Independent
EV research.
The Charge Port publishes original research on the U.S. electric-vehicle market — insurance costs, battery warranties, depreciation, solar payback, and 89 model profiles — with every number traceable to a cited source. Free to read, no account required.
Why We Built This
Most EV buying decisions come down to numbers that are genuinely hard to find: what a specific Model Y actually costs to insure in Michigan, how the Rivian R1T's battery warranty compares to the Mercedes EQS's, how much solar would offset your charging bill on your specific roof, whether a 2022 Bolt EV at $15,500 is a better used value than a 2023 Ioniq 5 at $20,900. The answers exist, but they're scattered across manufacturer warranty PDFs, state insurance filings, NREL weather data, and niche EV forums — and most of the sites that claim to have them are either wrong or a year out of date.
So The Charge Port is a project to put honest, up-to-date, source-cited answers in one place. We build the research tools we wished existed when we were shopping for our own EVs — and we keep the numbers current because pricing, incentives, and warranty terms change faster in the EV market than almost any other consumer category right now.
Everything is free to read. The site is supported by affiliate links — Amazon Associates is the only program we're in, and it appears on the handful of pages that recommend physical gear. We don't currently run any advertising. Our editorial picks and rankings are made independently of any commission — no brand pays for placement, and if we say a product or model is best, it's because the data says so, not because the payout is bigger.
Editorial standards
Sources. Insurance figures come from published insurer data (QuinStreet's Insurance.com and CarInsurance.com, MoneyGeek, Insurify, NerdWallet and Compare.com), each linked on the page that shows it; state averages come from CarInsurance.com's state table. Warranty rankings come from current manufacturer warranty booklets (not dealer-quoted terms). Depreciation data is aggregated from used-market transaction prices. Incentive data is cross-referenced against official state and federal program pages. Every page that cites a number links back to the primary source where practical.
Freshness. Pricing and incentive data is reviewed at least quarterly; the Deals page is reviewed monthly. Each tool and article shows a "last updated" or "last verified" date so readers can judge freshness at a glance.
Corrections. Factual errors are corrected promptly with a dated note on the affected page. If you spot something wrong, the contact form is the fastest way to flag it.
Independence. No automaker, insurer, or service provider pays for placement in our rankings. Amazon Associates is our only affiliate program. Its links appear on our gear guides (Gear, Best Home EV Chargers, Best NACS Adapters and EV Charger Install Gear), in the product picks inside three tools (the NACS checker, the panel calculator and the OBD-II reader link in the battery-health tool), and in accessory picks on some EV model pages. Each placement carries its own disclosure next to the links, and there's a disclosure in the sitewide footer. See the Privacy Policy for details.
Research tools, editorial, and reference data
Each of the tools below is built around an original dataset we maintain in-house. Click any card to see the methodology and current data.
EV Insurance Research
EV insurance pages for 46 models built from published insurer data (a range only where two publishers agree on the same basis), state averages across 50 states plus DC, and a personalized estimator.
Battery Warranty Scorecard
76 battery warranties across 64 EV models (some models get one per version), scored on a 100-point scale across duration, mileage, State-of-Health floor, degradation coverage, and transferability — verified against manufacturer warranty booklets.
Depreciation Tracker
Value retention data for 79 EV model years across 42 models (2020–2025), ranked A through D with used-deal analysis so buyers can spot the best value and sellers know what to expect.
Solar + EV Calculator
Satellite-based rooftop analysis via Google's Solar API with PVWatts fallback. Calculates real payback for homeowners who drive EVs, including state-specific incentives and NEM 3.0 math.
EV Model Directory
Model pages for 89 electric vehicles with specs, trim-by-trim pricing, real-world range context, and hand-written commentary on priority models.
Side-by-Side Comparisons
In-depth matchup pages for 33 of the most-searched EV comparisons, each with range, price, 0-60, charging, and cargo analysis.
Why EV — Cost Analysis
Free 5-year total-cost-of-ownership calculator plus a finder quiz that matches budget and driving profile to the right EV.
Apartment EV Guide
Right-to-charge laws by state, landlord-letter templates, and practical guidance for EV ownership without a private driveway.
50-State Incentive Guides
Current rebate programs, charging infrastructure, and right-to-charge laws for every U.S. state plus DC — reviewed quarterly.
Deal & Rebate Tracker
Active manufacturer lease offers, APR promos, and state rebates — refreshed frequently so the page matches what's available today.
Gear Picks
Editorial EV accessory reviews — chargers, floor mats, dash cams, safety essentials. Each pick includes a written rationale and the specific specs that drove it.
News Tracker
A curated industry news ticker drawing from 21 publications' feeds — EV specialists, plus general tech and auto outlets filtered to EV stories — to help readers stay current. Links go directly to the original publisher.
Built for Every EV Driver
EV Shoppers
See exactly what a specific model will cost you — insurance in your state, financing vs. leasing, 5-year depreciation — before you walk into a dealership.
Current Owners
Understand your vehicle's battery warranty fine print, model the savings from adding rooftop solar, and track OTA software updates and recalls.
EV Curious
Run your actual numbers — your commute, your state's gas prices, your electric rate — to find out whether switching to an EV would save you money over five years.