Which states are the most energy-cost efficient for electric vehicle drivers compared to traditional fuel?

The answers can and do change each month, according to Choose Energy Inc., which operates an online energy marketplace for consumers and small businesses to shop for energy. 

ChooseEnergy.com’s Driving Fuel Costs by State monitors monthly costs to show the latest statistics, trends, and analysis of the costs to drive traditional vehicles and electric ones. Data provided by AAA, the Department of Energy, and other sources to measure differences by state.

Choose Energy uses a metric developed by the U.S. Department of Energy called an eGallon to compare the cost of fueling a vehicle with electricity compared with a similar vehicle that uses gasoline.

The DOE calculates how much electricity the most popular electric vehicles would need to travel the same distance as similar model gasoline-powered cars. That amount of electricity is then multiplied by the average cost of electricity in the state.

When comparing the cost of fueling and charging nearly every state is better for electric vehicles – on average, the cost is about 55% lower for EVs, the analysis finds.

In some states, the difference is dramatic. The widest gap between the prices using the July 25 eGallon numbers is in Washington, where it is $1.92. In Rhode Island, gasoline costs 2 cents less than the July 25 eGallon prices.

As of July 25, drivers in these 10 states could save the most on fuel by switching to an electric vehicle as evidenced by the gap between eGallon and gas prices:

1. Washington $1.92

2. Oregon $1.66

3. Nevada $1.59

4. Idaho $1.56

5. Utah $1.43

6. Colorado $1.34

7. California $1.32

8. Montana $1.23

9. Wyoming $1.19

10. Arizona $1.18