From insurance and maintenance to fuel costs, owning a vehicle can be expensive. That's why one driver turned to Reddit to ask whether a gas-powered car or an electric vehicle is cheaper, especially as fuel prices continue to rise.
The original poster explained their situation in the No Stupid Questions subreddit.
"Is it cheaper to own a Tesla than a car that uses gas now?" the OP asked. "Gas is over $4/gallon where I live. I use my car for work, and [I'm] only getting back $0.70."
Although the upfront cost of an average EV is typically higher than that of a gas-powered vehicle, those who focus only on the sticker price aren't seeing the full picture.
In general, by avoiding expensive fuel prices at the pump and having lower maintenance costs, the average EV owner can save thousands every year.
Those who take advantage of cheaper residential electricity rates by using a Level 2 charger at home can boost those savings even further. To see how much you can save with at-home charging, you can connect with experts at Qmerit.
Luckily for the OP, other users in the comment section pointed out the benefits of all-electric driving.
"[EVs are] much cheaper to fuel and maintain. New EVs are more expensive to buy upfront, but used EVs are also cheaper to buy relative to gasoline cars of the same age/mileage," one noted.
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Another pointed out the increased savings with at-home charging.
"It's been cheaper to own an EV for a long time now, as long as you can charge it at home," the commenter wrote. "If you have to use the private chargers, it could cost a lot more than home charging, but still probably not as much as a combustion vehicle per mile driven."
"EVs also have 90% fewer moving parts, so that makes them cheaper to maintain, in addition to the fuel savings," they added.
Beyond the major savings at the pump, people who choose to drive an EV instead of a gas-powered car have the added benefit of reducing the harmful pollution caused by burning fossil fuels.
And by installing a Level 2 charger through Qmerit, drivers can cut costs by avoiding pricier public charging while ensuring their vehicle is fully charged overnight, while they sleep at home.
Whether you already own an EV or are considering making the switch, Qmerit can help you connect with vetted installers and free quotes for Level 2 charging solutions.
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