Energy
Compare the ownership cost of an EV and a petrol vehicle over several years.
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EV vs petrol total cost calculator guide
Sticker price is only the opening bid; this calculator compares what an EV and a petrol car cost to own over the years you keep them. Enter both purchase prices, annual distance, ownership period, each car’s efficiency, electricity and petrol prices, annual maintenance for each, the cost of a home charger, and any expected difference in resale value. The EV total is purchase price plus charger plus years of energy and maintenance; the petrol total is purchase price plus years of fuel and maintenance, less the resale adjustment. The result is the gap between them, labelled as an EV saving or premium. With the defaults the EV is dearer over five years, because a $13,000 price gap is not fully recovered by $951 a year in fuel and $400 in maintenance—exactly the trade-off buyers face. Insurance, financing interest, tax, registration, incentives, tyres, and repairs are excluded; add them to the maintenance fields or adjust the prices to include purchase incentives.
EV total = EV price + charger cost + years × (annual miles ÷ mi/kWh × $/kWh + EV maintenance). Petrol total = petrol price + years × (annual miles ÷ mpg × $/gal + petrol maintenance) − resale difference. Result = petrol total − EV total (positive = EV saving, negative = EV premium).
Worked example with the defaults: $45,000 EV, $32,000 petrol car, 12,000 miles a year for 5 years, 3.5 mi/kWh at $0.16, 28 mpg at $3.50, $500 and $900 annual maintenance, a $1,200 charger, and no resale difference. EV energy = 12,000 ÷ 3.5 × $0.16 = $548.57 a year. Petrol fuel = 12,000 ÷ 28 × $3.50 = $1,500 a year. EV total = $45,000 + $1,200 + 5 × ($548.57 + $500) = $51,442.86. Petrol total = $32,000 + 5 × ($1,500 + $900) = $44,000.00. Difference = $44,000.00 − $51,442.86 = −$7,442.86, so the tool shows a $7,442.86 EV ownership premium. A $7,500 purchase incentive entered as a $37,500 EV price flips it to a $57.14 saving.
Prices are in your display currency with no conversion. Distance is miles per year; efficiency is miles per kWh for the EV and US miles per gallon for the petrol car—convert L/100 km with 235.2 ÷ value and UK mpg by multiplying by 0.833. Energy prices are per kWh and per US gallon. Maintenance fields take an annual figure; put tyres, servicing, and expected repairs there. Resale difference is EV resale minus petrol resale at the end of the period: enter a positive number if the EV will be worth more, negative if less.
This is a modelled estimate, not a meter reading. Real consumption moves with weather, occupancy, appliance age, standing charges, and tariff structure, and equipment rarely runs at its nameplate rating. Use the figure to compare options against each other, then confirm against your own bill and the manufacturer's specification before committing to a purchase. On this page the figure rests entirely on ev purchase price, petrol vehicle price, annual driving distance, ownership period, ev efficiency, petrol efficiency, electricity rate, petrol price, ev annual maintenance, petrol annual maintenance, home charger cost, ev resale value minus petrol resale, market / jurisdiction, effective date, data source, update owner and review date, so start there if the ev vs petrol total cost calculator returns something you did not expect.
Good to know: leaving resale difference at zero quietly assumes both cars lose the same dollar amount, which is unlikely when their prices differ by $13,000; look up three-year values for comparable models and enter the gap. Home charging costs about 10–15% more than the car’s efficiency implies because of charging losses—raise the electricity rate to about $0.18 to allow for it. Incentives, lower EV registration fees, or the extra EV road taxes some states charge are not modelled; fold them into the purchase prices or maintenance figures so the comparison stays honest.
Energy results depend on tariffs, equipment behavior, region, weather, and installation assumptions. Verify rates and electrical decisions with the utility, manufacturer, or qualified professional.
How it works
Compare the ownership cost of an EV and a petrol vehicle over several years. This tool explains the calculation so you can adjust the assumptions to match your situation.
Worked example
With EV purchase price = 45000 $ · Petrol vehicle price = 32000 $ · Annual driving distance = 12000 mi / year · Ownership period = 5 years · EV efficiency = 3.5 mi / kWh · Petrol efficiency = 28 mi / gallon → $7,442.86 (estimated EV ownership premium). Change an input above and this example updates with your numbers.
Common questions
It depends mostly on the purchase-price gap and how far you drive. With the defaults—$13,000 more for the EV, 12,000 miles a year—the EV costs $7,442.86 more over five years despite saving $951 a year on fuel and $400 on maintenance. Fuel savings alone close that gap only near 31,000 miles a year; a $7,500 incentive or a stronger EV resale value does it faster.
No oil changes, spark plugs, exhaust, or timing belts, and regenerative braking extends pad life, so many owners spend $300–600 a year against $800–1,200 for a comparable petrol car. The defaults use $500 and $900. Tyres wear slightly faster on heavier EVs, which partly offsets the saving.
A Level 2 unit typically costs $400–800, and installation another $500–1,500 depending on panel capacity and cable run, so $1,200 all-in is a reasonable central estimate. Panel upgrades can add $1,500–3,000. If you will charge from a standard socket or at work, set this field to zero.
Historically less well: rapid technology change and price cuts on new EVs pushed some three-year residuals below 50%, while petrol equivalents retained 55–65%. Enter a negative resale difference if the EV is expected to be worth less at the end of your ownership period, and a positive one if incentives depress the new EV price you paid.
Insurance (often 10–20% higher for EVs), loan or lease interest, sales tax and registration, tyres, unexpected repairs, and any purchase incentives or EV-specific road fees. Add the recurring ones to the maintenance fields and the one-off ones to the purchase prices.