"Gas prices are still elevated, making the gap between fueling a conventional car and an electric vehicle more striking."

"The average American drives 943 miles a month. That driving has become much more expensive since the U.S. went to war against Iran in February: Gas now costs on average $149 a month, a 37 percent increase, according to OPIS, a Dow Jones company that provides energy market data.

Higher oil prices boost electricity rates too, but electric vehicle drivers aren’t seeing the same level of price hikes. On average, EV drivers are spending $106 a month on charging, up 16 percent since the start of the war, according to Eco-Movement, an EV charging data platform.

In eight states, including West Virginia, it was cheaper to fuel a gas car for a month than an EV. Now, gas prices have increased so much that it’s cheaper to fuel an EV in nearly every state, according to OPIS and Eco-Movement."

Naema Ahmed and Julie Z. Weil report for the Washington Post July 13, 2026. [2]