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EV vs Hybrid 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

7,400

UK average is about 7,400 miles (DfT National Travel Survey).

Petrol car

Use the figure you actually see, not the brochure claim.

A hybrid is a petrol car with a better MPG, so the same sum answers it. 50–65 is typical real-world for a UK self-charging hybrid.

Electric car

Most EVs manage 3–4 in mixed use; less in winter.

An off-peak EV tariff can be as low as 7p.

20%

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

£245/ year
Electric£957

£757 electricity + £200 tax · 10.2p per mile

Petrol£1,202

£1,002 fuel + £200 tax · 13.5p per mile

Hybrid (60 mpg)£951

£751 fuel + £200 tax · 10.2p per mile · saves £250 a year on fuel vs petrol

Electric cars lost their road-tax exemption in April 2025, so both now pay the same £200 standard rate — and so do hybrids, at £200, since the £10 alternative-fuel discount went at the same time. This assumes both cars were registered on or after 1 April 2017; an older car pays its CO2 band rate instead, which can be as little as £20. Check a specific car.

What this leaves out

Fuel and tax only. Depreciation, insurance, servicing and tyres all differ between the two and usually matter more than fuel over a few years — EVs typically service cheaper but eat tyres faster.

It also leaves out the £440 Expensive Car Supplement, which lands on cars that listed above £50,000 new if electric, or £40,000 if petrol or diesel, in years 2–6. On an expensive EV that is the single biggest tax line, and it can outweigh a year of charging savings.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a hybrid cheaper to run than a petrol car?
On fuel, usually yes — a hybrid is a petrol car with a better MPG, so the saving is simply the difference between the two figures at the same mileage and pump price. A typical UK self-charging hybrid returns 50–65 mpg in real driving against 40–50 for the equivalent petrol, which on 10,000 miles a year is a meaningful but not dramatic saving. Vehicle tax is the same for both: the £10 alternative-fuel discount was abolished in April 2025. Set both MPG figures above to see the gap for your own driving.
What is the cost per mile of an electric car versus petrol in the UK?
It depends almost entirely on where you charge. Charging at home on an off-peak tariff gives a pence-per-mile figure well below petrol; relying on rapid public chargers narrows the gap sharply and can close it. The calculator above shows pence per mile for electric, hybrid and petrol side by side, and lets you set the split between home and public charging, which is the single input that changes the answer most.
Is an electric car actually cheaper to run in the UK?
It depends almost entirely on where you charge. On the Ofgem-capped domestic rate, an EV at 3.5 miles per kWh costs about 7.5p a mile against roughly 18.4p for petrol at 40 mpg. On a smart overnight EV tariff from Intelligent Octopus Go it falls to about 2.3p a mile. But public rapid charging works out around 26.3p a mile — dearer than petrol, not merely close to it. If you cannot charge at home the running-cost case is much weaker, and for high-mileage public charging it can disappear entirely.
Does this comparison include road tax?
Yes. Electric cars lost their VED exemption on 1 April 2025. They now pay £10 in the first year and then the same £200 standard rate as petrol and diesel. EVs that listed over £50,000 new also pay the £440 Expensive Car Supplement in years 2 to 6 — but only if they were first registered on or after 1 April 2025. An electric car registered before that date is exempt from the supplement whatever it cost.
How many miles per kWh should I expect from an electric car?
Most electric cars manage 3 to 4 miles per kWh in mixed driving. Small, efficient models can beat 4, while large SUVs and performance EVs often sit below 3. Cold weather reduces it noticeably — expect 15 to 25 per cent less in winter with the heating on.
What does this calculator leave out?
It compares fuel, electricity and road tax only. Depreciation, insurance, servicing and tyres also differ between electric and petrol cars and usually matter more over a few years of ownership. EVs typically cost less to service but get through tyres faster.