By Phil Baker – NYA
A recent New York Times analysis shows that the conflict involving Iran has widened one of the biggest economic advantages of electric vehicles: the cost of fueling them.
According to data cited by the Times, the average U.S. gasoline price climbed from less than $3 per gallon in January to a peak of about $4.50 per gallon in May following concerns about disruptions to global oil supplies. Although prices have since retreated to around $4 per gallon, drivers of gasoline-powered vehicles are still paying substantially more to travel the same distance as EV owners.
The numbers are significant:
At the beginning of 2026, driving 100 miles in a typical gasoline car that averages 25 miles per gallon cost about $11.23 in fuel. Driving the same distance in a typical electric vehicle cost approximately $5.77 in electricity.
In other words, a gasoline driver now spends nearly three times as much as an EV owner to travel the same distance.
The comparison becomes even more interesting when hybrids are included. A highly efficient hybrid such as a Toyota Prius, averaging about 52 miles per gallon, costs roughly $8.02 to travel 100 miles. While that remains significantly cheaper than a conventional gasoline vehicle, it is still notably more expensive than charging an EV at home.
Even public fast charging, often criticized for its higher cost, remains competitive. The Times estimates that driving 100 miles using electricity purchased from fast chargers costs about $15.92, nearly identical to the cost of fueling the average gasoline-powered vehicle.
Gasoline prices are tied to global oil markets and can swing dramatically because of wars, geopolitical tensions, natural disasters, refinery outages, or supply disruptions. Electricity prices, by contrast, tend to change much more gradually. As a result, EV owners enjoy not only lower operating costs but also greater predictability.
For consumers considering an electric vehicle, the latest spike in gas prices serves as a reminder that the savings from EV ownership extend beyond environmental benefits. When fuel prices rise unexpectedly, electric drivers are largely insulated from the shocks that can quickly raise the cost of operating a conventional vehicle.