1 kWh (according to my Energy screen) and that generally takes me 60 miles when the weather is good, and 50 miles if I need to run the heater or A/C most of the ride.

        My EV rate during the hours above are 12.9c/kWh, and that is 100% renewable electricity (a blend of 100% wind and solar).

        So, for a full 14.1kWh charge, it costs me $1.68 for my 50-60 pure electric miles.

        Another point that I can’t seem to find on this forum is it’s really easy to use the ClipperCreek cable (EVSE) that comes with your Gen2 Volt to charge at 220v. I followed the instructions from a post two years ago on how to build a simple adapter to plug this into a 220v receptable, and charge your car in double-time.

        With $25 in parts from Home Depot, I have been charging my 2016 volt every night for over two years through an unused 220v dryer receptacle. The EVSE limits its draw to 12 amps, and so it takes 5.5h for a full charge.

        One more reason why I love my Volt!

      • David Silberman says:

        I have a 2018 Volt. It has 14.6 Kw of useable battery power not 17.1 Kw. Cost to charge using the above example is therefore is $1.90. The cost to charge each car is really the same because the G2 can go proportionally further than the G1. Another real number to estimate the true cost to operate the car is that when using 110 volt house power is that there is about an 80% efficiency rate from the total wattage drawn on your house electrical meter and the actual watts captured in the battery. As an example to charge a Volt battery with 8 Kw of power you will have to pay for 10 Kw. Lastly by installing a 240 v level 2 charging system you are only buying the convenience of charging in 3-4 hours instead of about 12-13 hours using a 110 household outlet drawing 12 amps. You will never recoup the costs needed to install a 240 v system. Charge as often as you can at your lowest rate.

  2. Dave says:

    However you want to spell it out the volts electricity use is not as costly as most vehicles that run off gas. A on the road comparison would be very interesting. Gas mileage always varies greatly depending on how the driver drives the vehicle. I wonder how this car is driven affects the mileage? I have not had the chance to actually see an electric volt here at the Joplin Car Dealership in Joplin, MO.

  3. Eric says:

    I’ve added solar electricity, PV, to my house so the government is not only subsidizing my new Volt, (thank you very much!), it is subsidizing my cost to prepay for all of the electricity my Volt will need for the next 25 years. And a bonus for those of us who care about these things, the electricity generation creates near zero carbon emissions.

    To make this simple, let’s assume you drive 27 miles a day. You’ll need 10 kWh of electricity to get you through the day, (2.7*10). An average solar panel will make 1kWh of energy each day, (more here in the sunny Southwest and less in the Northeast). So you would need about 10 solar panels or about 2500 watts to keep you passing gas stations.

    The US has no standard way to subsidize renewable energy so your costs will be very dependent on where you live.

  4. James says:

    Your missing the true cost of owning a Volt. The per mile analysis (fuel or electricity cost) is only part of the equation. You also need to add the cost difference between a similar size and quality gas operated car. A similar gas engine car will cost about $15,000 or more less than the Volt, even after the taxpayer provided rebate.

    Using 15,000 miles for 5 years or 75,000 miles and the cost difference of $15,000, the built in cost to operate is 20 cents per mile or $250 per month (1,250 miles x .2)

    To enjoy the savings shown in the above comments, the plan is to drive from to work and back. What about the times you travel further and have to recharge away from home? That is not free not to mention the amount of time you have wait for the recharge. A cost that should also be added.

    Yes, nothing is for free.

    • Richard Standerfer says:

      My Volt cost me 25,200 after my tax credit.
      That is about $5000 more than a gas operated car, not $15,000.

    • Joe Jarvis says:

      I bought my 2012 Volt with 10,000 miles on it, so it was not 15K more than a comparable gas car.

