What an EV really costs in Maine — any EV, any hybrid, any gas car

What is different about Maine's numbers

Home electricity here is 28.6¢/kWh, 55.3% above the 18.4¢ U.S. average (EIA, 2026-05), and regular gas averages $3.90/gal, level with the national $3.85 (AAA). Maine is one of 10 states charging no EV road-use fee, so an electric car here carries only the $35 base registration.

Run all 80 models that have their own cost page through the kernel at both rate sets and the average electric car's 5-year total in Maine lands $2,158 above its U.S.-average figure, while the average gas or hybrid car lands $660 below its own. Net effect: Maine widens the gap an EV has to close by about $2,818. Head-to-head that comes out as EVs taking 13 of 55 matchups at Maine rates against 14 nationally — we publish that whichever way it falls.

Ranked against the other 50 state rate sets by what the whole priced fleet costs to run, Maine is 45th cheapest for an electric car and 30th for a gas or hybrid one. Its residential rate has moved 20.9¢ → 28.4¢/kWh across the 24 months to 2026-04 (+35.9%); on a Tesla Model 3 Premium RWD that shift alone is about $1,662 more electricity over 5 years than the same car would have cost at the 2024-05 rate.

Across the 37 matchups where an electric car faces a gas or hybrid one, the median EV costs $16,625 more over 5 years than the gas or hybrid car it is matched against at Maine rates — against $13,751 more nationally. Maine widens it by about $2,874. The EV that comes closest here is the Rivian R1S Dual-Motor (Standard Pack) against the Cadillac Escalade, $12,468 ahead; the furthest behind is the Kia EV9 Light Long Range RWD (electric) against the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid LE FWD, $28,958 adrift.

Running cost, Maine prices: a Tesla Model 3 Premium RWD draws about $8.13 of electricity per 100 miles at home (charging loss included), against $13.00 of gas for a 30 mpg car. A gas car would need 48 mpg to match the EV's fuel bill here. That is the running-cost line only — depreciation and insurance are what usually decide the 5-year total, and they are why most of the matchups below still go to the gas or hybrid car.

Maine EV incentive: Efficiency Maine LMI new-EV rebate (income-qualified) — up to $8,000, income and price caps may apply. Shown for reference; it is not inside any figure on this page. Even credited in full it would turn 4 of the 37 matchups here into EV wins. Source: Efficiency Maine

Cheapest EVs to own in Maine

Ranked by true 5-year cost of ownership at Maine rates (12,000 mi/yr, all-in):

1. Chevrolet Bolt EUV (used)$46,869
2. Nissan Leaf SV+$47,654
3. Toyota bZ XLE (electric)$49,327
4. Hyundai Ioniq 5 SE$50,659
5. 2026 Fiat 500e$51,494
6. Chevrolet Equinox EV LT$51,959
7. Hyundai Kona Electric SEL (Long Range)$52,629
8. 2026 Volvo EX30 Single motor extended range$53,958

Maine cost by model

Maine is one of the six most expensive for 4 of the 80 models we price — Ford F-150 Lightning Pro at $70,729, Rivian R1T Dual-Motor at $83,144, Tesla Cybertruck AWD at $88,411 and 1 more. Sorted by 5-year cost to own at Maine rates; the order is not the national order.

This is the Maine-relevant slice of the fleet. The full 80-model table at U.S.-average rates is on every model — price vs 5-year cost.

Matchups that change hands in Maine

Of the 55 head-to-head matchups we track, 1 comes out differently at Maine rates than at the U.S. average — it is the only comparison where "it depends where you live" is literally true:

• Nationally the Audi Q6 e-tron (base RWD, electric) is $355 cheaper over 5 years, but at Maine rates the BMW X5 xDrive40i wins instead, by $2,410. Audi Q6 e-tron (base RWD, electric) vs BMW X5 xDrive40i →

Car insurance in Maine

Drivers in Maine spent an average of $856 a year on auto insurance — 33.2% below the $1,281 national average (NAIC, 2023, the latest published figure; a state average across all drivers, not a quote for any one car or driver, and premiums have moved since). Electric cars typically add about 42% on top of a comparable gas car, 18% for 2024-and-newer models (Insurify, June 2026, modeled at a standard driver profile).

Our 5-year totals use a labeled per-model estimate for each car, not this average — see how EV insurance moves the 5-year cost.

States whose numbers look like Maine's

Closest matches on home electricity and pump price — the states where the same car lands nearest to its Maine total — plus the cheapest and most expensive states in the country to run an EV:

• Massachusetts →
• Rhode Island →
• Connecticut →
• New Hampshire →
• New York →
• District of Columbia →
• Vermont →
• Alaska →
• Nevada →
• Hawaii →

All 51 state hubs →