EV vs Petrol Car Cost Calculator: Running Cost Comparison

Disclaimer:
This post is based on my personal experience and intended for informational and educational purposes only. Procedures, tools, and parts may vary depending on the vehicle and situation. Always consult your service manual or a professional before performing any maintenance.

For more information, please read the full disclaimer here.

EV vs Petrol/Diesel Cost Calculator

Compare electric and petrol/diesel running costs per 100 km, per year and over time.

Your Driving

Region

Distance per year

km/year

Purchase Prices

Electric car price

€

Petrol/Diesel car price

€

Electric Car

Energy consumption

kWh/100km

Electricity price

€/kWh

Charging efficiency

Petrol / Diesel Car

Fuel consumption

l/100km

Fuel price

€/liter

Enter your values to see the result.

Electric cost – €/100km

Petrol/Diesel cost – €/100km

Electric yearly cost – per year

Petrol/Diesel yearly cost – per year

Yearly saving –

EV purchase difference –

Breakeven point –

10-year fuel saving –

Total cost over time

After	Electric	Petrol/Diesel	Difference

Estimate only. This calculator does not include insurance, service, tyres, depreciation, taxes, grants or public charging costs. Note: This tool is an educational estimator. Results are based on the inputs you provide and do not constitute financial advice. Actual costs depend on driving patterns, local energy prices, incentives, and individual vehicle specifications.

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Every calculator on this website is built using publicly available data, engineering formulas, and commonly accepted assumptions. However, real-world driving is often very different from theory. Road conditions, weather, traffic, vehicle condition, driving style, tire pressure, payload, battery health, and many other factors can significantly affect the actual results.

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Your feedback helps improve these free tools for everyone. If you have suggestions, corrections, or real-world measurements, please leave a comment below or get in touch. Many improvements on this website come directly from user feedback.

Disclaimer: These calculators are provided for educational and informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to use accurate formulas and reliable assumptions, the results are estimates and may not reflect real-world performance. They should not be considered professional, engineering, financial, legal, or safety advice. Always verify important calculations using official specifications or qualified professionals. By using these calculators, you acknowledge that you do so at your own risk, and the website owner accepts no responsibility or liability for any decisions, losses, damages, or consequences resulting from their use.

What This EV vs Petrol Cost Calculator Does

This calculator answers one practical question:

Is an electric car cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel car — and if so, how long does it take to recover the higher purchase price?

Is an Electric Car Actually Cheaper Than Petrol or Diesel?

The answer depends on three things: how much you drive, what you pay for electricity, and what you pay at the pump. This calculator gives you a personalised answer based on your own numbers — not on averages that may not apply to you.

How the Running Cost Comparison Works

Electric cars cost significantly less per kilometre to run than petrol or diesel cars — typically 3–5 times less at average European energy prices. However, they often cost more to buy upfront. The key question is: how many years does it take for the fuel savings to cover the higher purchase price?

This calculator works out exactly that — the breakeven point — based on your real inputs.

The core formulas used are:

Electric cost per 100 km = (kWh per 100 km × electricity price) ÷ charging efficiency
Petrol/diesel cost per 100 km = litres per 100 km × fuel price per litre
Annual saving = ICE annual fuel cost − EV annual electricity cost
Breakeven = extra upfront cost of EV ÷ annual saving

Typical EV vs Petrol Cost per 100 km (Europe, 2025)

Electric car (17 kWh/100km at €0.22/kWh, 90% charging efficiency): ~€4.16 per 100 km
Petrol car (7 l/100km at €1.70/l): ~€11.90 per 100 km
Diesel car (5.5 l/100km at €1.60/l): ~€8.80 per 100 km

At 15,000 km per year, that is a potential saving of €1,000–€1,800 per year on fuel alone — enough to pay off a €7,000–€8,000 price difference in 5–8 years.

What Is Charging Efficiency?

When you plug an electric car in at home, not all electricity from the socket ends up stored in the battery. Some energy is lost as heat in the charging cable, the car’s onboard charger, and the battery management system. A typical home AC wallbox is 88–93% efficient. This calculator uses 90% as a realistic default. If you charge mainly at fast public DC chargers, efficiency may be slightly lower — but so is the convenience cost compared to charging at home overnight.

What This Calculator Does Not Include

To keep the comparison clear and honest, this tool covers fuel and energy costs only. It does not factor in:

Servicing and maintenance — EVs have fewer moving parts (no oil changes, fewer brake jobs due to regenerative braking), typically resulting in lower service bills, but this varies by model
Insurance — can differ between EV and ICE vehicles
Depreciation and resale value — highly dependent on model, battery health, and market conditions
Public fast-charging costs — DC rapid chargers can cost €0.50–0.80/kWh in Europe, making EV running costs significantly higher than home-charging estimates
Government purchase grants or tax incentives — vary by country and change frequently
Road tax and registration fees

For a complete financial picture, consider these factors alongside the running cost figures shown above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it always cheaper to run an electric car? At current European home electricity prices, yes — the cost per km is consistently lower for EVs. The main exception is drivers who rely heavily on public fast charging, where the price per kWh can be 2–4 times higher than home rates.

How do I find my car’s fuel consumption? Check your car’s trip computer — most modern cars display l/100km or mpg on the dashboard. Alternatively, fill up the tank, drive until nearly empty, fill up again and divide total litres by the kilometres driven between the two fill-ups.

How do I find my electric car’s energy consumption? Most EVs display kWh/100km in the instrument cluster or in the companion smartphone app. The figure varies with driving style, speed, and outside temperature. Highway driving typically uses 18–24 kWh/100km; city driving is usually 13–18 kWh/100km.

What is a realistic breakeven period? With a typical €6,000–€10,000 EV price premium and annual fuel savings of €800–€1,500, most drivers reach breakeven in 5–10 years. High-mileage drivers (20,000+ km/year) can break even in 3–5 years.

Does the calculator work for the US market? Yes. Switch the region selector to USA and all inputs and results change to miles, US gallons, US mpg, and dollars.

Note: This tool is an educational estimator. Results are based on the inputs you provide and do not constitute financial advice. Actual costs depend on driving patterns, local energy prices, incentives, and individual vehicle specifications.

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