Now you can check your own state to see how much you can save by driving electric

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Energy Department has created a calculator
  • It’s aimed at showing how much cheaper it is to drive an electric car
  • The national average is $1.14 a gallon

In Minneapolis, gasoline averages $3.84 a gallon. But if you buy an electric car, you’ll pay the equivalent of $1.12 a gallon.

In Florida, gas costs less, about $3.42 a gallon, but motorists will still save a bundle by driving an EV. Electricity costs about $1.10 a gallon when compared to gas.

It’s all according to a fun new “eGallon” calculator launching today on the Energy Department website. It allows users to find the difference between the price at the pump and at the plug in any state. The national average is $1.14 a gallon to “fill up” your electric, compared to $3.65 on average for gasoline.

“Consumers can see gasoline prices posted at the corner gas station, but are left in the dark on the cost of fueling an electric vehicle,” says Ernest Moniz, the new secretary of Energy, in a statement. “The eGallon will bring greater transparency to vehicle operating costs, and help drivers figure out how much they might save on fuel by choosing an electric vehicle.”

It can only help the momentum for electric cars, which are trying to break into the mainstream.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/06/11/energy-department-electric-ars/2410699/