Depending on where you live, you might spend less on fuel driving a hybrid than an electric vehicle, according to a new study by Consumer Reports magazine.
For instance, a driver of a Toyota Corolla hybrid compact sedan living in Massachusetts would spend less on gasoline annually than the owner of a Nissan Leaf SV spends on electricity – $864 to fuel the hybrid vs $978 for electricity in the EV.
The report comes with a significant few asterisks:
- Only a few states share Massachusetts’ rare combination of cheap gasoline and expensive electricity, according to CR director of automotive testing Jake Fisher.
- EVs universally cost less to run than comparable gasoline-only vehicles.
- EVs tend to cost more, but are expected to need less service.
- Federal tax incentives for EVs are in flux, so it’s hard to know exactly how much a new one will cost.
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Despite that, CR’s findings are revelatory. The magazine factored in available state tax credits and compared four EVs to what it considered evenly matched competitors, three of which were hybrids.
The competitors:
- BMW 330i xDrive (gasoline-only) vs Tesla 3 AWD EV
- Toyota Corolla hybrid vs. Nissan Leaf SV Plus
- Hyundai Tucson hybrid vs. Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV
- Ford F-150 Hybrid vs. Ford F-150 Lightning EV
“An EV may make sense for some buyers, but some might be better off with a fuel-efficient hybrid,” Fisher said.
Consumer Reports’ key findings
The magazine compared costs for electricity vs. gasoline in three states – California, where both are expensive; Massachusetts, with cheap gas and expensive electricity; and Florida, where both are fairly typical.
The headlines:
- Fuel for the Tesla S EV cost significantly less than the 330i in all three states – $1,168 in California; $1,000 in Massachusetts; $1,113 in Florida. “The savings add up to about $8,000 over a five-year period,” according to CR.
- Fueling the Corolla hybrid cost $114 a year less in Massachusetts than the Leaf EV, $146 more in California and $229 more in Florida. CR: The Leaf cost so much more than the Corolla “that there’s no situation in which the Nissan EV makes up for its cost premium … in fuel savings alone.”
- The Tucson hybrid cost more than the Ioniq 5 in all three states: $461 in California; $113 in Massachusetts and $460 in Florida.
- The electric F-150 Lighting was a consistent big saver versus its hybrid sibling: $1,158 in California; $560 in Massachusetts; $1,001 in Florida. “Because pickups use so much gas, electrification can save buyers a substantial amount,” Fisher said.
How to compare EVs, hybrids for yourself
Because there are still relatively few EVs available, not all CR’s comparisons are perfect. The Corolla hybrid has Toyota’s latest technology, while the Nissan Leaf’s basic engineering is a decade old.
It’s also worth remembering that even the most cost-efficient hybrid still burns gasoline, making it a bigger contributor to global warming than a comparable EV.
CR’s website includes a new hub for EVs and hybrids. That’s for subscribers only, but you can see an overview of why they project EVs will save most people money here.
You can also compare annual fuel costs for all vehicles currently on sale here. To localize the results, find the average electricity price for your state here.
Contact Mark Phelan at mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan.