  5. Edward says:

    Minor correction for a typo above:
    Example 2 – Electricity: You drive 2,500 miles per month,…..
    Should read
    Example 2 – Electricity: You drive 1,000 miles per month,….

    to be an apples to apples comparison to the gasoline calculation above it. The equation following in Example 2 is correct since it uses 1000 miles, not 2,500:

    The end comparison in the article is still accurate

  6. mark says:

    All falls apart in NY (long island)
    $0.45 /kwh
    Yep 45 cents $0.36/kwh service charge + at least $0.0857 usage.

    So using the above cited formula a Chevy Volt would cost $166 /month v $160/month for gasoline (gas is $4/gal today).

    • Jonathan says:

      Your math is incorrect. Refer to your LIPA (PSEG, now) statement and just divide Total Charges (what LIPA wants you to pay them) by total kWh shown (for that month’s usage). You will arrive at what you pay per kWh. In my case, it is 20.3 cents per kWh this month (January, 2014). The highest I have seen in two years was 24.1 cents. It generally is 19.x cents per kWh. I have the 180 General Usage rate and live on the North Fork of LI.

      For the 20,230 miles I have driven my Volt so far, the cost per mile for gas and electricity has been 6.8 cents per mile. My lifetime mpg is at 90.3.

      The Volt extended range electric vehicle is a great concept. I drive less than 40 miles per day for months on end only using electricity and then can take a 700 mile trip without any range anxiety whatsoever. I just fill up the gas tank along the way.

  7. chip says:

    another way to look at it is that the $15000 could buy you 3000 gallons of gas at $5 per gallon and a car that small should get 30 miles per gallon giving you 90,000 miles paid for before you spend an additional penny on fuel.

    • PatrickZWang says:

      Take $9,000 off that number in California for federal and CA rebates = $6000 = 1200 gallons of gas = 36,000 miles to break even.

  8. anonymous says:

    the guy in the adverisement says he did not buy gas in two months….get real he should also said he only drives a few miles a day!
    i consider that false advertisement !…. i drive my vehicle from point Ki to point A everyday and and i accumulate 35,000 kilometers a year if i buy a volt that means i will only put gas every two months? i dont think so!

    • Scott says:

      My wife bought a 2016 Volt in May. Last week (4 months later) the car hit 4,500 miles and we had to fill the tank (6 gallons, it was not empty). We commute together in her Volt 2 days a week, she works from home the other 3 days. On those two days I drop her off in DC then go to work in Alexandria for a total one way trip of 44 miles. I charge up for free at work then return, picking her up, home for another 44 miles and then plug it into the 240v charge station I installed at home. Occasionally we go over the 50+ mile range of the battery, but not often, which is why it took 4 months to use up most of the tank of gas that the dealer gave us with the car.


  9. Lily says:

    I’m a bit confused. I might be missing a key detail. Does it say anywhere here how many watts the Volt draws. Isn’t that important to know before being able to calculate the per house usage rate. So, for example, if you plugged it into your house for 12 hours and your current rate is .10 cents per kilowatt hour how would you create that formula?

    Setting aside all discussion of how many miles you drive and cost per month or year, just the electrical use of having the car plugged into your house (or someone else’s house).

    12 hours x .10 cents (example: per KwH) x ____________.


    • Freddie G says:


      Of all the comments, I think you have the question that I truly would like an answer too. I own a 2013 Chevy volt and I pay 5.9 cents per kilowatt hours here in Houston. The real question regarding electric vehicles is perhaps how many miles you get per Kilowatt and how many kilowatts does it take to get a full charge. The second one is commonly calculated as the “load”when doing electrical calculations. I don’t have an exact answer but can say that my electric bill seems very low, and I charge every night. The car says I use about 9.2 kilowatts on average and I get about 34 miles for it. I bought my car used for $19K and it had 25K miles on it. I now have over 50K miles and I’m very happy with my premium package VOLT!! I fill up about once every 9 days because my commute is about 55 miles a day on work days and I usually don’t pay for any gas on one or both of the weekend days. Bottom line for me is that I really enjoy the ride and I don’t have to worry about oil changes for about a year or about transmission problems. I also really enjoy being able to go on long trips putting gas in. I can go on and on about the benefits of the VOLT, but for me, buying a used one is well worth the money!!

