EV vs. Gas vs. Diesel Full-Size Pickups: What Does It Really Cost to Own?

Driving a gas or diesel full-size pickup ain't cheap in 2026.

With gasoline prices above $4 per gallon nationally and diesel above $6 per gallon, fuel has once again become a major part of the cost of owning a full-size pickup.

That raises a pretty straightforward question: How much money could you actually save by driving a Chevrolet Silverado EV instead?

To find out, we're comparing a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST Max Range with three traditional full-size pickup configurations:

• 2025 Ford F-150 5.0L V8 4WD running regular gasoline
• 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 6.2L V8 using premium gasoline
• Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 6.6L Duramax diesel

The F-150 gives us an important regular gas benchmark, while the 6.2L Silverado and Duramax show what happens as fuel costs and truck capability increase.

We're also going beyond fuel costs. We'll look at estimated maintenance and repair expenses, five year operating costs, and finally total cost of ownership, where depreciation changes the picture considerably.

Our Assumptions

To keep the comparison consistent, we'll assume each truck travels 15,000 miles per year.

We're also using national fuel prices as of September 13, 2026.

According to AAA, the national averages used in our comparison are:

• Regular gasoline: $4.313 per gallon
• Premium gasoline: $5.2007 per gallon
• Diesel: $6.204 per gallon

Electricity prices aren't published in real time in the same way gasoline prices are. The latest available U.S. Energy Information Administration data puts the national average residential electricity price at 18.34 cents per kWh for June 2026.

Here's the basic comparison:

Why These Comparison Trucks?

Ford F-150 5.0L V8: The Regular-Gas Benchmark

The F-150 is an important benchmark because the 2025 Ford F-150 with the 5.0-liter V8 and four-wheel drive is rated at approximately 19 mpg combined and runs on regular unleaded gasoline.

That gives us a conventional full-size V8 pickup without relying on premium gasoline or diesel to make the Silverado EV look inexpensive.

Why We're Using Premium Fuel for the Silverado 6.2L V8

The Silverado's 6.2-liter V8 represents the higher-performance end of Chevrolet's traditional half-ton lineup.

Chevrolet recommends 91-octane premium gasoline for the 6.2L V8, so we're using the national premium average rather than regular gasoline.

We're also using 17 mpg combined, which is at the more favorable end of the 6.2L Silverado's EPA ratings depending on configuration.

In other words, we're not deliberately choosing an especially inefficient configuration to make the EV look better.

What About the Duramax?

Heavy-duty pickups such as the Silverado 2500HD aren't required to receive EPA fuel-economy ratings, so there's no official combined MPG figure we can simply plug into the calculation.

Instead of guessing, we're using an independent test result. Car and Driver recorded 16 mpg overall from a Silverado 2500HD Duramax and 18 mpg during its 75 mph highway fuel economy test.

We'll use the observed 16 mpg figure for this comparison. That's arguably generous to the diesel compared with owners who spend significant time towing, hauling, or driving in stop-and-go conditions.

What Each Truck Costs in Energy

Silverado EV: About $1,431 Per Year in Electricity

The 2025 Silverado EV RST Max Range is rated at approximately 52 kWh per 100 miles.

At 15,000 miles per year:

We'll round that to $1,431 per year, or approximately 9.5 cents per mile in electricity.

Ford F-150 5.0L V8: About $3,405 Per Year in Gas

At 19 mpg:

That's about 22.7 cents per mile in gasoline. Even before maintenance, the Silverado EV saves approximately $1,974 per year in energy costs compared with the regular gas F-150.

Silverado 1500 6.2L V8: About $4,589 Per Year in Gas

At 17 mpg:

That's approximately 30.6 cents per mile in gasoline, or about $3,158 more per year in energy than the Silverado EV.

Silverado 2500HD Duramax: About $5,816 Per Year in Diesel

Using Car and Driver's observed 16 mpg:

That's approximately 38.8 cents per mile for diesel and about $4,386 more per year in energy costs than the Silverado EV.

That figure also doesn't include diesel exhaust fluid, or DEF.

Annual Fuel and Electricity Cost

The regular gas F-150 is particularly revealing. Even at 19 mpg and using regular unleaded gasoline, it costs more than twice as much per mile for energy as the home-charged Silverado EV under these assumptions.

