A Bay Area driver says switching from a gas car to an EV delivered huge savings — even without the setup many people assume is necessary.
In a popular Reddit post, the apartment dweller said that after 18 months of ownership, their EV was costing "7.9x less per mile in fuel" than a similar gas-powered car, despite having no solar and no home charger.
In the post, which was shared in r/electricvehicles, the driver explained that they live in a Bay Area apartment, drive about 13,000 miles per year, and pay high PG&E rates. Even so, they said the numbers still strongly favored their electric Audi Q4 e-tron over their gas-powered Toyota 4Runner.
The driver said California gas prices around $5.25 per gallon made the math especially dramatic. Their point struck a nerve because many EV cost comparisons assume a homeowner with a garage, rooftop solar, and a private charger — not someone relying on apartment-friendly options.
Other commenters said they were seeing similar results. One Bay Area EV owner wrote that by combining a PG&E EV-2A rate, Electrify America charging, and workplace charging, they were paying about $0.06 per mile, compared to roughly $0.46 per mile in gas before.
While it's just one Reddit thread, the conversation highlights a major sticking point in EV adoption: Many drivers assume electric cars only make financial sense if you own a home and can install a charger. But this post directly pushed back on that idea.
At the same time, the thread also showed why EV economics can be highly local. A Texas driver said the same formula did not apply there, noting that lower gas prices and different electricity rates made EV driving only "marginally cheaper" in their case.
For drivers considering an EV, the biggest takeaway may simply be that it's worth doing the math based on your own routine — especially if you rent.
If your utility offers an EV-only or time-of-use rate plan, that can make a major difference. In the thread, one commenter called California's EV-only time-of-use rates "the policy unlock," saying they remain uncommon in many states.
If you're comparing an EV to a gas vehicle, it helps to separate fuel savings from total ownership costs. That gives a clearer picture of where the biggest benefits are — and whether the switch pencils out for your budget, commute, and local utility pricing.
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People in the comments were especially struck by the post. One commenter wrote, "This is the post we need. Most 'EV cost' articles assume you own a house with solar. Most Americans don't. Apartment-charging works."
The original poster summed up the main point by saying, "Fuel is still by far the biggest line item, and that's where the 7.9x lives."
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