Make smarter electric vehicle buying and ownership decisions with the free Grounded Gear calculators and tools. Compare EV, hybrid, and gas vehicle ownership costs, estimate fuel and charging expenses, evaluate potential savings, and explore practical calculators and estimators for electric cars, e-bikes, and electric motorcycles. Whether you’re buying a used EV, comparing vehicles, calculating ownership costs, or trying to understand the real-world expenses of going electric, Grounded Gear gives you straightforward tools to help you buy smarter, own better, and cut through the hype.

EV Budget Calculator — Grounded Gear

Grounded Gear

EV Budget Calculator

Enter your numbers. Results update instantly.

A. Your Current Car

Gas Price ($/gal)Check GasBuddy for your local price

Your Car’s MPGCombined city/highway average

Monthly Insurance ($)

Monthly Maintenance ($)Oil changes, filters, tires

Monthly Car Payment ($)

B. Your Driving Habits

Annual Miles Driven

Use Daily Split Instead?

Weekday Miles/Day

Weekend Miles/Day

C. Your EV Numbers

Look up your EV’s specs on the Reference tab, then enter them here.

EV Efficiency (mi/kWh)Find on the Reference tab or fueleconomy.gov

EV Battery Size (kWh)Rated capacity from the manufacturer’s spec sheet

Electricity Rate ($/kWh)Check your most recent utility bill

EV Monthly Loan Payment ($)

D. EV Cost Assumptions

Research-based defaults — change any of these to match your situation.

EV Maintenance ($/mo) Default $22 — Consumer Reports avg

EV Insurance Premium (%) Default +5% vs current — AAA avg

L2 Charger Install Cost ($) Default $1,500 incl. labor — amortized 60 mo

E. What-If Toggles

Gas price +20%

Shock spike scenario

Off-peak charging −30%

Time-of-use rate

Solar at home −50%

Net metering estimate

Free workplace charging

50% of miles charged free

Cold winter −15% range

Conservative estimate

Add L2 home charger

Amortized from cost above

F. Incentives

Enter $0 if you don’t qualify. Applied as one-time Year 1 credits in the projection.

Federal Tax Credit ($)Up to $7,500 — check IRS eligibility first

State / Utility Rebate ($)Varies $0–$7,500+ by state

Live Results

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Current/mo

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EV/mo

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Monthly Δ

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Annual Δ

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Payback

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Readiness

Readiness Score

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/100

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Enter your numbers above.

Compare Two EVs Side by Side

Shared inputs pull from the My Numbers tab automatically.

EV A — Label

EV B — Label

EV A — Efficiency (mi/kWh)

EV B — Efficiency (mi/kWh)

EV A — Battery (kWh)

EV B — Battery (kWh)

EV A — Monthly Payment ($)

EV B — Monthly Payment ($)

EV Option A

Monthly total—

vs current car—

Annual savings—

5-yr cumulative—

Usable range—

Days per charge—

Readiness score—

EV Option B

Monthly total—

vs current car—

Annual savings—

5-yr cumulative—

Usable range—

Days per charge—

Readiness score—

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Category	Current Car	EV	Difference
Fuel / Electricity	—	—	—
Insurance	—	—	—
Maintenance	—	—	—
Loan / Lease	—	—	—
L2 Charger Add-on	$0	—	—
Total / Month	—	—	—

5-Year Cumulative Projection

Year	Ann. Savings	Incentives	Net	Cumulative

Sensitivity Analysis

How monthly savings shift when one variable changes at a time.

Range Fit

Run your numbers on the first tab.

Environmental Impact

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kg CO₂ avoided/yr

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equiv. trees/yr

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annual miles

EV Specs Reference

Click “Use” on any row to auto-fill efficiency and battery on the My Numbers tab. Always verify against the manufacturer’s current spec sheet — specs vary by trim and model year.

Model	Efficiency (mi/kWh)	Battery (kWh)	Notes

Cross-check at fueleconomy.gov before purchasing.

Add a Vehicle

Not on the list? Add it here for this session.