Then There's Maintenance

Fuel is only one part of the operating-cost equation.

An electric pickup eliminates a number of routine maintenance items associated with an internal combustion engine or ICE. There are no engine oil changes, spark plugs, engine air filters, fuel filters, or exhaust system components. The Silverado EV also doesn't use a traditional multi-speed automatic transmission.

That doesn't mean an EV is maintenance free.

It still has tires, suspension components, brakes, coolant systems, cabin filters, and plenty of electronic and mechanical components that can require service.

For example, under severe service conditions, GM calls for the Silverado EV's electric drive unit fluid to be changed every 45,000 miles. Severe service includes conditions such as frequent trailer towing, mountainous driving, heavy city traffic in hot weather, high speed driving, or taxi/delivery use.

For consistency, we're using current CarEdge estimates for maintenance and repairs during the first five years of ownership:

There is an important limitation here. These are model level estimates rather than predictions specifically tailored to every engine and trim in our comparison. Actual repair and maintenance expenses could be substantially different.

Still, they give us a consistent third-party framework for comparing the trucks.

Annual Operating Cost: Fuel + Maintenance

When we combine annual energy expenses with the five-year average maintenance and repair estimates, the differences become even more noticeable.

The F-150 number is particularly useful because it gives us a mainstream regular gas benchmark. The Silverado EV comes out approximately $2,236 per year cheaper to operate under these assumptions.

You don't need $5 premium or $6 diesel for the EV operating cost advantage to exist.

Five-Year Operating Cost: Fuel + Maintenance

Now let's extend the same operating cost comparison to 75,000 miles over five years.

For illustration, we'll hold today's fuel and electricity prices constant. Obviously, nobody knows where gasoline, diesel, or electricity prices will be five years from now.

Those are substantial savings, but it's important to be precise about what we're measuring: fuel or electricity plus estimated maintenance and repairs. These figures are not yet total cost of ownership.

Your Electricity Rate Can Change the Math Dramatically

One thing we intentionally haven't done is use an unusually cheap EV charging rate to make the Silverado EV look better.

We're using the national residential average of 18.34 cents per kWh.

Some EV owners pay considerably less. Many utilities offer time-of-use or overnight electricity plans that can make charging an EV much cheaper than the national residential average.

At 12 cents per kWh, for example, the same 7,800 kWh of annual Silverado EV energy consumption would cost only about $936 per year.

At 10 cents per kWh, it would fall to approximately $780 per year.

But the opposite is also true.

If you rely heavily on public DC fast charging at 40, 50, or even 60 cents per kWh, the EV's energy-cost advantage can shrink considerably.

That's why this comparison is most relevant to an EV owner who can do the majority of charging at home.

Towing Changes Everything

There's another very important caveat, particularly when comparing the Silverado EV with the 2500HD Duramax.

These trucks aren't completely interchangeable.

The 2500HD is a heavy-duty pickup designed for workloads that go well beyond what a Silverado EV, Silverado 1500, or F-150 is intended to handle.

If you regularly pull a large fifth-wheel trailer, heavy equipment, or another very large load hundreds of miles at a time, the Duramax may simply be the better tool for the job.

Towing can also have a major effect on EV efficiency.

A Silverado EV towing a large travel trailer will consume substantially more electricity than its EPA energy consumption rating, and long distance towing may require public DC fast charging.

I see this firsthand when towing my own travel trailer. In normal driving, we're using an energy consumption figure of about 52 kWh per 100 miles for the Silverado EV. When towing my travel trailer, I typically average between 0.8 and 1.0 miles per kWh, which translates to approximately 100 to 125 kWh per 100 miles. In other words, towing can nearly double, and in some conditions more than double, the truck's energy consumption.

At that point, the economics can change significantly.

On long distance towing trips, that higher consumption is compounded by the need for repeated DC fast charging stops. Once you combine significantly higher energy consumption with public charging prices, the operating cost advantage can look very different than it does during normal daily driving with home charging.

That doesn't erase the Silverado EV's everyday operating cost advantage, but it does show why towing use case matters so much. An EV pickup that is inexpensive to run around town can become considerably more expensive per mile when towing long distances and relying heavily on public fast charging.

