Run the Maine numbers
What will an EV actually cost?
Start with your utility and the rebates you qualify for, then compare fuel cost and winter range with transparent assumptions.
Your utility & your rate
An EV is the biggest new electrical load most households will ever add. Which utility you're on — and which rate you're on — changes what it costs you to run.
📍 Who's my utility?
Maine has two big investor-owned utilities plus a scattering of municipal districts and co-ops.
What you're actually paying for
A Maine electric bill has two halves, and people routinely blame the wrong one.
Supply
The electricity itself. Most people take the Standard Offer, which the Maine PUC bids out annually — that's why it changes every January. You may instead buy from a competitive supplier.
Delivery
Getting it to your house — poles, wires, storm response, plus fixed monthly charges. This is the part a time-of-use rate changes, and it's the part you can't shop around for.
Standard offer supply rose sharply for 2026 — roughly 20% for CMP customers, about 23% in the Bangor Hydro District and around 28% in the Maine Public District. That is supply, not delivery, and it hits everyone on the standard offer whether or not they drive an EV.
Time-of-use: the single biggest lever an EV owner has
An EV is a large, completely schedulable load. That's unusual, and it's exactly what time-of-use rates reward. Pick a utility to see its daily rate structure.
| Period | Hours | Rate |
|---|
🕙 Is time-of-use worth it?
Compare a flat rate against shifting your charging overnight.
Defaults compare Versant Bangor Hydro's standard residential marginal rate against its Home Eco time-of-use rate, using the filed A-4 tariff plus 2026 supply. This covers EV charging only. A whole-house TOU rate reprices your dryer and dishwasher too, and Versant's Home Eco rate carries about $32/month in fixed charges. Use your utility's own rate calculator before switching.
🧾 What happens to my electric bill?
The number people actually want before they buy.
Compare this against what you currently spend at the pump — the electric bill goes up, but the fuel bill goes to zero. The cost tools above net it out.
🔧 Will I need a service upgrade?
Usually the honest answer is "probably not, but get it calculated."
- 200A panel: almost always fine, even with heat pumps.
- 100A panel: often still workable. A load calculation may show room, and if not, a lower-amperage charger or a load-management device is far cheaper than a new service.
- Load management is the underrated option. Devices that share a circuit with your dryer, or chargers that throttle when the house draws heavily, routinely avoid a panel upgrade.
- A full service upgrade means new panel, meter, and often a new drop from the utility — coordinate with CMP or Versant early, as their scheduling drives the timeline.
☀️ Solar plus an EV
Under Maine's net energy billing, exports offset your consumption — so a home array and an EV pair naturally.
- The catch is timing: you generate at midday and typically charge at night, so you're banking credits rather than directly self-consuming.
- If you're home during the day or can schedule midday charging, direct self-consumption is the best economics available.
- Size the array for the new load. An EV can add several thousand kWh a year — meaningful against a typical Maine household.
- Net energy billing rules and compensation rates have been actively revisited. Confirm current terms before signing a solar contract.
📋 Before you call an electrician
Have these ready and you'll get a far more accurate quote.
- A photo of your panel with the door open, showing the main breaker rating and empty slots.
- The distance from the panel to where the car parks, and what the wire has to pass through.
- Whether the panel is in a basement, garage or crawlspace.
- Your car's maximum onboard AC charging rate — it caps what's useful.
- Whether you plan to add heat pumps later; sizing once is cheaper than twice.
- Whether you're taking the Efficiency Maine rebate, since the charger must come through their program.
Rebates & incentives
Maine's program is income-targeted. It is not a universal rebate — and the federal credit is gone. Here's exactly where things stand.
Rebate finder
Three questions. Estimates only — Efficiency Maine makes the final determination.
Efficiency Maine rebate amounts
| Eligibility tier | New EV | Used EV | How you qualify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low income | $8,000 | $4,000 | Household member enrolled in MaineCare, HEAP, SNAP or TANF |
| Moderate income | $6,000 | $3,000 | AGI under $70,000 single / $100,000 joint filers |
| Above income limits | — | — | No consumer rebate currently funded |
| Business / nonprofit / government | Varies | Varies | Separate fleet and workplace-charging tracks |
The order of operations matters
This trips people up constantly: you must be approved before you buy. Do it out of order and the rebate is gone.
-
1
Get income verification first
Apply to Efficiency Maine and receive your verification letter before purchasing the vehicle. This is the step people skip.
-
2
Buy an off-peak charger through Efficiency Maine
The rebate is paired with a qualifying off-peak charger purchased through the program.
-
3
Buy the EV from a participating dealer
The dealer applies the rebate at the point of sale, so it comes off the price rather than arriving months later.
-
4
Install and connect the charger within 90 days
It must be installed at your home and connected to the internet within 90 days of the vehicle purchase, and configured to avoid charging 5:00–9:00 p.m. on weekdays.
Cost & range tools
Maine-specific defaults, all editable. Everything runs in your browser.
⛽ Gas vs. electric, per year
Default is CMP's marginal rate — 12.72¢ supply plus 6.74¢ per-kWh delivery, both from Maine PUC schedules. That's what another kWh costs you; the fixed monthly charge is on your bill regardless. Versant customers should use ~24.7¢ (Bangor Hydro) or ~26.2¢ (Maine Public).
❄️ Winter range estimator
What an EPA range figure really means in a Maine January.
A model, not a measurement. Wind, snow-covered roads, roof boxes and 80 mph on the turnpike all take their own cut.
🗺️ Charging stop planner
Rough sanity check for a Maine drive.
Assumes DC fast stops from roughly 10%→80%, which is where charging is quickest. In deep cold, add time — a cold battery accepts power slowly until it warms.