A recent study by Self.Inc found that the small electric Fiat 500e is the least expensive to own and operate among 50 new cars analyzed in the United States, with an average annual cost of $3,557. The car leads its closest competitor, the Honda Civic Hybrid, by $1,276; the Honda’s annual ownership cost was $4,833.
The study calculated total ownership costs based on four elements: annual energy or fuel, maintenance, insurance, and fees and taxes. The average annual cost for all 50 cars was $6,913, an increase of $451 compared with Self’s previous study in 2024.
Electric Cars Are Not Always the Cheapest
Although the Fiat 500e topped the overall list, the results showed that hybrids were, on average, the least expensive among the powertrain categories included in the study, with an average annual cost of $5,734. The average cost of battery-electric cars was $6,189, compared with $7,025 for cars powered by internal-combustion engines.
The Fiat 500e’s annual cost was divided into $779 for energy, $1,275 for maintenance, $779 for insurance, and $724 for fees and taxes. This result reflects a small, efficient car, but the published study does not break down the effects of purchase price, incentives, or differences in the distances driven by motorists.
Dodge Charger Daytona Advances Among Electric Cars
The Dodge Charger Daytona ranked second among electric cars in the study’s results and eleventh overall, with an annual operating cost of $5,298. This cost included $911 for energy, $1,364 for maintenance, $1,907 for insurance, and $1,117 for fees and taxes.
According to the published figures, the Charger Daytona’s annual cost is about $200 lower than that of the Tesla Model 3, which recorded $5,464, and about $200 lower than that of the Hyundai Ioniq 6, whose cost reached $5,476. The study indicates that nearly the largest share of the Charger Daytona’s maintenance cost is associated with its tires.
What Do the Results Mean in Practice?
The comparison reveals that evaluating an electric car does not depend on the energy bill alone. Insurance, fees, and maintenance costs can significantly change the ranking of models, as clearly shown by the Charger Daytona, whose annual insurance cost exceeds $1,900 even though its energy cost is only $911.
At the other end of the list, the annual operating costs of both the Porsche 911 and Audi RS7 exceeded $10,000, while the Lucid Air was the most expensive electric car in the study, with an annual cost of $10,049.
These results remain averages specific to the U.S. market and to the samples selected by Self.Inc, so they cannot be applied directly to every driver or market. However, they provide a practical benchmark for comparing cars and show that lower energy consumption alone does not guarantee a lower total cost of ownership.