The estimated annual fuel costs for model year 2021 all-electric light-duty vehicles are the lowest of all the available vehicle technologies, ranging from a low of $500 to a high of $850 per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy data.
The annual fuel costs for plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles are the next lowest, and are heavily influenced by the vehicle’s electric range.
Hybrid electric vehicles generally use their technology for maximizing fuel economy. Some models use their hybrid systems to boost performance rather than to increase fuel economy so not all hybrid vehicles have low fuel costs.
Conventional gasoline vehicles for MY 2021 have estimated annual fuel costs ranging from $1,050 to $4,900—the widest range, with the most vehicle models available.
All annual vehicle fuel costs are rounded to the nearest $50. Annual fuel cost estimates are based on combined city/highway fuel economy, 15,000 annual miles, and the following fuel prices: $2.39 regular gasoline; $3.03 premium gasoline; $2.72 diesel; and $0.13 per kilowatt-hour electricity.
[source: U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Fuel Economy Data, accessed January 29, 2021]