Model Name

Efficiency (mi/kWh)

Battery (kWh)

Calculator Assumptions

Assumption	Default	Source
EV Maintenance	$22/mo	Consumer Reports / DOE
EV Insurance Premium	+5%	AAA average
L2 Charger Install	$1,500 / 60 mo	Mid-range hardware + labor
Usable Battery	85% of rated	Manufacturer buffer standard
Off-peak Discount	−30%	Typical TOU rate — check your utility
Solar Discount	−50%	Illustrative — depends on system size
Winter Range Loss	−15%	Conservative — real range can drop 15–30%
CO₂ per Mile (gas)	0.404 kg/mi	EPA avg US passenger vehicle
Grid Clean Factor	0.85	Avg US grid emissions offset
Tree CO₂ Absorption	21 kg/yr	U.S. Forest Service

⚠️ This calculator is a budgeting tool, not financial advice.
Results are estimates based on the numbers you enter and general averages. They do not account for your tax situation, credit eligibility, insurance quotes, local utility rates, or individual vehicle conditions. Do not make a purchasing decision based solely on this tool. Consult a financial advisor, tax professional, or licensed dealer before buying.

Grounded Gear

What Will This Vehicle Actually Cost Me?

Compare EV, hybrid, and gas side by side — purchase price, fuel, maintenance, insurance, and break-even in one place.

Detail level:

Basic

Detailed

Shared Inputs These apply to all three scenarios.

Annual Miles Driven

Gas Price ($/gal) Check GasBuddy for your local price

Electricity Rate ($/kWh) Check your most recent utility bill

⛽ Gas Vehicle

Purchase Price ($)

Fuel Economy (MPG)

⚡ Hybrid

Hybrid Type

StandardGas + regen only

Plug-In (PHEV)Electric + gas

Purchase Price ($)

Fuel Economy (MPG) For PHEVs, use blended MPG when running on gas

🔋 Electric (EV)

Purchase Price ($)

Efficiency (mi/kWh) Find on fueleconomy.gov or the Reference tab in our EV Budget Calculator

Where Will You Charge?

100% Home

Mostly Home

Half / Half

Mostly Public

100% Public

Public charging costs roughly 2–3x home rates on average. 15% charging loss baked into all EV calculations.

Ownership Period

3 YearsShort term

5 YearsMost common

7 YearsAbove average

10 YearsLong term

Your Results Annual Operating Cost

⛽ Gas

⚡ Hybrid

🔋 EV

Fuel / Energy

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Annual Total

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5-Year Ownership Cost

⛽ Gas

⚡ Hybrid

🔋 EV

Purchase Price

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Operating Cost

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Total Estimated Cost

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Decision Dashboard

— Gas Cost/Mile

— Hybrid Cost/Mile

— EV Cost/Mile

— EV vs Gas Break-Even

— EV vs Hybrid Break-Even

— Lowest Total Cost

What this doesn’t include Depreciation, financing interest, taxes, registration fees, charging equipment installation, unexpected repairs, and resale value. These factors can significantly affect your real total cost — especially if you plan to sell before the break-even point. Use this as a starting framework, not a final answer.

⚠️ This is a planning tool, not financial advice.
All results are estimates based entirely on the numbers you enter and general market averages. Actual costs vary by location, driving behavior, vehicle condition, insurer, lender, and market conditions. Default maintenance and insurance values are based on published 2026 averages and may not reflect your situation. Do not make a vehicle purchase decision based solely on this tool. Consult a financial advisor and get real insurance quotes before buying.

EV Tire Cost Calculator — Grounded Gear

Grounded Gear

EV Tire Cost Calculator

The ownership cost nobody talks about. Enter your numbers.

A. Your Tires

Installed Price Per Tire ($) Include mounting, balancing, disposal fees

Number of Tires

Expected Tread Life (miles) Typical range: 15,000–25,000 miles for EV tires

Annual Miles Driven

B. Rotation & Ownership

Rotate Every (miles) EVs often benefit from more frequent rotation

Rotation Cost Per Visit ($)

Years You Plan to Own

C. The Trap Reveal

What did you expect to pay per tire before you started researching?