  10. Tim says:

    At 2.7 miles per kwh for the Chevy Volt costing $.09/kwh (Denver) and 16 mpg at $3/gal (Denver) for a 2004 S10 Blazer the comparisons are as follows:

    total Cost Total Cost
    Miles/yr mpkwh Price/kwh per Yr per Mnth
    12000 2.7 $0.09 $397.82 $33.15
    15000 2.7 $0.09 $497.28 $41.44
    18000 2.7 $0.09 $596.73 $49.73
    21000 2.7 $0.09 $696.19 $58.02
    24000 2.7 $0.09 $795.64 $66.30

    total Cost Gas Cost Elec Cost Monthly
    Miles/yr mpg Price/Gal per Yr per Mnth per Mnth Savings
    12000 16 $3.00 $2,250.00 $187.50 $33.15 $154.35
    15000 16 $3.00 $2,812.50 $234.38 $41.44 $192.94
    18000 16 $3.00 $3,375.00 $281.25 $49.73 $231.52
    21000 16 $3.00 $3,937.50 $328.13 $58.02 $270.11
    24000 16 $3.00 $4,500.00 $375.00 $66.30 $308.70

    I am currently pricing a 2014 Chevy Volt to lease at $270/month ($2400 down). I typically drive 18000-21000 miles per year. Insurance is represented to the same as a gas vehicle. I’ll have to find some way to confirm that 2.7 miles per kwh mileage but clearly the cost of electric energy is significantly less than gasoline energy. Apparently driving the volt will save me more money than it costs me. This even over comes my down payt. Of course this savings is because I drive an SUV. The savings is significantly less for a fuel efficient vehicle.

    • Jonathan says:

      Perhaps my experience will help you to understand the cost to drive the Volt.

      Prior to getting the Volt, I had a 2010 Prius that I had driven 30,000 miles. My lifetime average was 50 mpg. There were 6 oil changes. Assuming $3.50 per gallon and $40 an oil change (they were free compliments of Toyota, but should be tallied in the cost to drive), the cost per mile was 7.8 cents.

      The cost per mile for gas and electric usage in my 2012 Volt is currently 6.8 cents. 20230 miles driven and not one oil change needed yet. At my current rate I will need to change the oil at the mandatory 24 month interval, rather than because of depleted oil life.

      • John says:

        So you save 1 cent per mile and the Volt is about 10 grand more than a Prius. So you’ll be breaking even in a quick one million miles.

        • Carguy says:

          I’ve seen plenty of used Volts going for $14k-$19k.

          • ThatGuy says:

            I just purchased a 2012 Volt with 12K miles on it for 16,900 with a 10 year 100k mile bumper to bumper warranty.. and i don’t feel like a complete tool driving it like i would feel in a prius..

        • Josh C says:

          Worth it, to drive a Volt instead of a Prius. Plus, that’s if you’re driving like a Prius driver – I drove a Prius rental for a week, drove normally and netted 22.mpg for city driving.

          I drive the Volt like a real car and so far my mpg-e is 65. Hard to say though, I’ve had it for about a week and so far the gas engine hasn’t kicked on.

  11. askjason says:

    in Los Angeles, LADWP charges me $0.167/KwH. The car only allows you to use 11.3 KwH before it switches to gas. It costs me $1.89 to recharge it at home ($0.167 x 11.3). I am blessed that my work offers free recharging, so I do not have to completely recharge my car each night. My work also discounts parking by about 30% for workers who drive a plug-in hybrid or electric car. Last, there are a lot of places that offer free recharging, like my favorite mall by house. So when ever I go shopping I plug it in.

    In response to the real cost of ownership, it is important to note that Chevy is heavily discounting Volts. After incentives and rebates, many buyers end up paying 22K for a fully loaded Volt. A comparable Honda Civic fully loaded has a factory invoice $23,306 per TruCar.com. I personally leased mine for $3k total upfront costs and $164/month with 12k miles per year.

