COST

How much does it cost to plugin a vehicle?  

This will vary depending on the vehicle and the electricity rates.  On average, it will less than $1 to charge a plugin hybrid (PHEV) and $2 - $4 for an all electric vehicle.  Your energy bill will be less overall by driving with electricity.  EV's are so efficient that the cost, per mile driven, is significantly less than a gasoline-powered car.  For instance, a 2002 Toyota RAV4 will travel 100 miles on a4 gallons of gasoline.  At $2.50/gallon, the cost is $10.00.  A 2002 Toyota RAVE4 EV will travel 100 miles on 30kWh of electricity.  At 10 cents per kWh, the cost is $3.00.  Source:  www.pluginamerica.org

Do plugin vehicles cost less to maintain?

Plug-in vehicles costs significantly less to maintain.  They have one quarter of the moving parts of a conventional vehicle.  No air cleaners, oil filters, spark plugs, engine oil, fan belts, radiators, fuel filters, etc.  Gas engines require maintenance and a whole bunch of oily replacement parts that end up in landfills.  Though plugin hybrid vehicles do contain an engine and the accompanying parts mentioned above, use of the electric motors lessens the wear and tear on the engine.  Similarly, the regenerative braking also reduces the wear on the vehicles's brakes in comparison to traditional gas engines.