EV vs Petrol Cost Calculator
Yearly running cost of an electric car vs petrol or diesel, payback and CO2.
About this tool
Choose metric, US or UK units and enter your yearly distance, the EV's energy use and electricity price, the petrol or diesel car's fuel economy and fuel price, yearly maintenance for each, the extra purchase price of the EV and your grid's carbon intensity. The calculator shows each car's yearly cost, the saving, the years to pay back the price difference and yearly CO2 for both.
Is an electric car cheaper to run?
Usually, yes, mainly because electricity costs less per kilometre than fuel and EVs need less servicing. Driving 15,000 km a year, an EV using 17 kWh per 100 km at 0.25 per kWh costs about 640 to charge. A petrol car using 6.5 litres per 100 km at 1.55 a litre burns about 1,510 of fuel. EVs have no oil changes, and regenerative braking means less brake wear, which is why maintenance is entered separately. Divide any extra purchase price by the yearly saving to see how many years the EV takes to pay back. Carbon dioxide counts the tailpipe for fuel, about 2.31 kg per litre of petrol and 2.68 for diesel, and power-station emissions for electricity, which you can set for your country's grid. Honest limits: insurance, depreciation, road tax, incentives and the price of public charging can move the result either way, and the emissions from manufacturing the car and battery are not included. The EV charging cost calculator prices a single charge, the fuel cost calculator prices petrol journeys and the lease vs buy calculator covers the purchase. How to calculate fuel cost for a trip, per mile, and per year โ and what really changes it explains fuel economy units.
Frequently asked questions
How much cheaper is an EV to run?
Often half or less per kilometre when charged at home, plus lower servicing costs. Public rapid charging narrows the gap.
How long does an EV take to pay back its higher price?
Extra purchase price รท yearly saving. A 5,000 premium with 1,170 saved a year pays back in about 4.3 years.
Are electric cars really lower in CO2?
In use, yes on most grids. Including manufacturing, studies generally find EVs lower over their lifetime, by an amount that depends on the electricity source.
Is my data saved?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is stored or sent.