EV vs Petrol Running Cost Calculator Trending
Compare annual running costs of an electric car vs petrol. See fuel, VED and servicing savings plus CO2 reduction.
Source: GOV.UK — Vehicle tax rates
By Konstantin Iakovlev · Founder, Calks.uk
Last updated: · Verified against HMRC and GOV.UK 2026/27 rates
Total Annual Saving (EV vs Petrol)
£824.31
5-year saving: £4,121.53
Petrol Cost
£1,534.31/yr
1.7 tonnes CO2
EV Cost
£960.00/yr
0.4 tonnes CO2
| Fuel Saving | £574.31 |
| VED Saving | £50.00 |
| Servicing Saving | £200.00 |
| Total Annual Saving | £824.31 |
| CO2 Saving | 1.3 tonnes/yr |
Disclaimer
This calculator is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial or tax advice. All calculations are performed locally in your browser — no personal data is collected or sent to our servers. Rates and thresholds are sourced from HMRC and GOV.UK and are updated for the current tax year. Always verify results with HMRC or consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
How It Works
Switching from a petrol or diesel car to an electric vehicle can save significant money on fuel, road tax and maintenance. Electricity is cheaper per mile than petrol: a typical EV costs 4-7p per mile to run on home charging versus 14-18p per mile for a petrol car. Road tax (VED) for EVs registered before April 2025 is £0, while those registered from April 2026 onwards pay the standard rate.
Maintenance costs are lower for EVs because they have fewer moving parts. There is no clutch, exhaust system, cambelt or traditional gearbox to service. Brake pad wear is reduced through regenerative braking. Annual servicing costs are typically £100-£200 less than an equivalent petrol car.
This calculator compares the total cost of ownership between an EV and a comparable petrol or diesel car over 3-5 years. It includes purchase price (or lease cost), fuel/charging, insurance, road tax, MOT and maintenance to show the true financial picture.
EV vs petrol — UK savings 2026. Sample 12,000 miles/year. Petrol car (40 mpg, £1.45/litre): 1,365 litres = £1,980 fuel/year. EV (4 miles/kWh, home charge at 8p off-peak): 3,000 kWh × 8p = £240/year. Saving: £1,740/year fuel alone. Add: no road tax until 2025 (£180+/year saving); 80%+ lower maintenance (no oil changes, brake regenerated, fewer moving parts) — ~£200-£400/year saving. Total annual saving for typical UK driver: £2,000-£2,500.
EV charging costs UK 2026. Home charge off-peak (Octopus Go 7.5p/kWh, EDF Go Electric 9p): cheapest. 60kWh battery full charge: £4.50-£5.40 = ~£0.02/mile. Standard rate home (24-28p/kWh): £14-£17 full charge = ~£0.07/mile. Public rapid charger (60-80p/kWh): £36-£48 full charge = ~£0.20/mile (comparable to petrol). Workplace charging: often free/subsidised. Best EV economy: 80%+ home charging on off-peak tariff.
Total cost of ownership — break-even age. Sample £35,000 EV vs £25,000 petrol equivalent (£10k upfront difference). At £2,000/year savings: break-even year 5. EV depreciation: similar to petrol in real terms but battery health concerns make resale variable. Tesla, Polestar holding value better than VW ID, Renault Zoe. Used EVs (2-3 year-old): often 40-50% off RRP — bargain entry point. Salary sacrifice EV (employee perk): often net cost less than petrol equivalent from day 1 due to tax savings.
EV running costs vs maintenance. Service costs: 30-50% lower than ICE. No oil changes; minimal brake wear (regenerative braking); fewer moving parts (no clutch, gears, exhaust system). Tyres similar (or higher — EVs heavier). Battery degradation: 1-2% capacity loss/year typical (8 year/100k mile warranty standard). Battery replacement cost (rare, post-warranty): £8,000-£25,000+ — but virtually unheard-of failure rate in modern EVs (Tesla, Hyundai, etc.) under 10 years.
EV charging infrastructure UK 2026. Public chargers: ~70,000 in UK 2026 (target 300,000 by 2030). Rapid (50kW+): 24,000+ locations. Networks: BP Pulse, Pod Point, Ionity, Tesla Supercharger (open to all), Gridserve, Osprey, InstaVolt. Home charger install: £900-£1,200 fitted (OZEV grant abolished March 2022 for homeowners; still available for renters/flat owners). Workplace Charging Scheme: £350/socket grant for businesses. Most EV journeys: 90%+ home-charged; rapid chargers for longer trips only.
Example: EV vs petrol over 5 years, 10,000 miles/year
- Annual fuel saving (EV vs petrol): ~£900
- Annual road tax saving: £0-£190 (depending on registration date)
- Annual maintenance saving: ~£150
- Total 5-year running cost saving: ~£5,250-£6,200
- Higher EV insurance premium: +£150/year
- Net 5-year saving: ~£4,500-£5,450
Source: GOV.UK — Vehicle tax rates
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does an EV save vs petrol?
- Sample 12,000 miles/year. Petrol (40 mpg, £1.45/litre): 1,365 litres = £1,980/year fuel. EV home off-peak (4 miles/kWh, 8p/kWh): 3,000 kWh × 8p = £240/year. Saving: £1,740/year fuel alone. Plus £180-£300 saved on road tax (until April 2025 when EV pays £190); 50-70% lower maintenance (~£200-£400/year saving). Total annual saving: £2,000-£2,500 typical.
- EV charging costs UK 2026.
- Home off-peak (Octopus Go 7.5p, EDF Go Electric 9p): cheapest. 60kWh full charge £4.50-£5.40, ~2p/mile. Standard home rate (24-28p): £14-£17 full, ~7p/mile. Public rapid (60-80p/kWh): £36-£48 full, ~15-20p/mile (similar to petrol). Workplace charging often free/subsidised. Best economy: 80%+ home charging on off-peak tariff.
- Total cost of ownership — break-even age.
- Sample £35k EV vs £25k petrol equivalent: £10k upfront difference. At £2,000/year savings: break-even year 5. Tesla, Polestar retain value better than VW ID, Renault Zoe. Used EVs 2-3 year-old: 40-50% off RRP — bargain entry. Salary sacrifice EV scheme: often net cost LESS than petrol from day 1 for higher-rate taxpayers due to tax savings.
- EV charging infrastructure UK 2026.
- 70,000+ public chargers (target 300,000 by 2030). Rapid (50kW+): 24,000+ locations. Networks: BP Pulse, Pod Point, Ionity (premium), Tesla Supercharger (open to all), Gridserve, InstaVolt. Home charger install: £900-£1,200 (OZEV grant abolished March 2022 for homeowners; available for renters/flats). 90%+ EV journeys home-charged; rapid for long trips only.