What You Expected Per Tire ($) Your gut-check number before you looked it up

Comparison: Standard ICE Tire Life (miles) Typical range: 35,000–60,000 miles for non-EV tires

D. What-If Toggles

Premium tires

+$60/tire, +8,000 mi tread life

Drive less

8,000 miles/yr instead

Rotate more often

Every 5,000 miles instead

Keep it 8 years

Extended ownership

Live Results

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Per Month

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Per Year

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Per Mile

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Tire Sets Owned

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Total Rotations

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Lifetime Tire Cost

⚠ The Hidden Cost Gap

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vs Equivalent ICE Tires (same price, longer life)

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ICE Annual Cost

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EV Tire Premium/yr

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Lifetime Cost Gap

Cost Breakdown

Item	Your EV	ICE Equivalent
Price per tire	—	—
Full set cost	—	—
Tread life	—	—
Sets over ownership	—	—
Total rotation cost	—	—
Total tire cost	—	—

Replacement Schedule

When you’ll be buying new tires across your ownership period.

Year-by-Year Tire Spend

Year	Tire Cost	Rotation Cost	Total	Cumulative

⚠️ This calculator is a budgeting tool, not professional advice.
Tread life varies significantly by driving style, road conditions, climate, tire brand, and EV torque delivery. These are estimates based on numbers you enter and general averages. Always consult a tire professional before purchasing. Grounded Gear is not responsible for purchasing decisions made using this tool.

Used EV Battery Health Estimator — Grounded Gear

Grounded Gear

Used EV Battery Health Estimator

Enter what you know. Get a realistic State of Health estimate before you buy.

1. Vehicle Info

Model Year Year the vehicle was first sold new

Current Odometer (miles)

2. Battery Chemistry

Not sure? Choose NMC/NCA for most EVs. LFP is used in base Tesla RWD models and some BYD vehicles — these can charge to 100% daily without penalty.

NMC / NCA

Most EVs — Long Range, Performance

LFP

Base Tesla RWD, some BYD models

3. Where It Lived

Prolonged heat is the single biggest accelerator of battery degradation. Where a car spent most of its life matters.

Mild / Temperate

PNW, Midwest, Northeast, UK

Hot Climate

Southern US, Texas, Florida

Extreme Heat

Arizona, Nevada, desert regions

4. Charging Habits

Frequent DC fast charging generates heat inside the cells, accelerating wear over time.

Mostly Home AC

Rare fast charging

Mixed Use

1–2 fast charges/week

Heavy Fast Charging

No home charger / daily DCFC

Estimated Battery Status

— Estimated State of Health (SOH)

65%75%85%95%+

—

Enter your numbers above to get an estimate.

What’s Pulling the Score

Calendar age degradation—

Mileage / cycle wear—

Climate exposure—

Charging habit impact—

Battery chemistry advantage—

—

⚠️ This is a logic-based estimate, not a diagnostic reading.
Actual State of Health varies by individual thermal management design, driver behavior, and storage habits. Do not use this estimate as your only basis for a used EV purchase decision. Always verify with a physical OBD2 diagnostic tool or a pre-purchase inspection before buying.

Grounded Gear

EV Insurance Impact Estimator

Will your EV cost more to insure than your current ride? Find out before you buy.

1. Your Current Insurance

Current Monthly Premium ($) Your actual monthly payment today — check your declarations page

2. The EV You're Considering Vehicle value is the single strongest driver of EV insurance cost — it determines what it costs to repair or replace.

Vehicle Condition

New EVFull replacement value

Used EVLower replacement baseline

Estimated Vehicle Value ($) Purchase price or current market value

Annual Miles Driven More miles = more exposure = slightly higher premium

3. Driver Profile Age is one of the biggest pricing variables insurers use. Under-25 drivers pay significantly more regardless of vehicle type.

Under 25Highest risk bracket

25–64Standard rate baseline

65+Modest uptick vs midlife

Estimated Monthly Insurance Impact

—Monthly Change

—Annual Change

—5-Year Total

—Est. EV Premium/mo

—Premium Change %

—Gas Tanks/mo Equiv.

—

Enter your numbers above.

How the math breaks down

Base EV premium gap (2026 avg: +18% newer, +42% all years)—

Vehicle value adjustment—

New vs used condition—

Mileage exposure—

Driver age adjustment—

What this actually means

—

This is an estimate, not an insurance quote.
Your actual premium depends on your location, driving record, credit score, insurer, coverage levels, and the specific vehicle. Rates vary significantly by state and provider. Always get real quotes from at least two insurers before purchasing a vehicle. Do not make a buying decision based solely on this tool.

