As many know, I purchased a 2022 Ioniq 5 SEL LR AWD in September. From a driving experience, it’s been such a huge upgrade that alone I would say I have zero regrets.
But many are going to ask – how much has it cost me, actually, to drive the car in the winter? I was curious too! So instead of theory, I ran the numbers on something better: my actual driving data.
Over the last three months, I have driven 1936 km in my Ioniq 5. It’s largely been urban driving, with a few excursions out of Edmonton.
So in summary:
– Distance driven: 1936 km
– Electricity used: 723.57 kWh
– Total cost: $86.96
– Average cost per km: 4.65c/km
Including:
– Cold-weather driving (nearly -30 °C)
– Highway trips
– DC fast charging (the expensive kind)
– AWD and winter tire losses
So, in other words, this is not a cherry-picked “summer, home-only charging” scenario. This is worst-case; it hurts my face to be outside, real-world data in the depths of an Alberta winter.
Keeping this fair, I benchmarked against actual Edmonton gas prices in 2025, using my old car, a 2015 Honda Accord Coupe 2.0L car, without winter tires, a very efficient car in its own right.
– Average 87 gasoline: $1.35/L
– Fuel economy: ~7.5L/100km combined
On a head-to-head comparison, over the same 1936km, the Ioniq 5 consumed $89.96 of “fuel”, at 4.65 cents per km.
The Accord, over the same 1936km, would have consumed $238.67 of fuel, at 10.1 cents per km.
This comes to approximately 10.1 5.45 cents/km in fuel costs.
That’s over a 50% reduction in travel costs alone.
This doesn’t account for the fact that I’d need to change the oil in the Accord, possibly the transmission fluid, replace the brake pads and/or rotors much sooner, and other maintenance related to the thousands of moving parts involved in making a gasoline engine work. It also doesn’t account for the fact that the Ioniq 5 has Blizzak winter tires mounted, while the EPA-rated Accord has summer tires. I am confident my 2026 summer numbers will be even more staggering.
We do need to have a little reality check here, though. In the extreme cold that we see here in Alberta, the in-town range is reduced. This is mainly because my trips around town are much shorter than when I leave town, but it is the same issue for gasoline-powered cars.
Once it’s warm, it’s pretty much gravy for both cars. The advantage here over a gasoline car is that, if the EV is still plugged in, it will heat the cabin using mains power (which we know is cheaper than gasoline) rather than the battery pack (as it always does otherwise), thereby protecting the EV’s range. This isn’t always possible, so the EV advantage in pre-heating the cabin is negligible, unless you can plug in at all your destinations.
To recap, these are worst-case numbers that rebut the idea that EVs don’t work in our climate. These numbers prove they do – and still save over 50%, even without factoring in gasoline engine maintenance costs and the EV having high-drag winter tires.
I’m going to continue to gather data through 2026 and look forward to reporting back next December.
18 replies on “Three months of owning an EV in Alberta”
I drive a Mustang Mach E. I figure I’m also running at about half the cost of a gas powered vehicle. Mine is all wheel drive with all weather tires. That’s good information you are providing. Did you add in the distribution and other extras on your power bill.
Thanks for the question, Arjen. I didn’t include D&T because those are variable costs depending on where you live. It’s lower in Edmonton than it is in central Alberta, and I’m not sure if or how those fees apply in other provinces.
I was really more interested in the numbers that I can directly control.
Love this post! ive driven an EV for two winters in edmonton as well and found they are fantastic for our winters
What’s the decline in range -15 – -30? How much more charging do you do, in cold weather?
Thanks for the question, Bruce. Certainly there’s a range reduction in these frigid temps, though I’m noticing the near-instant heat from the climate control means I’m only waiting ~5 minutes to get going instead of 15-20.
I would say that the range reduction is comparable to how much more gasoline I would have consumed with my Accord.
Just out of curiosity what is the difference between insurance for your Honda and Hyundai (per year)?
Thanks for the question, Oleg. Surprisingly, my insurance went down by $300/mo going into my Ioniq 5, and that’s including Collision insurance (my Accord didn’t).
One factor, my former insurance provider left Alberta, so I may be comparing apples to oranges.
I too have a 2022 IONIQ 5 but I charge at home with a level 2 in a heated garage. Around town in Lethbridge during the summer I average between 13 to 15 KWh per 100 km. In the winter the economy drops to 19 to 21 KWh per 100 km. So at the best and worst it cost me $.033/km and $.054/km or $.043 per km average per year.
Hi Chad!
Great article! Loving our 2024 Ioniq5 in Calgary. Curious, who is your utility provider? It appears that you’re paying 6.3cents/kwh for home charging? I’m paying 8.79 cents/kwh, with Enmax Easy Max. With the variable usage component of the transmission and distribution, rider fees and GST, my actual rate is more like 15 cents/kwh though.
Thanks for this, Chad. Very helpful!
Great article.
For comparison, my Bolt euv costs 1/3 the amount to “fuel” compared to my 2019 awd Prius, which averaged 57 us mpg over 56K miles, and that doesn’t take the lack of maintenance into account. Both cars were shod with michelin x-ice tires in the winter.
Appreciate the data collected. I was curious, it is commonly stated that the EV costs more to insure? Would you consider giving that data also? It would be an operating expense that could alter the bottom line.
Hi Bruce, thanks for the question. As I mentioned to Oleg above, surprisingly, my insurance went down by $300/mo going into my Ioniq 5, and that’s including Collision insurance (my Accord didn’t).
One factor, my former insurance provider left Alberta, so I may be comparing apples to oranges.