The 10 US cities where you save the most money by driving an electric car
- In a 2018 study, Crescent Electric Supply Company (CESCO) looked at which US cities would allow drivers to save the most money if they switch over to an electric car.
- The study analyzed average commute length as well as gas prices and electricity rates in each major city in America.
- The study found that Seattle offers the most yearly savings for an electric vehicle commute, reaching a whopping $212.87 annually.
- "Overall, drivers in every city would save money on their commute if they switched to an electric vehicle, but it was surprising to see how much different cities could save or how little they would spend," said Alex Lucas, a researcher at Crescent Electric, in a statement.
It seems pretty clear that electric cars are going to be a major part of our automotive future.
Not only are they better for the environment because of the absence of carbon emissions, but they can also be cheaper to maintain than a conventional gasoline-powered car. And some of them even look really cool.
However, the financial benefit of driving an electric car is different based on where you live. This is mainly because of varying commute times among cities, as well as differences in the cost of gasoline and the cost of electricity, which is different for every city.
In 2018, Crescent Electric Supply Company (CESCO) published a study to find out which American cities offered the most financial savings for commuters who went electric. The study analyzed average commute length as well as gas prices and electricity rates in each major city in America. From there, CESCO used this data to calculate annual commute costs for electric and gas vehicles with an EV that used 34 kWh of electricity per 100 miles and a traditional gas-powered car that obtained 30 mpg of fuel economy.
Seattle has the cheapest electricity bills, at only $0.08 cents per kilowatt-hour, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that it offers the most annual savings for an electric vehicle commute, reaching a whopping $212.87 per year.
In comparison, New York has the highest electric bills in the country, at a cost of $0.23 cents per kWh, which leads to New Yorkers only saving $55 per year if they make the switch to an electric vehicle.
"Overall, drivers in every city would save money on their commute if they switched to an electric vehicle, but it was surprising to see how much different cities could save or how little they would spend," said Alex Lucas, a researcher who works for Crescent Electric, in a statement.
However, it should be noted that charging infrastructure around the nation is still lacking and the cost of long-range electric cars remain unaffordable to a large number of consumers.
Here's a closer look at the 10 cities where switching to an electric car will save you the most money.