Cost to insure an EV compared to a traditional vehicle
Electric vehicles may cost more to insurance than their like-to-like internal combustion comparisons. This is largely because insurers don’t have as much risk assessment data for EVs as they do for other vehicles, and have to price that uncertainty into their costs. Battery and repair costs are also factored in. However, as EVs become more common and repair costs decrease, insurance costs may come down
Total cost of ownership
When you switch to an electric vehicle, you’ll need to think about everything you pay for on the car over time. This calculation is called the total cost of ownership, or TCO.
TCO includes:
- Buying the car: How much the car cost when you buy it.
Fuel/charging costs: Fuel for your current car vs. electricity for an EV.
- Maintenance: What you spend on fixing and maintaining the car.
- Insurance: EV insurance can sometimes be different than gas cars.
- Resale value: How much the car will be worth when you sell it later.
Example: Comparison of a gas car to an EV over a 5-year period
The information provided in this example is for illustrative purposes only and doesn’t represent real-world data or an actual scenario. It’s intended solely to demonstrate a concept or idea and shouldn’t be interpreted as a factual statement or prediction.
Upfront cost
- Gas car: Costs $25,000.
- Electric car: Costs $30,000.
- NOTE: There may be rebates or tax credits that lower this amount.
Fuel/charging
- Gas car: $140/month for gas = $8,400 over 5 years.
- Electric car: $43/month for electricity = $2,580 over 5 years.
- Savings: You save $5,820 in fuel costs with an EV.
Maintenance
- Gas car: $1,000/year = $5,000 over 5 years.
- Electric car: $400/year = $2,000 over 5 years.
- Savings: You save $3,000 in maintenance with the EV.
Insurance
- Gas car: $1,200/year = $6,000 over 5 years.
- Electric car: $1,300/year = $6,500 over 5 years.
- Extra cost: The EV costs $500 more in insurance over 5 years.
Resale Value (after 5 years)
- Gas car: Worth $10,000.
- Electric car: Worth $15,000.
- Benefit: The EV gives you $5,000 more when you sell it.
Total Cost Over 5 Years
- Gas car: $34,400 over 5 years.
- Electric car: $26,080 over 5 years.
Total Savings
- In this example, over 5 years, you’d save about $8,320 by switching to an EV.
- Even though the EV costs more upfront, the savings on fuel, maintenance, and resale value compensate for those costs.
- You can follow this approach to determine how much you could save if you switch to an EV.
This information has been prepared by Uber’s EV experts and is based on sources from government agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and NGOs and is provided for informational purposes only.