  12. Larry says:

    I am trying to find out how much the Volt uses after it is charged fully. It uses some electricity to keep batteries at a certain temperature.

  13. Heatherly says:

    I am just wondering where these numbers are coming from. I called my electric company and they say it is .10 c per kilowatt hour regardless. I am just wondering where this calculation comes from. I assume it is different depending on region.

  14. markg. says:

    Great article but when you are looking to buy the car like I was at the time you really just want the short and simple answer to “how much does a Chevy volt cost per charge” Which is around $1 or less per charge depending on your rate. There is just too many words in the above article. I know that you want to get in the cost per mile, the KHW per mile, etc., but a volt buyer doesn’t care. If we know that we can get around 40 miles per charge and the charge cost around or under a $1 that’s all we need to know when you expound beyond that you are literally splitting pennies.

    It cost me 80 cents., you can only use about 10Khw of the battery and to charge 10 kwh at my rater per kwh from my electric company which is .08 cent x 10hwh it comes to 80 cents, You can not get a more simple answer than that.

    So for the general answer most Volt owners will pay less than a dollar a charge but for some where the electric rates are higher, you could pay up $1.20. I would say that for just about everyone, that answer is good enough considering that the same 40 miles that you get out of one charge can cost as much as $11 in car that runs on gasoline (my Chrysler 300m cost me $11 to go 40 miles when gas was close to $4 per gallon).

  15. markg. says:

    your cost per charge will be around $1 to charge a depleted Volt battery at 10 cents per KWH. Average miles per charge is 40, if you drive more aggressive (which is fun to do in the volt) or must have the AC blasting or heat the car to 80 degrees in the winter then expect to get around 30miles per charge, normal driving (no more than 10 miles over the speed limit), with AC in eco mode (still comfortable) you should reach 40 miles, unless you are running just on the highway at over 65 mph (in that case expect to get in low 30s) the Volt does best off highway.

  16. Jeff says:

    I use 12 kWh every night to charge my Volt. My OFF PEAK electric rate is 7 cents per kWh, therefore it costs me 84 cents to fully charge my batteries. I am averaging about 38 miles per full charge. So, compared to someone driving a “regular” car, assuming $3.50 per gallon, you would need to get 158 mpg to have the same operating cost per mile. I love my Volt. PS: I bought it USED for $16,000 (over $41,000 sticker) and looking at and driving it, you would think it is new.

  17. Jerry says:

    Good grief! Methinks thou doth elaborate a bit too much. If we were told the simple answer as to how many KwH it takes to completely charge the Volt from the battery state of totally discharged to totally charged, the rest is third grade arithmetic.

    Note: Just because the EPA says Volt is said to get 2.7 miles/ KwH, and the Volt is said to go X miles on a full battery DOES NOT MEAN that the electricity which you put into your Volt to fully recharge it is X/2.7 – and it may not be even close.

    Example: Say you get 47 miles on a full charge. This does not mean you actually used only 47/2.7 = 17.41 KwH to charge it. How you wish! (Charging a battery is not like filling a tank with fuel as the former is not 100% efficient and the latter very nearly is.)

    So the question of the day is HOW MANY KwH do you actually use – according to your electric meter – to fully recharge the Volt’s battery? If you know that, you’ll easily compute your ACTUAL personal energy cost for your Volt – which of course depends on how you drive, the environment you drive in, and how much you pay the electric company per KwH.

    Anybody know the answer?

    • Gord says:

      Finally someone asked the correct question. The cost to charge the car is based on how many KwH’s it takes to charge. Also, I’m not sure if anyone knows what the rate of use is to keep it plugged in as I know the battery can be cooled or heated while plugged in. These are all costs but I think like most have said. It’s still cheaper than gas.

      Does anyone know the answer to the two pertinent questions above.

