This Chevrolet Model With Lower Fuel Costs Is One Of The Best Cars For Retirees

An electric vehicle (EV) can save a lot on fuel costs, which make up roughly 3% of Americans' annual expenses, according to 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While retirees may not drive as much as younger Americans who are commuting to work or driving young children around, having a fixed income often means saving wherever you can. For retirees shopping for an EV as a way to save money on gas, the Chevrolet Equinox EV can be one of your best options. It's spacious, affordable, and has a strong driving range — according to FuelEconomy.gov. The 2026 models get a total range of about 288 to 319 miles, on par with most EVs in 2026.

Since the Equinox is fully electric, you won't need to worry about pump prices, although you will need to pay for electricity to charge it. Luckily, this generally costs less than a gas-powered car. The Equinox EV gets about 96 to 108 miles per gallon equivalent (mpge), which is the standard measurement for comparing fuel efficiency of EVs to gas-powered vehicles. This matches the 99.9 mpge average for all EVs, per a 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For comparison, hybrid and gas-powered vehicles only average up to 36.8 mpg and 26.8 mpg, respectively. Overall, annual fuel costs for the Equinox EV are estimated to be $700 to $800, versus roughly $2,400 per year for the gas-powered version. 

Something that makes the Equinox EV particularly appealing for retirees is that it's lower priced than many other EVs. A new 2027 Equinox EV has a starting MSRP of between $34,995 and $44,395, depending on the trim. In comparison, the average price of new EVs overall is $54,754, per KBB.

The Equinox EV is also fairly cheap to insure. While insurance for EVs is typically more expensive than it is for gas-powered cars, CarEdge estimates insurance on the 2026 Equinox EV to be about $2,406 per year — far less than the EV average of over $4,000 that Kelley Blue Book reports. It's actually closer to the insurance rate for a gas vehicle, with Mercury Insurance ranking the Equinox EV as one of the most affordable electric or hybrid vehicles to insure. Plus, maintenance on any electric vehicle costs less than for a gas vehicle, in part because electric cars have fewer moving parts — CarEdge estimates just over $300 per year for regular maintenance on the Equinox EV. Plus, safety and performance-wise, it's a better bet than certain less reliable EVs out there. All of these cost factors make the Equinox EV one of the best Chevrolet cars for retirees.