UDOT Warns of 60-Minute I-15 Delays as Utah Gas Hits $4.42 a Gallon

Q: With gas prices surging, could this hidden EV charging hack actually make your Utah road trip cheaper than ever?

Yes—if the “hack” is charging an EV at home overnight on an off-peak utility plan, a Utah road trip can be dramatically cheaper than driving a gas car, even with holiday traffic. The math is favorable in Utah. Gas averages about $4.42 a gallon statewide, while public EV charging averages roughly 34 to 35 cents per kilowatt-hour, among the lowest rates in the country. Home charging is cheaper still, especially overnight under time-of-use plans offered by Rocky Mountain Power and other Utah utilities. Typical EV charging in Utah at residential rates works out to about $38 a month for 12,000 miles a year, versus roughly $2,000 annually for a 30-mpg gas vehicle at current pump prices. The catch is that the savings are biggest if drivers leave with a full battery from home rather than relying heavily on highway fast chargers, which usually cost two to three times more than home charging. Even then, road-trip charging often remains cheaper than gasoline, just by a smaller margin. There is also a second money-saving angle for Utah park trips: using shuttles once you arrive. Arches is running a free Moab-to-Arches pilot shuttle through Oct. 31, and Zion’s in-canyon shuttle is free during the main season. That can reduce both charging or fuel use and the hassle of parking in crowded parks. So the real “hack” is simple: charge overnight at home on off-peak rates, then use park shuttles where available. In Utah’s current price environment, that is often the cheapest way to travel.

2 articles · Updated · KSL.com · Sep 3

Up to 60-minute delays are forecast Monday on northbound I-15 between Spanish Fork and Nephi, with the worst congestion expected around 6 p.m. as Labor Day travelers return.
Friday traffic is also expected to build, with southbound I-15 delays reaching 30 minutes and eastbound U.S. 6 delays topping 10 minutes as the holiday weekend begins.
UDOT is suspending most construction to open lanes, but work zones in Spanish Fork, Provo canyons and near Thistle Junction could still worsen backups; Midway's Swiss Days may add congestion in Provo Canyon.
AAA said travel demand remains strong despite Utah gas averaging $4.42 a gallon—28 cents above the U.S. average and about $1.10 higher than a year ago—with Arches and Zion among the state's top destinations.