So this comparison should primarily be viewed as a look at everyday driving and unloaded operating costs.

It is not an argument that an electric pickup is the best tool for every truck owner.

But Most Pickup Miles Aren't Spent Towing Heavy Trailers

This is where the Silverado EV really shines.

A lot of people buy full-size pickups because they need truck capability some of the time.  Maybe they tow a camper several weekends each year. Maybe they own a boat. Maybe they haul lumber, landscaping supplies, bicycles, camping gear, or home-improvement materials.

But most of their annual mileage may still consist of commuting, errands, highway trips, and ordinary everyday driving.

And you're paying the truck's fuel bill during every one of those miles.

At today's national prices, our regular-gas F-150 consumes about $3,400 worth of gasoline every 15,000 miles.

The 6.2L Silverado comes in around $4,600.

The Duramax approaches $5,800 in diesel.

The Silverado EV?

Approximately $1,430 in electricity at the national residential average.

That's the operating cost story.

Operating Cost Is Not the Same as Total Cost of Ownership

There's one important clarification to make before declaring a winner.

Fuel and maintenance costs are not the same thing as total cost of ownership.

The initial purchase price matters. So do depreciation, insurance, financing costs, taxes, incentives, and eventual resale value.

In fact, depreciation may be one of the biggest financial disadvantages facing some EVs today.

A buyer could save thousands of dollars in electricity and maintenance but lose some or all of that advantage if the vehicle depreciates substantially faster than the alternatives.

Depreciation Changes the Entire Ownership Cost Equation

So far, the Silverado EV has looked extremely compelling from an operating cost standpoint.

It uses far less money in energy, requires less routine maintenance, and can potentially save thousands of dollars every year compared with a traditional gas or diesel full-size pickup.

But operating cost is only part of the story.

Depreciation may be the Silverado EV's biggest financial disadvantage.

According to CarEdge's current five year cost of ownership estimates, a Chevrolet Silverado EV is expected to depreciate by approximately $50,652 over five years.

CarEdge estimates that a typically equipped Silverado EV selling for about $82,832 when new would have an average residual value of approximately $32,180 after five years. That means depreciation alone represents roughly 60% of CarEdge's projected five-year ownership cost for the Silverado EV.

For comparison, CarEdge projects five year depreciation of approximately:

• Silverado EV: $50,652
• Ford F-150: $30,706
• Silverado 1500: $24,956
• Silverado 2500HD: $17,903

This is where the economics change dramatically.

The Silverado EV may save thousands of dollars in electricity and maintenance, but if you buy one new and sell it after only five years, the additional depreciation can more than erase those operating savings.

The Silverado EV is the least expensive truck in this comparison to operate, but under CarEdge's five year model, it is the most expensive of the four to own.

The F-150 Leads the Five-Year Total Cost of Ownership Comparison

This is where the tried-and-true Ford F-150 makes a very strong financial case.

CarEdge estimates the F-150's total five-year ownership cost at approximately $59,600.

That compares with approximately:

• Ford F-150: $59,600
• Silverado 1500: $62,436
• Silverado 2500HD: $62,718
• Silverado EV: $83,757

In other words, despite spending considerably more on gasoline than the Silverado EV, the F-150 comes out roughly $24,000 less expensive to own over five years under CarEdge's standardized assumptions.

The primary reason is depreciation.

CarEdge's total-cost-of-ownership model includes depreciation, insurance, maintenance and repairs, financing costs, and fuel or electricity using CarEdge's own standardized assumptions. Those fuel and electricity figures are separate from the September 2026 energy price calculations used earlier in this article.

Why Your Actual Result Could Be Different

There are several important qualifications.

First, actual transaction prices matter. Manufacturer incentives, dealer discounts, lease subsidies, tax incentives, and simply negotiating well below MSRP can substantially reduce an individual owner's effective depreciation.

Second, CarEdge's figures are model level averages, not exact trim specific projections for the particular engines and configurations we're comparing here. That's important for something like a Duramax 2500HD or a highly equipped Silverado EV RST Max Range.

And finally, the ownership period matters. Someone who keeps a truck much longer than five years may experience a very different financial outcome than someone who routinely trades after four or five years.

