After 10 years of owning gas cars and test-driving every EV on the market this year, I'm still torn on whether switching saves real money over a decade. The upfront cost is brutal—my friend paid $46k for a Model Y while an equivalent RAV4 ran $34k—but he's spending $38 a month on electricity versus my $170 on fuel. However, insurance on his EV is 22% higher, and a battery replacement quote scared me: $15k out of warranty. Is the total cost of ownership for an electric vehicle actually lower, or are we just ignoring deferred maintenance and depreciation?