Gas vs hybrid vs EV with gas at $4.15: $153.81 vs $84.76 vs $56.30 per 1,000 miles

Regular gas averaged $4.153 a gallon in the U.S. on November 2, 2026, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). That's $1.134 more than a year ago. At that price, driving 1,000 miles in a 27 mpg gas SUV costs $153.81. A 49 mpg hybrid costs $84.76, and an electric SUV charged at home costs about $56.30.

Here's the full comparison, using the EPA's official efficiency ratings for five 2026 models and the EIA's latest prices for gas and home electricity. Every sum is shown so you can redo it with your own numbers. This guide covers running costs only, not purchase prices, insurance or repairs.

The prices we used

• Gas: $4.153 a gallon, the EIA's U.S. average for regular on November 2, 2026, including taxes. That's 11.6 cents lower than the week before.
• Electricity: 18.16 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), the EIA's U.S. average residential price for August 2026, the latest month published.

Efficiency figures are the EPA combined ratings on fueleconomy.gov, checked on November 8. The EPA's kWh per 100 miles figure for EVs is the number to use for cost: we multiply it by the electricity price.

At a glance

EV costs assume home charging at the average residential rate. 12,000 miles is an example, not an average.

How the sums work

Gas or hybrid: miles ÷ mpg = gallons, then gallons × price. For the Equinox: 1,000 ÷ 27 = 37.04 gallons, × $4.153 = $153.81.

Electric: miles ÷ 100 × kWh per 100 miles = kWh, then kWh × price. For the Equinox EV: 1,000 ÷ 100 × 31 = 310 kWh, × $0.1816 = $56.30.

Same car, different power

The fairest comparison is the same model with a different drivetrain.

• Honda Civic vs Civic Hybrid: 34 mpg against 49 mpg. The hybrid saves $37.39 per 1,000 miles, or about $448.70 over 12,000 miles.
• Chevrolet Equinox vs Equinox EV: 27 mpg against 31 kWh per 100 miles. The EV saves $97.52 per 1,000 miles, or about $1,170 over 12,000 miles.

Worked example: where you live

Gas and electricity prices vary a lot by state, and the EIA publishes both. Here's the Equinox and Equinox EV per 1,000 miles in two states, using each state's latest EIA prices:

• California: gas at $5.748 a gallon and electricity at 29.75 cents. The gas Equinox costs $212.89 and the EV $92.23. The EV saves $120.66.
• Texas: gas at $3.578 and electricity at 15.91 cents. The gas Equinox costs $132.52 and the EV $49.32. The EV saves $83.20.

The EV still wins in a high electricity state, because gas is expensive there too. In Hawaii, where electricity averaged 47.18 cents in August, the Equinox EV costs $146.26 per 1,000 miles to charge at home, close to what the gas version costs at the national average gas price.

Winter changes the math

Cold weather cuts efficiency for every kind of car, but not equally. Fueleconomy.gov says that in city driving, a gas car's mileage is roughly 15% lower at 20°F than at 77°F. Hybrids typically drop about 30% to 34% in the same conditions. EV efficiency can drop roughly 39% in mixed driving, and range by 41%, with about two-thirds of the extra energy used to heat the cabin.

If the Equinox EV's efficiency fell by 39%, it would need about 508 kWh for 1,000 miles, which costs about $92.29 at home. A gas Equinox getting 15% fewer miles per gallon would use about 43.6 gallons, or about $180.96. The EV still costs less, but the gap narrows in a cold snap. Fueleconomy.gov also says preheating the cabin while the car is plugged in can extend an EV's range.

The catch: public fast charging

Our EV figures assume you charge at home. Public fast-charging networks set their own prices, which can vary by station, time of day and membership. Electrify America, for example, prices charging differently for guests and for its Pass and Pass+ members, and shows prices in its app. If a public charger costs much more per kWh than your home rate, the EV's advantage over a hybrid shrinks, so check prices along your route before a long trip.

Where the others have the edge

• Hybrids need no charger and no change in habits, and the Civic Hybrid cuts fuel costs by nearly a third against the gas Civic. They're the easy choice if you can't charge at home.
• Gas cars refuel in minutes anywhere, and their efficiency falls less in the cold than a hybrid's or an EV's.
• EVs are cheapest per mile when charged at home, and the saving grows the more gas costs in your state.

Our verdict

With gas above $4, an EV charged at home costs just over a third as much per mile as a 27 mpg gas SUV: $56.30 against $153.81 per 1,000 miles at national average prices. A hybrid sits in between at $84.76 and needs no charger. If you can plug in at home, an EV gave the lowest running costs in every example we worked out, though in Hawaii, home charging costs almost as much as gas does at the national average price. If you can't, or you drive long distances on public chargers, a hybrid is the safer saving. Either way, the running cost is only part of the picture, so compare the purchase price and insurance before you decide.

FAQs

Where do the gas prices come from? The EIA's weekly Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. On November 2, regular averaged $4.153 a gallon, including taxes. The next update is due on November 10.

Why use August for electricity? It's the latest month in the EIA's Electric Power Monthly. The EIA marks 2026 figures as preliminary.

How do I check my own car's rating? Search for your make, model and year on fueleconomy.gov. For an EV, use the kWh per 100 miles figure rather than MPGe.

Is diesel any cheaper? Not right now. The EIA's U.S. average for on-highway diesel stood at $6.292 a gallon on November 2.

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Sources: EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, November 3, 2026 release, EIA, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, August 2026 data, fueleconomy.gov, Equinox, Civic, Civic Hybrid and Equinox EV, checked November 8, 2026, fueleconomy.gov, Model Y Long Range AWD, checked November 8, 2026, fueleconomy.gov, Fuel Economy in Cold Weather, Electrify America, pricing