Compare electric car tax, range and running costs on the same basis
A useful comparison separates the money paid at purchase from recurring annual and distance-based charges. It also separates original manufacturer battery capacity from the usable capacity a used car has today. Enter the same currency, journey conditions and time period for both scenarios.
Where to get each input
- Tax: use a dated official assessment or calculation for the exact vehicle and jurisdiction. Check our country guide for the relevant authority.
- Usable energy: retain the capacity report or labelled estimate. A manufacturer baseline for a new battery is not a measurement of a used pack.
- Consumption: use representative battery-side trip data. A grid-energy figure already including charging losses must not have those losses added a second time.
- Energy price: enter your local tariff, including relevant usage charges. Public and home charging can be compared in the charging cost tool.
Transparent formulas
Annual grid energy = annual km × consumption ÷ 100 ÷ (1 − loss % / 100)
Annual distance charge = annual distance ÷ 1,000 × charge per 1,000 units
Annual subtotal = fixed annual tax + distance charge + electricity cost
N-year scenario = annual subtotal × N + one-time tax
For imperial efficiency, consumption in kWh/100 km is 100 ÷ (mi/kWh × 1.609344). One mile is 1.609344 km. Range sensitivity divides the central estimate by 1 + sensitivity for the lower bound and 1 − sensitivity for the upper bound. These are chosen scenarios, not probabilities.
A tax-change example
These numbers are hypothetical, not a country tariff or a vehicle specification. If scenario A has 200 in annual tax and B has 320, with all other inputs identical and no distance charge, B adds 120 per year, or 10 per month as a budget equivalent. Over three constant-rate years, the difference is 360. Adding a one-time 500 purchase tax to B makes the three-year difference 860, not 1,860.
A range example
At 60 kWh usable capacity, 18 kWh/100 km consumption, an 80% start and a 10% arrival reserve, the available 42 kWh gives about 233 km. With ±10% consumption sensitivity, the range is about 212–259 km. This is arithmetic from illustrative inputs; it is not a claim about any car in the catalogue.
Which electric car has the longest range or lowest tax?
Those questions need a defined comparison set. Match model year, variant, wheels and the range-test standard for published range. For a used vehicle, also consider current usable energy and expected trip conditions. For tax, match the country, region, registration and transaction dates, and any relevant original list price or taxable value.
EVVerity does not rank all cars using missing specifications, guessed tax bills or a universal winter-loss percentage. Start with the sourced model guides, then enter the evidence for the two cars you are considering. A lower tax subtotal does not establish the lower total cost of ownership or tell you which car to buy.
Why does the tax amount not appear automatically after I enter a model name?
The name is only a label. A badge cannot establish tax class, dates, country, exemptions or current battery condition. Unknown taxes must be confirmed; enter zero only when a zero charge is applicable.
Is this a full electric vehicle ownership cost calculator?
No. The displayed subtotal covers tax, distance charges and electricity. Use the ownership calculator to include depreciation, finance, insurance, service, tyres and parking. Avoid counting the same purchase tax twice if it is already included in the price you enter there.
Read the electric vehicle range guide · Explore a cold-weather range scenario