EV vs Petrol Cost per Mile Calculator

About this calculator

Comparing an electric car with a petrol car on a like-for-like basis means reducing both to a cost per mile figure: for the EV, cost per mile = electricity price per kWh × kWh consumed per mile (or ÷ miles per kWh); for the petrol car, cost per mile = fuel price per gallon (or litre) ÷ miles per gallon (or economy in mpg/L per 100km). Because electricity is priced per kWh and petrol per gallon or litre, and the two vehicles measure efficiency in completely different units, this conversion is the only way to put them on the same footing.

Prospective EV buyers and fleet managers run this comparison to see whether the often-higher upfront price of an electric vehicle is offset by lower running costs, and by how much — electricity is typically several times cheaper per mile than petrol even before accounting for lower EV maintenance costs, but the gap depends heavily on local electricity tariffs, charging habits (home vs. public fast charging) and each vehicle’s real-world efficiency.

This calculator takes your EV’s consumption and electricity price alongside your petrol car’s fuel economy and fuel price, and returns the cost per mile for each along with your estimated annual savings.