Cheapest cars to drive in California
Regular gas costs $6.03 a gallon and home electricity 29.8¢ per kWh in California. Here are the current models that cost the least to fuel or charge there over 13,500 miles a year.
Top 15 overall
- 1. Tesla Model Y Electric$1,064
- 2. Lucid Air Electric$1,079
- 3. Tesla Model 3 Electric$1,124
- 4. Toyota bZ Electric$1,124
- 5. Chevrolet BOLT Electric$1,132
- 6. Subaru Solterra Electric$1,142
- 7. Lexus ES Electric$1,155
- 8. Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Electric$1,165
- 9. Subaru Uncharted Electric$1,165
- 10. Toyota C-HR Electric$1,165
- 11. Subaru Trailseeker Electric$1,185
- 12. Audi A6 e-tron Electric$1,186
- 13. Fiat 500e Electric$1,199
- 14. Volvo EX60 Electric$1,202
- 15. Kia Niro Electric$1,205
Cheapest electric cars
- Tesla Model Y$1,064
- Lucid Air$1,079
- Tesla Model 3$1,124
- Toyota bZ$1,124
- Chevrolet BOLT$1,132
- Subaru Solterra$1,142
- Lexus ES$1,155
- Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class$1,165
- Subaru Uncharted$1,165
- Toyota C-HR$1,165
Cheapest plug-in hybrid cars
- Kia Niro$1,416
- Ford Escape$1,570
- Lexus NX$1,891
- Lexus RX$1,918
- Kia Sportage$1,934
- Hyundai Tucson$1,990
- Chrysler Pacifica$2,064
- Kia Sorento$2,077
- Lincoln Corsair$2,080
- Volvo S60$2,106
Cheapest hybrid cars
- Toyota Prius$1,551
- Hyundai Elantra$1,566
- Kia Niro$1,628
- Hyundai Sonata$1,662
- Honda Civic$1,679
- Toyota Corolla$1,714
- Toyota Camry$1,751
- Honda Accord$1,770
- Honda Prelude$1,850
- Lexus UX$1,916
Cheapest gas cars
- Honda Civic$2,395
- Volkswagen Jetta$2,430
- Nissan Sentra$2,467
- Toyota Corolla$2,467
- Nissan Versa$2,505
- Honda Accord$2,544
- Chevrolet Malibu$2,626
- Hyundai Elantra$2,626
- Hyundai Venue$2,626
- Nissan Rogue$2,626
Assumes 13,500 miles a year, EPA combined efficiency and home charging at residential rates. Real-world costs vary with driving style, weather and trim. Gas prices: EIA, week of Oct 19, 2026. Electricity: EIA, August 2026.