Anew tool on the US Department of Energy’s website allows users in each state to compare the price of power for an electric car to the cost of driving the same distance using gasoline. In North Carolina, a gallon of regular, unleaded fuel costs an average of $3.41. The equivalent amount of electricity costs about a third of that- an average of $1.02. That’s 12 cents less than the national average. Patrick Davis with the Energy Department says the tool is designed to inform people about the actual costs of driving an electric vehicle.
"Consumers are very used to and comfortable with understanding what the price of gasoline means to them, we felt that they were less comfortable and knew less about what it costs to run an electric drive vehicle and this tool helps them do that," Davis says.
Davis says the cost of electricity is more stable than gasoline prices, which can be affected by international events.