North Carolina EV vs gas · Gas October 12, 2026 · Electricity rates 2025
Yes, by a lot. On Duke Energy Progress's average home rate, charging an EV costs the same per mile as gas at $1.23 a gallon. Gas in the Raleigh metro averaged $3.91 on October 12, 2026, so 1,000 miles a month costs about $46 to charge versus $145 in gas: roughly $99 a month back.
What you pay for power sets what charging costs. Here are the numbers for Raleigh.
Serves Raleigh and much of eastern North Carolina
Average home rate 15.2 cents per kWh (2025). Charging costs the same per mile as gas at $1.23 a gallon: about $46 for 1,000 miles versus $145 in gas.
Some surrounding towns, like Wake Forest, have their own utility, and rural areas may be served by a co-op.
Gas prices jumped in 2026 when the war with Iran disrupted oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Home electricity is priced by utilities under state regulators and moves far more slowly, so the gap tends to widen when gas spikes. For a 27 mpg car to cost less per mile than charging at home in Raleigh, gas would have to fall below $1.23 a gallon.
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North Carolina charges EV owners an extra $214.50/yr at registration ($107.25/yr for plug-in hybrids). Even after that, charging on Duke Energy Progress leaves about $977 a year in your favor at 12,000 miles.
No North Carolina EV rebate. Duke pays up to $1,133 to wire a home for a charger, and some co-ops add small rebates. The EV fee is $214.50/yr, not the old $180.
North Carolina EV incentives · EV fees by state
We assume 1,000 miles a month, a typical new EV that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles, a 27 mpg gas car, and home charging at each utility's average residential rate, which includes its fixed monthly charges. An overnight or EV rate is often cheaper than that average, and public fast charging costs much more. Treat this as the honest average, not your bill.
Sources: EIA Form 861, 2025 (each utility’s residential revenue divided by residential sales), AAA metro gas price averages (regular unleaded), October 12, 2026
Use the savings calculator or see which EVs fit how you drive.
Yes. Charging at home on Duke Energy Progress (15.2 cents per kWh, 2025) costs about $46 per 1,000 miles. The same miles in a 27 mpg car cost about $145 at the $3.91 Raleigh gas average on October 12, 2026. North Carolina's $214.50/yr EV fee still leaves about $977 a year in your favor.
About $1.23 a gallon. That is what a 27 mpg car would need to pay to match the cost per mile of charging at home on Duke Energy Progress.
At home, about $46 per 1,000 miles on Duke Energy Progress (15.2 cents per kWh), for a typical EV that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles. Public fast charging costs much more per kWh than home charging, so these numbers assume you charge at home most of the time.
North Carolina has no state EV purchase rebate right now, but utilities here add their own: Duke Energy "Charger Prep Credit": one-time credit, credit toward the wiring (check the current amount). Check the utility's page before you buy; programs fill up and change.
Thinking of buying? Run any dealer quote through the free Deal-Checker before you sign.