Oooooh, Scary Electric Cars Are Everywhere In America!

Oooooh, Scary Electric Cars Are Everywhere In America

What's Happening

May 10, 2026 3 hours Steve Hanley 0 Comments Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe . There have been a lot of news reports lately about how high gas prices are getting people to consider the purchase of an electric car. Some of that good news has even leaked into our coverage of the EV scene lately. In a recent article, one of our regular readers posted in a comment that the cost of filling the tank of a Ram 1500 these days can be $140 — or more in California, where gas prices are near $6.

Why This Matters for EV Owners

• The cost of driving that beast would be right around 40 cents per mile
• EV Attitudes However, Autoweek is reporting today that a new survey of 2,228 people conducted between April 3 and 6 by Bumper
• com shows that two-thirds of respondents said that owning electric cars would not save them money in fuel costs
• In that survey, more than two-thirds of respondents said there was no difference between the cost of operating a conventional car and an electric one

The Bigger Picture

Today, the average price of a gallon of gas in America is $4. 40 more than at this time last year. Other people who took the survey thought they might save some money, but not a lot. Most said the difference would be less than $500 per year. The actual number is closer to $1,000, Autoweek says, although it depends on how far you drive annually, electricity rates in your area, which gas car you’re switching from, and what happens with gas prices.

What This Means for Your Wallet

Based on current European charging rates, DC fast charging costs between €0.30-0.65 per kWh depending on the network and country. This translates to roughly 40-60% savings compared to equivalent petrol costs. A typical fast-charging session takes 20-45 min (10-80% DC fast) — enough time for a coffee break on a long trip.

What to Watch Next

Speaking of which, on May 8, the national average was $4. Assume you drive 10,000 miles a year (the average for all US drivers is 12,000 miles a year). At current rates, when switching from a typical sedan, the savings might be around $750 per year. But not that many Americans drive “typical sedans.