Driving in Maine for $1.40 Per Gallon

How much does it cost you to drive to work each day? How about to the store and back? It’s easy enough to calculate with gasoline prices posted on a regular basis.  But you might be surprised to find that you could “fuel up” an electric car for about one-third of what it costs at the gas pumps.

The U.S. Energy Department has launched the eGallon – a quick way for drivers to compare the cost of operating an electric vehicle vs. a gasoline-powered car.  In Maine, the eGallon price is about $1.40, meaning that a typical electric vehicle could travel as far on $1.40 worth of electricity as a similar vehicle could travel on a gallon of 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.” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.  “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.”

You can check out the latest eGallon price compared with the current average state-by-state price of unleaded gasoline here.

Sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) in the U.S. tripled in 2012, with more than 50,000 cars sold.   Last year, the Chevy Volt PEV outsold more than half of the gas and diesel-powered models sold in the U.S.  This year, The Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S are leading the pack, with total sales of electric and hybrid vehicles expected to double again in 2013.