EV vs gas/petrol: which assumptions change the result most?
A practical guide to the variables that can change an EV comparison, including mileage, charging mix, electricity rates, fuel prices, and resale assumptions.
Read GuideEV cost decision tools
See whether an EV would actually save you money
Compare EV vs gas/petrol running costs, estimate home charging savings, and test realistic ownership scenarios using your own mileage, electricity rates, fuel prices, and charging habits.
Editable assumptions. Practical comparisons. Print or save your results as a PDF.
EV cost tools built for real-world decisions
EV running costs can look attractive in theory, but the real answer depends on your mileage, local electricity price, charging mix, fuel costs, vehicle efficiency, and maintenance assumptions. EV Cost Lab helps you compare those numbers directly so you can make a clearer decision before buying, switching, or installing a home charger.
How EV Cost Lab works
EV Cost Lab is built around three practical calculators that help you compare different parts of the EV decision. The EV vs Gas/Petrol Cost Calculator looks at annual running costs and break-even timing. The Home Charger Savings Calculator estimates whether shifting more charging to home could reduce your costs. The EV Total Cost of Ownership Calculator compares the bigger picture, including purchase price, incentives, annual costs, maintenance, resale assumptions, and ownership period.
The calculators are designed for scenario testing rather than one-size-fits-all claims. You can start with estimated local assumptions, edit the numbers, and compare different situations using your own mileage, charging mix, fuel price, and ownership expectations. If you want a clearer explanation of what is included, what is not included, and how the estimates work, see How EV Cost Lab calculates estimates.
What changes the result most
Annual mileage
The more you drive, the more important running-cost differences become. A driver covering a high annual distance may see a much bigger difference between EV and petrol costs than someone who only drives occasionally.
Home charging access
Whether you can charge mostly at home often changes the answer more than people expect. Heavy reliance on public charging can narrow EV savings significantly, and in some cases can remove them.
Upfront cost and resale
Purchase price, grants, incentives, and resale value all affect the bigger ownership picture. A vehicle that looks cheaper to run may still not be cheaper overall if the upfront premium is large or resale assumptions are weak.
Other important variables include electricity tariff, local fuel prices, maintenance assumptions, ownership period, and how realistically your charging habits match the numbers you enter.
Common mistakes in EV cost comparisons
A lot of EV cost discussions are distorted by unrealistic assumptions. One common mistake is comparing petrol costs against home charging alone while ignoring how much charging may actually happen in public. Another is focusing only on monthly fuel or charging costs while ignoring purchase price, maintenance, incentives, resale value, or ownership period.
It is also easy to overestimate savings by using overly optimistic electricity rates, assuming very high home charging access, or entering maintenance figures that do not reflect local reality. If you want a fuller breakdown of the biggest variables, read EV vs gas/petrol: which assumptions change the result most?. EV Cost Lab is designed to make these trade-offs easier to see by letting you adjust the assumptions and test different scenarios directly rather than relying on generic averages or sales claims.
Guides and explanations
These short guides explain the assumptions behind EV cost comparisons, what the calculators include, and how to think more carefully about total ownership costs.
How EV Cost Lab calculates estimates
Learn what the calculators include, what they leave out, and why the results should be treated as editable estimates rather than exact quotes.
Read MethodologyHow to compare EV vs gas/petrol total cost of ownership properly
A fuller explanation of total cost of ownership, including purchase price, incentives, running costs, maintenance, resale value, and ownership period.
Read GuideFeatured calculators
EV vs Gas/Petrol Cost Calculator
Compare annual running costs, monthly savings, cost per mile or kilometre, ownership-period savings, and break-even timing using either: i) estimates based on your locality or ii) your own precise input data.
Open CalculatorEV Total Cost of Ownership Calculator
Compare purchase price, incentives, running costs, maintenance, resale value, and ownership period to see which option is cheaper overall.
Open CalculatorHome Charger Savings Calculator
Estimate how much shifting more charging to home could save each year and how long a charger might take to pay back.
Open CalculatorBuilt for real EV cost decisions
Use your own numbers
Enter your mileage, fuel price, electricity rate, charging mix, and maintenance assumptions to test a scenario that actually resembles your situation.
Compare the costs clearly
See whether an EV is cheaper to run, how much the difference is per month, and how public charging changes the picture.
Save results and compare scenarios
Run one scenario, change the assumptions, and save or print the results so you can compare options properly.
How to use the calculators
1. Enter your driving and charging assumptions
Add your mileage, fuel price, electricity rate, charging mix, and maintenance figures.
2. Compare EV and gas/petrol costs
See the difference in running costs and total ownership using the figures that match your own situation.
3. Review savings, break-even, and next steps
Check annual savings, monthly impact, and whether switching looks worthwhile.
Flexible inputs for different users
The calculators are designed to be flexible rather than locked to one country or one set of assumptions. You can work with miles or kilometres, estimated electricity rates or manual rates, and print or save your results as a PDF for later review.
Clear estimates, not sales claims
These tools are designed to help you compare scenarios by including as many variables as possible pre-purchase, not to give exact quotes. Exact, real costs will vary by vehicle, location, tariff, charging availability, maintenance patterns, driving style, resale conditions, and ownership period. Default assumptions can be edited so you can test different situations and attain a better idea as to costs and potential savings (or not as the case may be!).
Start with costs before making bigger decisions
Before comparing vehicles, home chargers, or longer-term EV ownership choices, use the calculators to understand the numbers first.
Frequently asked questions
Are these exact quotes?
No. These are estimate tools designed to help you compare scenarios using editable assumptions.
Can I use miles or kilometres?
Yes. The calculators are designed to support both.
What if I do not know my electricity rate?
You do not need an exact electricity rate to get started. The calculator includes built-in estimated local average rates for selected countries and regions, and you can edit the rate at any time to test a different tariff or scenario.
Can I save my results?
Yes. The calculators include a Print / Save Results option so you can print the output or save it as a PDF.
Start with the EV vs Gas calculator
Use the main calculator to see whether switching to an EV would lower your running costs based on your own inputs.
Open EV vs Gas/Petrol Calculator