EV vs Petrol Running Cost Calculator
Compare what an electric car and a petrol car actually cost to run over a year in the UK. The answer hinges almost entirely on one thing: whether you can charge at home.
Your driving
UK average is about 7,400 miles (DfT National Travel Survey).
Petrol car
Use the figure you actually see, not the brochure claim.
Electric car
Most EVs manage 3–4 in mixed use; less in winter.
An off-peak EV tariff can be as low as 7p.
This slider is the whole story.
Charging entirely at home costs about £529 a year. Doing it all on public rapids costs about £1,670. Same car, same miles. If you cannot charge at home, an EV's running-cost advantage can disappear entirely.
Electric is cheaper by
£757 electricity + £200 tax · 10.2p per mile
£1,002 fuel + £200 tax · 13.5p per mile
Electric cars lost their road-tax exemption in April 2025, so both now pay the same £200 standard rate. Hybrids pay £200.
For guidance only. Default fuel and electricity prices are indicative UK figures and move constantly — override them with what you actually pay. Uses imperial gallons (4.546 litres), as UK MPG figures do.