EV vs Gas / Petrol Cost Calculator
Compare purchase outlay and running costs across three years, five years and your ownership period.
Your results
Transparent by designA clearer picture starts here.
Review the example inputs, then calculate. We show the assumptions alongside your result.
Why is this an estimate?
This is a purchase-plus-running-cost comparison. Resale, finance, taxes, parking, tyres and incentives are excluded; use True Cost of Ownership for a broader budget.
Read our methodologyEVVerity estimates are informational and are not a substitute for a professional battery diagnostic or pre-purchase vehicle inspection.
See how the calculation works
This is a purchase-plus-running-cost comparison. Resale, finance, taxes, parking, tyres and incentives are excluded; use True Cost of Ownership for a broader budget.
Compare equal distances and an explicit cost boundary
Use the same annual distance and ownership duration for both vehicles. The comparison includes purchase price, energy, service and insurance. It does not silently assume matching resale values, tax, tyres or finance costs; those exclusions can change a real-world conclusion.
Where to get useful inputs
- Enter local electricity and fuel prices from comparable dates.
- When using MPG, select US or Imperial gallons; the standards differ.
- Use consumption suitable for the same journeys and explore different future prices.
What does a break-even point mean?
It is the point where the modelled running-cost difference offsets the purchase-price difference, if the inputs produce such a point. It is conditional on those assumptions and does not tell you which car to buy.
Method and examples reviewed . Vehicle specifications carry their own source dates.
Methodology, assumptions & confidence →Check whether the purchase premium is recovered
Original EVVerity worked scenario. Inputs are illustrative, not measured vehicle results or market prices.
- Use EV price 18,000 and petrol price 15,000, 12,000 km per year and 5 years. EV inputs: consumption 18, loss 10%, tariff 0.25, service 300 and insurance 700.
- Petrol inputs: 6.5 litres/100 km, fuel price 1.50 per litre, service 450 and insurance 600. Purchase plus five years of these running costs is 26,000 for the EV and 26,100 for petrol.
- Change the electricity price to 0.65: the EV total becomes 30,800. The simple price-premium break-even disappears under these inputs.
What the result helps you decide
A small advantage under one tariff can reverse when public charging dominates. These illustrative totals exclude resale, finance, tax, tyres and unplanned repairs; use the ownership tool to examine those separately.
Follow the full EV-versus-petrol comparison →Example checked .
EV vs gas cost per mile: a US worked example
Select Imperial units, USD and US gallons for a US comparison. Use Imperial (UK) gallons when your MPG figure uses that standard. A US gallon and an Imperial gallon are different sizes; the currency selection does not choose the gallon standard for you.
The following invented inputs compare energy only: an EV at 4 battery-side miles/kWh, $0.18/kWh and 10% charging losses; a gasoline car at 30 US MPG and $3.60 per US gallon. Service and insurance are held equal here. They are editable in the calculator.
| Vehicle | Energy cost per mile | Annual energy cost |
|---|---|---|
| EV | $0.05 | $600 |
| Gasoline | $0.12 | $1,440 |
| Difference | $0.07 | $840 |
When do EV savings cover a higher purchase price?
With a hypothetical $3,000 purchase-price difference and $840 annual running-cost saving, simple break-even is about 3.6 years. The example holds annual use and prices constant. If insurance or other included running costs change the annual saving, the break-even changes too. No positive saving means a higher initial price is not recovered through that modelled saving.
This tool compares purchase outlay plus energy, service and insurance. It does not deduct resale proceeds or include every ownership expense. Use the wider ownership tool for depreciation, finance interest, tax and other budget items instead of interpreting this result as a complete investment return.
Can public EV charging cost more than gasoline?
Yes, for some input combinations. In the example above, the electricity price matching $0.12 per mile is $0.432/kWh: $0.12 × 4 miles/kWh × 0.90. Above that hypothetical rate, EV energy costs more per mile under the same assumptions, before any session or parking fees. This is an arithmetic threshold, not a current network price.
Use prices you can actually obtain and a realistic home/public mix. Recheck both vehicles at a higher electricity price, a different fuel price and lower annual mileage. Energy savings alone do not settle whether a particular car is suitable.
Keep the picture in focus
All tools →Check electric car taxes by country · Compare tax and range scenarios
Read the relevant evidence
Apply this to a model
Check the model’s battery references, charging equipment and viewing checklist. Match the year and original market to the car you are considering.