The short answer: A 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD costs about $3.80 per 100 miles to charge at home in Kentucky, and $12.41 for the energy to drive its 327-mile EPA range. That uses the August 2026 residential average of 13.80¢/kWh, up from 13.10¢/kWh in August 2025 and about 24% below the U.S. residential average of 18.16¢/kWh. The same 100 miles cost about $13.26 in a 30-mpg gas SUV at AAA’s Kentucky average of $3.979 a gallon (October 28, 2026), and about $14.85 at a public DC fast charger.
EIA Table 5.6.A: EIA labels the 2026 values in this table as preliminary estimates based on a cutoff model sample from Form EIA-861M (formerly EIA-826). Values for 2025 are final. These are state or district-wide residential averages, not a household tariff. Method.
EV vs gas in Kentucky: cost per 100 miles
Kentucky’s regular gas averaged $3.979 a gallon on October 28, 2026, the 15th-cheapest among the 50 states and the District (AAA).
| How you fuel | Math | Per 100 mi | 12,000 mi/yr | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, charged at home | 13.80¢/kWh × 27.50 kWh | $3.80 | $456 | EPA · EIA |
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, public DC fast | $0.540/kWh × 27.50 kWh | $14.85 | $1,782 | Paren, U.S. average |
| 2026 Toyota RAV4 (2.5 L hybrid, 2WD) | $3.979/gal ÷ 43 mpg | $9.25 | $1,110 | EPA · AAA |
| 2026 Honda CR-V FWD (1.5 L turbo, gas) | $3.979/gal ÷ 30 mpg | $13.26 | $1,592 | EPA · AAA |
- Home charging vs the gas SUV: about $1,136 a year less at 12,000 miles. Home charging stays cheaper until electricity reaches about 48.23¢/kWh, 3.5× the state average.
- Home charging vs the hybrid: home charging is about $654 a year cheaper. The break-even against the hybrid is 33.65¢/kWh.
- Public fast charging vs gas: relying on DC fast charging costs more than the gas SUV at these prices ($14.85 vs $13.26 per 100 miles).
Checked on the Model Y: 27.50 kWh/100 mi × $0.1380/kWh = 3.7950, which rounds to $3.80 per 100 miles. The gas SUV is 100 ÷ 30 mpg × $3.979 = 13.2633, or $13.26. The break-even electricity price is $13.26 ÷ 27.50 kWh = 48.23¢ per kWh.
Utility EV and time-of-use prices in Kentucky
Prices quoted from each utility’s tariff or rate page. Fixed charges, riders and taxes are extra unless the line says otherwise.
- Kentucky Utilities, Residential Time of Day Energy: Off-peak 7.614¢/kWh and on-peak 23.870¢, including the infrastructure and variable components. LG&E and KU, Residential time of day rates, checked Nov 2026.
- LG&E (Louisville), Residential Time of Day Energy: Off-peak 9.177¢/kWh and on-peak 19.172¢. LG&E and KU, Residential time of day rates, checked Nov 2026.
For the 27.50 kWh a Model Y uses per 100 miles: about $2.09 at Kentucky Utilities’s off-peak price (7.614¢). That is before fixed charges and riders; the state average works out to $3.80.
AFDC’s utility records (program types, no prices) list 1 utility in Kentucky with an EV rate or managed charging:
- Duke Energy (EV rate) · site
Have an off-peak price? Put it in the calculator.
EV rebates and tax credits in Kentucky
We found no open state EV rebate or tax credit in Kentucky, and no utility charger rebate we could verify, when we checked in November 2026.
Federal credits are gone: 30D and 25E for vehicles acquired after Sept. 30, 2025, and 30C for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026 (IRS: new, used, charger).
Public charging in Kentucky
The AFDC counted 1,209 public charging ports at 414 locations in Kentucky on October 28, 2026: 732 Level 2 and 473 DC fast, plus 4 Level 1. AFDC also counts about 20,700 battery-electric vehicles registered in Kentucky through 2025 (0.5% of light-duty registrations). That is about 17.1 EVs per public port, against 21.7 nationally, the 24th-fewest EVs per port among the 50 states and the District.
