Compare energy cost with your own usage
Running cost depends on distance, efficiency and the price of energy. An EV charged mainly at home can have a different result from one using expensive public chargers. A petrol vehicle’s real mileage can also differ from its official figure because of traffic, air conditioning, load and driving style.
This calculator blends home and public electricity tariffs using the percentage entered. It compares annual energy and routine maintenance, then uses the difference to estimate recovery of an EV purchase-price premium.
How to use the calculator
- Enter realistic annual kilometres from commuting, errands and trips.
- Use the EV’s real consumption in kWh per 100 kilometres.
- Enter home and public charging tariffs and the expected public share.
- Use observed petrol mileage and a current fuel price.
- Add annual maintenance estimates and the actual purchase-price difference.
Calculation method
EV energy cost/km = kWh per 100 km ÷ 100 × blended electricity tariff
Petrol cost/km = petrol price ÷ real mileage
Annual saving is petrol fuel and maintenance minus EV electricity and maintenance. Break-even divides the upfront premium by positive annual saving. Net saving over the selected period subtracts the premium from cumulative running savings.
Charging assumptions matter
Home and public tariffs vary. Charging also has losses between the meter and battery, and published vehicle consumption may already reflect different testing boundaries. Add a cautious margin to consumption if you want to represent charging losses or demanding conditions.
NITI Aayog’s e-AMRIT journey calculator similarly asks users for annual distance, battery and range, home tariff, public charging cost, charging shares, conventional mileage and fuel price. This page keeps the same core comparison user-controlled rather than retrieving live tariffs.
Break-even is not total ownership cost
The result does not compare finance, insurance, resale value, battery replacement, incentives or charger installation. A lower running cost does not guarantee that one vehicle has a lower complete cost. Use the Car Ownership Cost Calculator for a wider model and add scenario-specific costs.
Maintenance and battery considerations
EVs and petrol vehicles have different service schedules, but real costs vary by model, warranty, tyres, mileage and repairs. Enter quotations or owner records rather than assuming every EV has the same saving. Battery warranties have conditions and do not mean capacity remains unchanged forever.
Practical scenario tests
- Increase public charging share for drivers without reliable home access.
- Reduce petrol mileage for congested urban use.
- Increase EV consumption for high-speed or climate-control-heavy driving.
- Test lower annual distance; low usage extends break-even.
- Compare a zero premium when models have similar purchase prices.
Charging access and time
Cost is only one part of suitability. Consider parking, charger access, route coverage, charging time and fallback options. BEE notes that charging cost varies by state tariff and battery capacity, while charging time depends strongly on charger power.
Separate recurring savings from purchase decisions
A positive annual saving tells you only that the entered EV running expenses are lower. It does not show whether the vehicle is affordable, whether financing is suitable or whether resale will compensate for the upfront difference. Compare like-for-like vehicles and keep loan, insurance and depreciation in a complete ownership model.
When two vehicles differ in size, safety equipment or performance, the purchase premium is not purely the price of the powertrain. Note those differences before interpreting break-even as a reason to buy one model.
Planning for changing energy prices
Electricity and petrol prices can both change during ownership. Run at least three scenarios: current tariffs, higher electricity with stable petrol, and higher petrol with stable electricity. If home charging has time-of-day pricing, use the rate you realistically expect to pay. Recalculate after a tariff or route change rather than relying on the original result.