EV vs. Petrol Running Cost Calculator

How to Use This EV vs Petrol Calculator

This EV versus petrol calculator helps Australian drivers compare the real ownership cost of an electric vehicle and a petrol car over a chosen number of years. Instead of focusing only on purchase price, it looks at recurring running costs and estimated resale values as well.

Enter the purchase prices of the EV and petrol vehicle, your annual kilometres driven, your electricity and petrol prices, and each vehicle’s energy or fuel consumption. Then choose the number of years you want to compare. The calculator estimates annual fueling or charging costs, servicing and registration assumptions, resale values, and total ownership cost over the period.

This is useful because the cheaper vehicle upfront is not always the cheaper vehicle to own. EVs often save a lot on fuel and servicing, but that advantage has to be weighed against the higher purchase price and depreciation pattern.

What Usually Drives the Result

The most important factors are annual kilometres, electricity versus petrol prices, the EV purchase premium, and how quickly each vehicle loses value. A driver doing high mileage often sees EV economics improve faster than someone using the car mostly for short, infrequent trips.

What This Tool Does Not Fully Model

It does not capture every rebate, charging setup cost, novated lease structure, tyre cost, insurance difference, or future fuel-price shock. Use it as a planning comparison rather than a final financial quote.