About the EV vs Petrol Cost Calculator
Compare the running cost of an electric car against a petrol or diesel one.
Also known as: electric vs petrol cost, ev savings calculator, should i buy an ev, ev vs diesel.
How to use this calculator
- Enter annual distance, ev efficiency, electricity rate per kwh, petrol car consumption and the other fields.
- The result updates instantly as you type — press Calculate (or Enter) at any time.
- Review the breakdown shown under the main result.
- Use Copy result or Share to save the answer or send a link with your inputs.
Formula
saving = petrol cost − EV cost + tax and servicing difference
Worked example
Using the values pre-filled in the calculator above:
- Annual distance = 15,000 km
- EV efficiency = 18 kWh/100km
- Electricity rate per kWh = 0.12
- Petrol car consumption = 7.5 L/100km
- Fuel price per litre = 1.65
- Extra purchase cost of the EV = 6,000
- Annual tax and servicing saving = 400
- Years of ownership = 6
the calculator returns:
- Annual saving with the EV: 1,932.25
- EV energy cost per year: 324
- Petrol cost per year: 1,856.25
- Payback on the price premium: 3.11 years