  18. mary diem says:

    i own one of the first volt and have 77,000 for at least 50,00 i have had problems with my batteries…all kinds of mother board problem..now just got a new battery and it really was not the battery…car just would not shut off…had to leave it running all nite till i got to service chevrolet…they never saw anyhing like this…they claim my radio is causing problem and i said disconnect it…they cant without closing board down…radio cost 4,000 dollars and they refuse to replace…even there engineer had never seen this

    my advice do not keep car passed warrenty

    mary diem

  19. Bob says:

    When Obama shuts down all these coal fired electric plants, there will be electric cars sitting everywhere with no way to charge them. LMAO

    • ThatGuy says:

      I am not sure you understand what this forum is about.. You do realize that the volt is an EV/ER, which means you can still run it on regular gasoline if you needed to. I think the people here are just trying to get all the information on the table about the cost savings of driving an EV versus a regular gasoline powered car or truck. Honestly, i never thought i would have a volt, since i drive a 500HP mustang vert in the summer.. But, i love this car, and it is a pleasure to drive. I think you should honestly drive one before you make crazy comments..

  20. Jeff says:

    Hey BOB !! What is your comment supposed to mean. Do you even know what you are talking about? I have a professionally installed 220 volt charging station at my house. As long as I have electricity at my house, I WILL be able to charge my Volt. ALL Chevy Volts come with a 110 Volt charger so anyone that has electricity can charge their car. You statement makes no sense at all.

  21. RJ Will says:

    I have a 12.5 kWh Solar Home and lease the system yearly at a fixed monthly cost for less than I was paying yearly bills to the utility company. I produce enough excess electricity to fully charge my Volt. So the bottom line is I pay zero for the charging of my Volt at home. I don’t know why all Solar home owners don’t own Volts or other electric cars….or why all Volt owners don’t go Solar.

    • Tony says:

      Hey RJ,
      I have a solar array and I own a Leaf and just recently replace my 09 Prius with a 17 Volt. So, 99% of my driving is done on battery charged with solar.

  22. Chuck says:

    The calculations for the Volt are not really fair the way this is done. 1000 miles on Electricity alone may not be true for many people. If yior daily commute is longer than the electric range you start to burn gas. So the true savings are likely somewhere in between. If you are a long distance driver the Volt is a bad choice because the gas mileage is reasonable but nothing compared to a Prius. Then you are better off with a hybrid.

  23. MCR says:

    I looked at the newer 2016 Chevy Volt and came up with this.

    Given Gm=Gasoline Miles per Gallon = 42 m/gal for the 2016 Volt.
    and Em= 2.7 miles per kWh
    and Gp= Price per gallon of regular gas = $3.29/gal

    The average price of electricity while charging (Ep)
    must be less than 0.2115 $/kWh
    Or you might as well just use gasoline.

    More Generally Ep<Gp/15.555

    How did I get that?

    Using Gasoline only any trip or commute of (m) miles, the cost (C) would be:

    eq (1) [m/Gm]xGp=C= [miles/(miles per gallon)x $/gallon = $ right?

    If using all electric"

    eq (2) C=[m/Em]xEp = [miles/(mile per kWh)]x $/kWh.

    Setting eq (1) =eq (2) =C the miles factors out.

    [m/Gm]xGp=C=[m/Em]xEp you get:

    Gp/Gm = Ep/Em

    Or rearranging terms algebraically multiply both sides by Gm and dive both side by EP :

    Gp/EP = Gm/Em = (42 miles/gal) / (2.7 miles/kWh) = 15.555 kWh/gal

    Gp/Ep= 15.555 kWh/gal then:

    eq (3) Ep=Gp/15.555

    At this price per kWh (Ep) you'd break even between electricity cost versus gasoline costs.

    If Gp = 3.29 $/gallon

    Ep=0.2115 $/kWh = (3.29 $/gal) / (15.555 kWh/gal)

    It's that 2.7 miles/kWh I'd like to see verified.