Grounded Gear

Electric Motorcycle Range Calculator

See how riding style, speed, temperature, and load affect your real-world range before you buy.

1. Motorcycle Class Select a class to pre-fill battery size — then adjust the battery field to match your exact model.

Lightweight Commuter ~7 kWh — 40–70 mi city

Mid / Performance ~17 kWh — 100–160 mi city

Premium Touring ~25 kWh — 170–220+ mi city

2. Battery Size Pre-filled from your class selection. Adjust to match your exact model's rated capacity.

Battery Capacity (kWh) Check manufacturer spec sheet for rated kWh

Efficiency (mi/kWh) City efficiency — typically 6–10 mi/kWh for e-motos

3. City vs Highway Split

100% City 50% City / 50% Highway 100% Highway

4. Temperature Conditions Battery chemistry loses usable capacity in cold weather. Heat causes BMS throttling at extremes.

Cold / Winter Below 50°F — 15% loss

Ideal Weather 60–85°F — baseline

Extreme Heat Above 95°F — 8% loss

5. What-If Conditions

Aggressive Riding Hard acceleration — 10% loss

Headwind / Rain Drag and traction loss — 8% loss

Luggage / Passenger Extra weight load — 7% loss

Real-World Range Estimates

— City Range

— Highway Range

— Blended Real-World

— Usable Range (85% buffer)

— Total Condition Loss

— Adjusted mi/kWh

15% safety buffer is applied to usable range — this prevents deep-discharge stress on NMC battery cells and reflects how manufacturers rate real-world capacity.

⚠️ This calculator is a planning tool, not a manufacturer specification.
Real-world range varies by individual riding style, terrain, tire pressure, battery age, and model-specific thermal management. Do not rely solely on these estimates for route planning. Always verify with manufacturer data and leave a comfortable charge margin before long rides.

Grounded Gear

E-Bike Range Calculator

See how assist level, terrain, weight, and conditions affect your real-world range before you ride.

1. E-Bike Class Select a class to pre-fill battery size — then adjust the battery field to match your exact model's rated Wh.

Budget / Entry ~360 Wh — 20–40 mi typical

Mid-Range ~500 Wh — 40–70 mi typical

Performance / Long Range ~750 Wh — 60+ mi typical

2. Battery Size Pre-filled from your class selection. Adjust to match your exact model's rated watt-hours — check the spec sheet or battery label.

Battery Capacity (Wh) Wh = Voltage x Ah — e.g. 48V x 10Ah = 480 Wh

Rider + Bike Weight (lbs) Include rider, gear, and bike — heavier loads reduce range on every climb

3. Assist Level Assist level is the single biggest variable you control. Turbo can cut your range by two-thirds compared to Eco. Estimates assume average pedaling effort — not coasting, not racing.

Eco Max range, light assist

Tour / Medium Balanced — most common

Sport / High Strong assist, shorter range

Turbo / Max Full power, shortest range

4. Terrain Hills are the biggest drain on e-bike range — steeper terrain forces the motor to work harder and longer regardless of assist level.

Flat / Urban Minimal elevation change

Mixed / Rolling Hills Some climbs and descents

Hilly / Steep Frequent significant climbs

5. What-If Conditions

Cold Weather Below 50°F — 15% loss

Headwind / Rain Drag and traction — 8% loss

Cargo / Panniers Heavy load — 7% loss

Real-World Range Estimates

— Your Estimated Range

— Usable Range (80% buffer)

— Total Condition Loss

Assist Level Comparison

— Eco Mode (best case)

— Tour / Medium

— Sport / High

— Turbo / Max (worst case)

— Weight Impact vs 180 lbs

— Battery Energy

Usable range applies a 20% buffer — keeping lithium-ion cells between 20–80% charge is the standard recommendation for preserving battery health and longevity.

⚠️ These are estimates, not manufacturer specifications.
Real-world e-bike range varies significantly by pedaling effort, motor type (hub vs mid-drive), tire pressure, battery age, and riding cadence. Estimates assume average pedaling effort throughout the ride. Do not rely solely on these estimates for route planning. Always leave a comfortable charge margin and verify with your bike's range display on familiar routes first.