Kia's EV6 has a much lower driving energy cost than Toyota's RAV4 Hybrid, based on a calculation. Cleantechnica, an electric vehicle outlet, tallied the RAV4 Hybrid's fuel cost at $1,052 and the EV6's charging cost at $205 for 10,000 miles of driving, it reported on May 24 local time.

The comparison used Florida's average gasoline price of $4.42 per gallon and an off-peak electricity rate of $0.07 per kWh. Driving distance was split into two cases: 10,000 miles and 15,000 miles. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency efficiency figures were 42 miles per gallon for the RAV4 Hybrid and 3.4 miles per kWh for the rear-wheel-drive EV6 trim.

The savings at 10,000 miles came to $846. At 15,000 miles, the RAV4 Hybrid cost $1,578 and the EV6 $308, putting the EV6 $1,269 lower, based on the calculation.

The two vehicles are not in exactly the same class, but were presented as comparable models. The EV6 was about 3 inches longer and 1 inch wider, while the RAV4 had a higher ride height. The EV6 led in passenger space and legroom, while the RAV4 had more cargo space.

A recent EV6 price cut was also cited as a reason for selecting the model for comparison. Assuming the same averages hold over 10 years, the savings rise to $8,460 or $12,690. The calculation, however, is based on the premise that average fuel and electricity prices remain unchanged over a long period.

The comparison focused only on the gap in energy costs, not the total cost of ownership for an electric vehicle. It stood out in showing, in figures, how differences in fuel and electricity unit prices and vehicle efficiency widen cumulative costs even over the same distance.