Gas prices vs. charging an EV with solar in Illinois

Oil prices spiked. WBEZ reported in September 2026 that crude oil topped $100 a barrel, and GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan pointed to tension between the United States and Iran, renewed Houthi attacks on shipping and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. GasBuddy put the Illinois average at $4.64 a gallon on October 19, 2026, against $3.06 a year earlier, and Chicago drivers pay more because of local fuel taxes.

Nobody can predict where gas goes next. What you can control is how much of your driving runs on it.

The gas mileage is the EPA's 2024 record average for new vehicles; SUVs averaged 25.7 mpg, so they cost a bit more per mile. EVs such as the Tesla Model Y and Chevrolet Equinox EV use roughly 0.27 to 0.31 kWh per mile; big electric trucks use more. Fast-charging prices are from Illinois Electrify America and Tesla stations in 2026 and vary by site and membership.

Once a solar system is paid for, the power it makes costs nothing more. Spread over 25 years of output, our estimate for a typical Chicago-area system after the ComEd rebate and Illinois Shines works out to about 4.8¢ per kWh, well under the roughly 17¢ all-in price of buying power from the utility.

Driving 12,000 miles a year on electricity takes about 3,600 kWh, which is roughly 3 kW of extra solar. See home EV charging with solar for chargers, rates and sizing.

No. Most cars charge overnight while the panels are idle. Your solar still covers that energy over the year: what the panels make during the day offsets your daytime use and earns export credits, and those savings pay for overnight charging. A home battery can also store midday solar for evening charging. See hourly and time-of-day pricing.

Fast charging costs much more than charging at home: Illinois Electrify America stations ran about $0.43 to $0.60 per kWh in 2026, and Tesla Superchargers about $0.35 to $0.65 depending on the site and whether you're a member. At those prices, fast charging costs about as much per mile as gas at $3.50 to $5, so the big savings come from charging at home.

At today's prices, a 27 mpg car driving 12,000 miles a year spends about $2,050 on gas, versus about $610 charging an EV at home and about $170 if solar supplies the power. Fuel is only part of the decision: vehicle price, insurance and maintenance matter too. But if you already plan to replace a car, solar turns charging into one of the cheapest ways to drive.

Try the solar savings calculator with your bill plus the EV's expected use, or see solar, EVs and heat pumps.