Paren’s Q3 2026 report has no Kentucky figure, so fast-charging math here uses its U.S. average of $0.540 per kWh.
Stations that bill energy delivered to the car charge less than the EPA wall figure. As a rough estimate (wall energy × 0.894, a Level 2 efficiency from Sears et al., 2014), the Model Y comes to about $13.28 per 100 miles at $0.540/kWh.
Cost to charge five common EVs in Kentucky
| Vehicle | EPA kWh/100 mi | EPA range | Home / 100 mi | Home full charge | Public DC / 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD | 27.50 | 327 mi | $3.80 | $12.41 | $14.85 |
| 2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard RWD | 24.30 | 321 mi | $3.35 | $10.76 | $13.12 |
| 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD | 31.08 | 319 mi | $4.29 | $13.68 | $16.78 |
| 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD | 30.00 | 318 mi | $4.14 | $13.17 | $16.20 |
| 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E RWD | 31.44 | 260 mi | $4.34 | $11.28 | $16.98 |
Where Kentucky sits
Kentucky is in the East South Central census division.
States next to Kentucky on price
Also in East South Central
All 50 states and D.C., ranked
Open the calculator at 13.80¢/kWh
Related: what a Level 2 charger costs to install in Kentucky, home charger rebates in Kentucky, the extra EV registration fee in Kentucky, whether your panel can take a Level 2 circuit, home charger comparison, and all free EV tools.
Pricing a Level 2 charger? See the charger guide and the ChargePoint Home Flex review.
Check Home Flex on AmazonFAQ: charging an EV in Kentucky
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in Kentucky?
About $3.80 per 100 miles in a 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD at 13.80¢/kWh (EIA, August 2026), and $12.41 for its full 327-mile range. On Kentucky Utilities’s off-peak price of 7.614¢ it falls to about $2.09 per 100 miles before fixed charges.
Is charging an EV cheaper than buying gas in Kentucky?
Yes, at home: $3.80 per 100 miles for the Model Y versus $13.26 for a 30-mpg gas SUV and $9.25 for a 43-mpg hybrid, with regular at $3.979 (AAA, October 28, 2026). The SUV only wins above 48.23¢/kWh.
Is public DC fast charging more expensive than gas in Kentucky?
Yes. $14.85 per 100 miles at $0.540/kWh (Paren, U.S. average) is more than the gas SUV’s $13.26 and $11.05 more than home charging.
Do Kentucky utilities offer EV charging rates?
Kentucky Utilities, Residential Time of Day Energy: Off-peak 7.614¢/kWh and on-peak 23.870¢, including the infrastructure and variable components. LG&E (Louisville), Residential Time of Day Energy: Off-peak 9.177¢/kWh and on-peak 19.172¢.
What EV rebates or tax credits are available in Kentucky?
None that we could verify: in November 2026 we found no open state EV rebate or tax credit in Kentucky and no utility charger rebate with a published amount. The federal purchase and charger credits have also ended.
How many public EV chargers are there in Kentucky?
The AFDC station count for October 28, 2026 shows 414 public charging locations in Kentucky with 1,209 ports: 732 Level 2 and 473 DC fast, plus 4 Level 1. AFDC counts about 20,700 battery-electric vehicles registered there through 2025, or about 17.1 EVs per public port.
More sources
Electricity, gas, vehicle and fast-charging sources are linked in the tables above.
- AFDC station counts (October 28, 2026), registrations (2025), and utility records (2026-10-28).
- NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance, statewide mean temperature: Kentucky January 34.4°F, July 76.4°F (1991–2020 averages).
- AAA, cold weather and EV range (Feb. 7, 2019).
- EIA state generation data, 2024: coal 67%, natural gas 25.8%, hydropower 6.1%.