Buying Used May Be the Silverado EV's Financial Sweet Spot

The Silverado EV's steep depreciation looks like a major disadvantage if you're the person buying the truck new.

But it can become an advantage if you're the second owner.

CarEdge estimates that a typically equipped Silverado EV selling for about $82,832 when new could be worth approximately $43,959 after just one year and $40,662 after two years.

In other words, its model suggests that roughly half of the truck's original value could disappear within the first couple of years.

That's painful for the original owner, but potentially very attractive for a used buyer.

If you purchased that same Silverado EV at two years old for CarEdge's projected $40,662 value, the truck is projected to be worth approximately $27,533 when it reaches seven years old.

That means a buyer who purchased it at two years old and kept it for another five years would experience only about $13,129 in projected depreciation during their ownership period.

Once much of the first-owner depreciation hit has already occurred, the Silverado EV's low electricity and maintenance costs become much more powerful financially.

That doesn't mean every used Silverado EV is automatically a bargain. Actual purchase price, mileage, trim, battery configuration, condition, financing, insurance, and future resale value all matter.

But it highlights what may be the Silverado EV's financial sweet spot: let the first owner absorb the steepest portion of the depreciation curve, then buy the truck one or two years old and take advantage of its lower operating costs.

Depreciation Disclaimer: Depreciation is not fixed and can change materially based on vehicle demand, incentives, new-vehicle pricing, used-vehicle supply, interest rates, fuel prices, and broader market conditions. The depreciation figures used in this article are based on CarEdge estimates and should be viewed as a modeling tool rather than a guaranteed future resale value. We have reviewed the published assumptions and outputs used in this comparison, but we have not independently audited CarEdge's underlying proprietary methodology or data sources. Actual resale values may be significantly higher or lower depending on market conditions and the specific vehicle.

Financial Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Actual ownership costs and financial outcomes will vary based on individual circumstances, market conditions, financing, insurance, taxes, incentives, and resale values.

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Sources and Methodology

Fuel prices: AAA national fuel-price averages used in this comparison, September 2026. AAA Gas Prices

Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration national residential electricity average, latest available data for June 2026. U.S. EIA Electric Power Monthly

Silverado EV efficiency: Published 2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV efficiency data used for the RST. 2025 Silverado EV specifications

Ford F-150 fuel economy: EPA fuel-economy data for the 2025 Ford F-150 5.0L V8 4WD. FuelEconomy.gov

Silverado 1500 fuel economy: EPA fuel-economy data for the 2025 Silverado 1500 6.2L V8 4WD. FuelEconomy.gov

Silverado 6.2L fuel recommendation: Chevrolet's 2025 Silverado 1500 owner's manual specifies 91-octane premium gasoline for the 6.2L V8, while noting that 87 octane can be used with reduced performance and drivability. 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner's Manual

Silverado 2500HD Duramax fuel economy: Car and Driver's observed fuel economy from its Silverado 2500HD Duramax testing. Car and Driver Silverado 2500HD test

Silverado EV severe-service maintenance: Chevrolet's 2025 Silverado EV owner's manual, including electric drive unit fluid service under severe operating conditions. 2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV Owner's Manual

Silverado EV maintenance, depreciation, and ownership-cost estimates: CarEdge Silverado EV Cost of Ownership

Silverado EV depreciation projections: CarEdge Silverado EV Depreciation

Ford F-150 maintenance, depreciation, and ownership-cost estimates: CarEdge Ford F-150 Cost of Ownership

Silverado 1500 maintenance, depreciation, and ownership-cost estimates: CarEdge Silverado 1500 Cost of Ownership

Silverado 2500HD maintenance, depreciation, and ownership-cost estimates: CarEdge Silverado 2500HD Cost of Ownership

All figures are estimates intended for comparative purposes. Actual fuel economy, electricity consumption, fuel prices, charging costs, maintenance expenses, repair costs, depreciation, insurance, financing costs, and resale values will vary based on vehicle configuration, geographic location, transaction price, driving style, weather, towing, payload, charging habits, market conditions, and other factors. Operating-cost figures presented in this article should not be interpreted as guaranteed total vehicle ownership costs.