Wisconsin EV vs gas · Gas October 12, 2026 · Electricity rates 2025
Yes, by a lot. On Xcel Energy's average home rate, charging an EV costs the same per mile as gas at $1.26 a gallon. Gas in the La Crosse area averaged $4.19 on October 12, 2026, so 1,000 miles a month costs about $47 to charge versus $155 in gas: roughly $108 a month back.
What you pay for power sets what charging costs. Here are the numbers for La Crosse.
Serves La Crosse, Onalaska and much of western Wisconsin
Average home rate 15.6 cents per kWh (2025). Charging costs the same per mile as gas at $1.26 a gallon: about $47 for 1,000 miles versus $155 in gas.
We found no current EV rebate or charging credit from Xcel Energy in our latest review of Wisconsin programs.
Some rural areas around La Crosse are served by an electric co-op instead.
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 La Crosse, gas would have to fall below $1.26 a gallon.
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Wisconsin charges EV owners an extra $175/yr at registration ($75/yr for plug-in hybrids). Even after that, charging on Xcel Energy leaves about $1,127 a year in your favor at 12,000 miles.
No Wisconsin EV rebate, a $175/yr EV fee and a 3 cents/kWh tax on public charging. Home charging is untaxed, and MGE's time-of-use rate cuts the cost further.
Wisconsin 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 Xcel Energy (15.6 cents per kWh, 2025) costs about $47 per 1,000 miles. The same miles in a 27 mpg car cost about $155 at the $4.19 La Crosse gas average on October 12, 2026. Wisconsin's $175/yr EV fee still leaves about $1,127 a year in your favor.
About $1.26 a gallon. That is what a 27 mpg car would need to pay to match the cost per mile of charging at home on Xcel Energy.
At home, about $47 per 1,000 miles on Xcel Energy (15.6 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.
Wisconsin has no state EV purchase rebate right now, and we found no utility EV rebate for La Crosse in our latest review. Check your utility's site for charger offers.
Thinking of buying? Run any dealer quote through the free Deal-Checker before you sign.