Should you buy electric
or gasoline?
The honest pros and cons of both, on one page, with no sales pitch and no jargon.
The short answer
It mostly comes down to where you park at night.
If you can plug in at home, an electric car is usually cheaper to run and easier to live with. If you park on the street or in a shared garage with no charger, a gasoline car is usually the simpler choice. Everything below is detail on top of that one question.
Electric
Electric cars
Cheap to run and pleasant to drive, as long as charging fits your life.
+
The good
- +Much cheaper to fuelCharging at home typically costs a fraction of what the same distance costs in gasoline.
- +Less routine servicingNo oil changes, no spark plugs, no exhaust system, no timing belt. Far fewer moving parts to fail.
- +You start most days fullPlug in overnight and you leave home with a full battery. No detours to a fuel station.
- +Quick, quiet and smoothFull torque from a standstill, no gear changes, and almost no engine noise or vibration.
−
The bad
- −Costs more to buyComparable electric models usually carry a price premium, and incentives do not always erase it.
- −Hard without home chargingIf you cannot plug in where you sleep, you lose the main advantage and rely on public chargers.
- −Slower to refillEven a fast charger takes roughly 20 min to 40 min. A pump takes about 5 min.
- −Range drops in the coldHeating the cabin and the battery in freezing weather can cut usable range noticeably.
Gasoline
Gasoline cars
Cheaper to buy and simple to refuel anywhere, but you pay for it every mile.
+
The good
- +Lower purchase priceFor most model types you pay less up front, and the used market is far bigger and cheaper.
- +Refuel in about 5 minPull in, fill up, leave. No planning, no apps, no waiting for a free bay.
- +Fuel is everywhereA century of infrastructure. Rural areas and long routes are covered in a way charging still is not.
- +Any mechanic can fix itParts, tools and know how are available in every town, which keeps repair prices competitive.
−
The bad
- −Expensive per mileFuel is the biggest running cost, and you pay it for the whole life of the car.
- −More things to serviceOil, filters, belts, plugs, clutch or transmission, exhaust. Regular bills that electric cars do not have.
- −Tailpipe emissionsBurning one gallon of gasoline releases about 8,887 g of CO₂, plus pollutants that affect local air quality.
- −Fuel prices swingYour running cost is set by a global market you have no control over and cannot predict.