Gas just had its most expensive September on record, averaging $4.33 a gallon according to AAA, and the national average is still around $4.35 this week. That makes the case for an electric car sound obvious. It isn’t. The federal clean vehicle credits ended for EVs acquired after September 30, 2025, and AAA’s 2026 ownership-cost study found that EVs still cost more per year to own than comparable gas cars and hybrids, mostly because they lose value faster.
Both things are true at once. Whether an EV saves you money comes down to three numbers: where you charge, how far you drive, and what electricity and gas cost where you live. We ran all three for every state. Here’s who comes out ahead, and who doesn’t.
