EV vs Petrol Running Cost Calculator
Compare what you actually spend on fuel vs electricity each month. Enter your driving distance, EV consumption, electricity rate, and petrol fuel economy, see the monthly and annual savings side by side.
Last updated: May 2026
Enter driving distance, electricity rate, EV consumption, petrol price, and fuel economy above.
Running costs only, does not include purchase price, insurance, maintenance, or road tax
EV vs petrol, how the running cost comparison works
This calculator compares only the fuel/energy cost of driving an EV versus a petrol car. It does not include purchase price, insurance, or maintenance, those vary too much by vehicle to give a meaningful comparison here. For most drivers, fuel costs are the largest day-to-day difference, and the rest of the EV & Energy Hub covers the charging and range figures that feed into this comparison.
Formula reference
| What you get | Formula | Example (1 500 km/month) |
|---|---|---|
| EV monthly cost | km × (Wh/km ÷ 1000) × rate (€/kWh) | 1 500 × 0.17 × €0.28 = €71.40 |
| Petrol monthly cost | km × (L/100km ÷ 100) × price (€/L) | 1 500 × 0.07 × €1.80 = €189.00 |
| Monthly savings | Petrol cost − EV cost | €189.00 − €71.40 = €117.60 |
| Annual savings | Monthly savings × 12 | €117.60 × 12 = €1 411.20 |
What this comparison does and does not include
- Included: electricity cost to drive the EV; petrol cost to drive the equivalent distance
- Not included: purchase price difference, finance costs, insurance, road tax, tyres, servicing
- EVs typically have lower maintenance costs (no oil changes, fewer brake replacements), which would make the real-world advantage larger than this calculator shows
- If you charge mainly at public DC chargers the electricity rate will be higher, use €0.50-€0.70 for a realistic public-charging scenario
Where the petrol comparison sits once you know your charging cost
The annual saving this calculator shows is the last number in a chain that each earlier step sharpens. It starts when you work out what speed your home supply can deliver, because that is what determines your everyday rate: the home charger planner checks whether a wallbox is feasible on your consumer unit. From there, the charging time calculator tells you how long a session takes at that power level, and the charging cost calculator prices the kWh you add at your tariff. The range and cost calculator then converts that into a per-kilometre figure, which is the direct input to the yearly comparison you see here. You are here: the yearly verdict. This is step 5, where the per-km EV cost and petrol price stack up across a full year of real driving. Two steps remain after this: the trip planner checks whether a specific journey fits the range without a stop, and the solar panels for EV calculator estimates how much of the charging cost a rooftop array could push toward zero. One thing worth noting from working through these numbers on real tariffs: if you rely entirely on public rapid chargers rather than home charging, the electricity rate can easily be two to three times higher, and that alone can cut the saving shown here in half for the same car and the same distance driven.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cheaper is an EV to run than a petrol car?
At typical Western European rates (€0.28/kWh electricity, €1.80/L petrol), a 170 Wh/km EV driving 1 500 km/month costs about €71/month in energy. A comparable 7 L/100km petrol car costs about €189/month, a saving of roughly €118/month or €1 400/year. Enter your own figures above for an exact comparison.
Does the calculator account for charging efficiency losses?
No, like the EV consumption figure itself, the calculator uses net kWh delivered to the battery. Real grid draw is 5-12% higher due to AC charging losses. If you want a more conservative EV cost, increase your Wh/km figure by 8-10% to account for losses.
How does the saving change if I cannot charge at home and use public chargers instead?
It shrinks considerably. A home tariff in Western Europe might be €0.25 to €0.32/kWh; public DC rapid chargers routinely run €0.55 to €0.75/kWh on the same networks. At the higher rate, the EV monthly energy cost can be two to three times what home charging would cost for the same distance, which compresses or, for some petrol consumption figures, nearly eliminates the annual saving this calculator shows. If you do not have off-street parking and cannot install a home point, enter the public rate you actually pay to see an honest figure rather than the default home-tariff result.
Why does this not compare total cost of ownership?
Purchase price, residual value, financing, insurance, and service costs vary enormously by vehicle model, country, and how you finance the purchase. Including them in a simple calculator would require so many assumptions that the result would be misleading. Fuel/energy cost is the most comparable and consistent figure, use this alongside a specialist TCO tool for a full picture.
Methodology and sources
This tool estimates the energy/fuel running cost of an electric car against a petrol car over the distance you drive, then shows the monthly and annual difference. It is straightforward unit arithmetic, not a total-cost-of-ownership model.
- Method: EV cost = km × (Wh per km / 1000) × rate (€/kWh); petrol cost = km × (L per 100 km / 100) × price (€/L); monthly saving = petrol cost − EV cost; annual saving = monthly saving × 12.
- Standards and sources: no industry standard applies, this is standard arithmetic on the energy and price figures you enter. EV consumption is treated as net kWh delivered to the battery; petrol consumption follows the usual L/100 km convention.
- Assumptions and limits: covers fuel/energy only, it excludes purchase price, finance, insurance, road tax, tyres and servicing. It ignores AC charging losses (real grid draw is roughly 5 to 12% higher), assumes a single flat electricity rate (public DC charging is dearer), and uses the prices and consumption you supply, which vary by car, country and driving style.
Reviewed and maintained by Rick Oosterling, who builds and wires 12 V, solar and EV systems hands-on. Last reviewed: June 2026. These are estimates only; tariffs, prices and usage vary, so treat the output as a planning aid rather than a guaranteed cost.