    • MCR says:

      PS: I’ve seen quotes for the 2016 Chevy Volt that say it gets
      102 MPGe=102 miles/equiv gallons.

      I’ve read that the EPA considers 1 gallon of gasoline to pack 33.7 kWh of energy.

      So I conclude from those two numbers that the 2016 Chevy volts gets:

      3.026 miles/kWh = 102 miles/33.7 kWh = 102 miles/ equiv gallon

      Is that correct ???

      Why doesn’t the EPA just require a quote of Miles/kWh ???

      I guess because the EPA is the government. :-P

    • Tony says:

      I have a newer 2017 Volt. The Em is just a reference. However, the Em will depend on how you drive your Volt. I usually get about 5 miles per Kwh on the Volt which it is higher than the 4.3 miles x Kwh I get on the Leaf. To put it in perspective, the 2gen range on electric is stated at 53-54 Miles, I usually get about 62.

  24. DaveAK says:

    Yes MCR, essentially correct. If gasoline engines were 100% thermally efficient, their mpg would be comparable. They aren’t even close to that. 30% -40% is closer to the actual range. Add to that the inefficiencies of automatic transmissions, brakes that use friction (heat). With current ICE technology reaching its efficiency limits, as the VW cheating revelations demonstrate, battery and ER/EV cars will continue to further outpace the oil burners. Picking up my 3 y.o. Volt next week, my first EV or 2nd hybrid depending on how one views (and uses) the Volt.

  25. Karl Green says:

    1- Which is best for the batteries or for other reasons besides charging time 120 or 240 charging?
    2-Best online sites for used Volts by individuals not dealers
    3-Bobs the village idiot why waste time trying to educate him?

  26. Jeff says:

    I don’t know what is best for the batteries, but 240 is the obvious way to go. I charged using 120 for the first 5 days I owned mine and right then knew 120 was not an option. WAY too long to charge and if using a regular home circuit with other loads on that circuit, the outlet gets VERY HOT, not safe in my opinion. I suggest a dedicate 240 circuit.
    I actually found mine listed on eBay by a dealer. I was able to work out a deal where the cost of the car plus shipping it over 1000 miles was better than me buying one locally. It also came as a Certified Used Vehicle, so a 1 year bumper to bumper warranty.
    Even though I have had mine over a year now (a 2011 with NO problems) I still scour eBay regularly and am finding extremely good prices both from dealers and private party. Also, cars.com is a pretty good starting point.
    Good Luck shopping

  27. Steve says:

    Our electric costs in CT are very high ($0.18/KwH), so with gas prices below $1.80, any cost savings for owning a Volt vs. a comparable ICE car are pretty much gone. Fortunately, I think that the Volt and other electric cars hold up as great vehicles to own in their own right.

    • Ron says:

      Steve, as long as your comparable ICE car gets about 30 MPG, you are correct, given the costs you quote. If gas doubles in price to $4/gal, then go electric.

      Note that it is handy to have your home’s garage be your filling station – no small convenience. And some people prefer to pay Big Electricity (or in my case, my user-owned electric cooperative which, ugh, is part owner of a coal fired plant in North Dakota) rather than Big Oil.

  28. Lloyd says:

    Very good answer. I think people also need to understand the lifetime cost of the battery pack, which could/will add 50%-75% to the cost. On a long-term basis, there is limited capacity to produce electricity, a much higher demand (created by a large number of people driving electric vehicles) would at the very least double the current cost of electricity.

  29. Scott Cornelius says:

    I realize the cost of ‘filling’ up an electric car is cheaper, but you also have to consider the price of the car compared to one that runs on gasoline. Instead of paying 35,000 dollars on an electric car, I would rather pay 15,000 for a Hyundai Elantra and spend 5 grand on gas. Also, the Nissan Leaf takes a huge decline in value when it has just a handful of miles. Carmax has used Leaf’s for around 10 grand with low miles.

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