---
title: "Report: Electric Vehicles Cost Half as Much to Maintain"
description: "A new Consumer Reports analysis found that, over their lifetime, electric vehicles cost half as much to maintain as gas-powered cars do."
date: "2020-10-05"
modified: "2020-10-05"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/electric-vehicles-cost-half-maintain"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
tags:
  - "electric vehicles"
  - "finance"
  - "the digest"
  - "transportation"
---

# Report: Electric Vehicles Cost Half as Much to Maintain

![A new Consumer Reports analysis found that, over their lifetime, electric vehicles cost half as much to maintain as gas-powered cars do.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/electric-vehicles-cost-half-maintain.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Images via Pixabay\</em\>*

## Long Game

Over a lifetime of use, electric cars are vastly cheaper to maintain than cars that run on gas.

That's according to a [new report](<https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Maintenance-Cost-White-Paper-9.24.20-1.pdf>) by *Consumer Reports* that found that electric vehicles (EVs) cost roughly half as much to maintain as a gas car, and that the savings were about the same regardless of whether the car was a hybrid or entirely battery-powered. The bonus could help offset the fact that many EVs are [still prohibitively expensive](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-25000-tesla-2023>).

## Slow Burn

On average and broken down over the course of a vehicle's lifetime, *Consumer Reports* found that ICE cars cost about $0.061 per mile in maintenance and repair fees. Meanwhile, battery-electric vehicles, like the Nissan Leaf, cost about $0.031 per mile and plug-in hybrid vehicles, like the Toyota Prius, cost $0.030 per mile.

"Electrics just don’t need as much maintenance as gas-powered cars, and even though repairs won’t necessarily be less expensive, they are less frequently needed," Gabe Shenhar, associate director of the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, [said in a press release](<https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/electric-vehicle-owners-spending-half-as-much-on-maintenance-compared-to-gas-powered-vehicle-owners-finds-new-cr-analysis/>).

## Cleaning Up

The [high initial cost](<https://futurism.com/electric-cars-cheaper-gas-guzzlers-charging>) of an EV is still a deterrent to more widespread adoption. But knowing that they'll spend less over time could be enough to sway more drivers into making the switch, which would go a long way toward curbing carbon emissions.

"In addition to being easier and cheaper to maintain," Shenhar added, "many EVs deliver better acceleration compared to gas-powered vehicles, and don’t pump harmful pollution into our air."

**READ MORE:** [Electric vehicle owners spending half as much on maintenance compared to gas-powered vehicle owners, finds new CR analysis](<https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/electric-vehicle-owners-spending-half-as-much-on-maintenance-compared-to-gas-powered-vehicle-owners-finds-new-cr-analysis/>) \[*Consumer Reports*\]

**More on EV costs:** *[Elon Musk Promises $25,000 Tesla by 2023](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-25000-tesla-2023>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)