Is an electric car actually cheaper than a petrol car for you? It depends on three things the sticker price hides: what you pay for electricity and fuel, how far you drive, and what the car is worth when you sell it. This calculator puts them side by side for the US, UK, Netherlands and Germany.
Your driving and local prices
The cars you are comparing
Every starting value below is a placeholder for a comparable mid-size car. Replace them with real quotes before you draw conclusions.
Results
How this is calculated
- Fuel per year = distance × (L/100 km ÷ 100) × price per litre.
- Electricity per year = distance × (kWh/100 km ÷ 100) × your blended price per kWh (home and public charging weighted by your home-charging share).
- Total cost = purchase price − incentives − resale value + years × (energy + insurance + maintenance + road tax and fees).
- Payback = the electric car’s extra purchase cost ÷ its yearly running-cost saving versus the petrol car, ignoring resale value.
- Conversions: 1 mile = 1.609344 km; 1 US gallon = 3.785 litres; L/100 km = 235.215 ÷ mpg (US) or 282.481 ÷ mpg (UK).
- Not included: loan interest, home-charger installation, tolls, parking, and the time value of money.
Estimates for illustration only, not financial or tax advice. Example prices are rounded averages and will not match your situation. Incentives, taxes and fees change, so confirm them with official sources before you buy.
How to use it
- Pick your market. The units and example prices switch to match.
- Enter your yearly distance and the fuel and electricity prices you actually pay.
- Replace the starting car prices, fuel economy, insurance and maintenance with real quotes for the cars you are comparing.
About the starting numbers
Fuel and electricity prices start from rounded early-November 2026 averages for each market. Car prices, insurance, maintenance and resale values are placeholders for a comparable mid-size car, not data. The calculator labels its results as examples until you change an input. Replace the starting values with your own before you draw conclusions.
What this calculator leaves out
It compares the cash cost of owning each car. It does not include loan interest, a home charger installation, tolls, parking, or the time value of money. Incentives, taxes and fees change and differ by country, so enter only the ones you have confirmed with an official source.
FAQ
Is an electric car cheaper to run than a petrol car?
Per mile or kilometre, electricity is often cheaper than fuel, especially if you charge at home. How big the gap is depends on your local prices and on how much you rely on public chargers, which usually cost more per kWh than home charging. Run your own numbers above.
How much does home charging matter?
A lot. Public fast charging usually costs much more per kWh than home electricity, so the "share of charging done at home" setting can swing the result. If you cannot charge at home, set it low.
What should I enter for incentives?
Only subsidies or tax benefits you have confirmed apply to you, from official government sources. If you are unsure, leave it at zero.
Why does the hybrid sometimes win?
Hybrids usually cost less to buy than electric cars and use far less fuel than petrol cars. With high electricity prices or low yearly mileage, they can come out ahead.
Does it include loan interest?
No. This version compares cash cost only.