How TrueDrive Cost calculates fuel costs
We built this tool because many car cost comparisons do not show their numbers. Here is everything we use, where it comes from and what we do not claim.
Vehicle ratings
- United States: the EPA's 2026 fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov. Electric consumption includes charging losses. For plug-in hybrids we use the EPA's rated utility factor, which is the share of driving the EPA rates as electric.
- Canada: Natural Resources Canada's 2026 Fuel Consumption Ratings. Canadian trims and drivetrains can differ from U.S. ones, so a model can show different numbers in each country. NRCan does not publish a share of driving on electricity for plug-in hybrids, so we use the EPA's figure for the same model as a stand-in and let you change it.
Energy prices
- U.S. electricity: average residential price by state, EIA, July 2026.
- U.S. gasoline: EIA regular retail average, October 12, 2026.
- Canadian gasoline: Statistics Canada table 18-10-0001-01, September 2026 average regular self-serve price for the city you pick.
- Canadian electricity: the energy rate from the utility or regulator of each province, with the rate name and effective date shown under "Your driving". Rates are in cents per kWh before fixed charges and taxes. For Ontario and Alberta the delivery charges billed on top are not included. Where a rate has tiers, the tier we used is named under "Your driving".
All defaults can be edited. If you know your own price, type it in.
Purchase prices
Prices are the starting (base trim) MSRP for the trim named on each card, excluding destination or freight, taxes, registration and dealer charges. U.S. prices come from fueleconomy.gov (which cites Edmunds) and one from the manufacturer's press site. Canadian prices come from the sources linked under each car. We only list cars where we found both a 2026 price and a matching official rating row. If a car's price or rating is missing, we leave the car out instead of guessing.
Formulas
- Gas or hybrid: distance ÷ MPG × gas price (U.S.), or distance ÷ 100 × L/100 km × price per litre (Canada).
- Electric: distance ÷ 100 × kWh per 100 distance units × electricity price.
- Plug-in hybrid: electric share × electric cost + (1 − electric share) × gas cost.
- Total over N years: purchase price + N × yearly fuel cost. Payback years: extra purchase price ÷ yearly fuel savings.
What we leave out
Insurance, maintenance, depreciation, financing, tolls, taxes and incentives. The U.S. federal new clean vehicle credit does not apply to vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025 (IRS). Canada's federal Electric Vehicle Affordability Program may apply to some vehicles, and some provinces and utilities add their own incentives. We do not subtract any of them because eligibility depends on the vehicle and the sale. Deduct yours in the price box if you qualify.
Photos
Car photos come from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses. Each photo credits its author and license on the card and in the footer of the tool page. Photos are representative and may show a different year, trim or market than the specs listed.
Independence
We do not take payment from carmakers or dealers and show no sponsored rankings. If that ever changes, we will say so on this page. See our About page for more.
Found a mistake?
Tell us at ramzaistudio@gmail.com. We check every report against the original source and correct the page.