You pulled into a petrol station for the third time this month and watched the numbers spin past $70, then $80. The salesperson at the EV dealership showed you impressive range figures and a glossy brochure. What neither of them told you is the one number that actually matters: how much will this cost you per mile, per month, and how many years before the EV pays for its own price premium?
We built this EV vs petrol calculator to give you every number on one screen. Enter your current petrol vehicle details and the EV you are comparing. You get cost per mile for both, monthly and annual savings, break-even year, and a 5-year and 10-year ownership view. All from three inputs per vehicle.
Written by the FuelConsumptionCalc Research Team
Written by the FuelConsumptionCalc Research Team.
Reviewed by the FuelConsumptionCalc Editorial Team for accuracy against current EPA fuel economy data, EIA electricity pricing, and DOE vehicle efficiency research.
Sources: EPA (fueleconomy.gov), U.S. Energy Information Administration (eia.gov), DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, AAA vehicle ownership cost report, CarTrek 2026 EV vs Gas analysis.
Last Updated: July 2026
EV vs Petrol Calculator
How to Use This EV vs Petrol Calculator
This EV vs petrol calculator compares the running cost of an electric vehicle against a petrol car using cost per mile as the primary metric. Enter your petrol MPG and fuel price, then enter your EV efficiency and electricity rate. The tool returns cost per mile, monthly savings, annual savings, break-even point, and a 5-year ownership comparison in seconds.
Enter Your Petrol Vehicle Details
Enter your current car’s MPG. If you are not sure of your real-world figure, use our MPG calculator to calculate it from your last fill-up. Then enter the current petrol price per gallon at your local station. The US national average has ranged between $3.20 and $3.80 in 2025 and 2026 depending on region and season. Enter your annual mileage.
Enter Your EV Details
Enter the EV efficiency in miles per kWh. Most current EVs fall between 3.0 and 4.5 mi/kWh. A Tesla Model 3 Long Range reaches around 4.0 mi/kWh. A Ford Mustang Mach-E averages 3.2 to 3.5 mi/kWh. An F-150 Lightning sits lower at 2.2 to 2.8 mi/kWh. Enter your electricity rate per kWh. Home charging in the US averages $0.16 per kWh according to EIA residential electricity data.
Add Break-Even Inputs (Optional)
Enter the EV price premium (how much more the EV costs than your current petrol car). Optionally enter annual maintenance costs for each vehicle. According to DOE data, battery EVs average $0.06 per mile in maintenance versus $0.10 per mile for petrol cars. On 12,000 miles that is a $480 annual difference. The tool uses per-mile inputs for maintenance, so enter $0.06 for EV and $0.10 for petrol as starting points.
EV vs Petrol Cost Per Mile Formula
The EV vs petrol comparison starts with cost per mile for each vehicle. Divide your petrol price by MPG to get petrol cost per mile. Divide your electricity rate by EV efficiency (miles per kWh) to get EV cost per mile. The difference multiplied by annual miles gives your annual fuel saving. That saving divided into your price premium gives your break-even year.
The Basic Formula
Petrol cost per mile = Petrol price divided by MPG
EV cost per mile = Electricity rate divided by miles per kWh
Annual fuel saving = (Petrol CPM minus EV CPM) x annual miles
Break-even years = Price premium divided by total annual savings
Worked Example with Real Numbers
Cost per mile=12.5 cents=4.6 cents
Annual fuel cost (12k mi)=$1,500=$549
Annual fuel saving=$951
Annual maintenance saving=$480
Total annual saving=$1,431
Break-even ($10k premium)=7.0 years
5-year net=-$2,843
10-year net=+$4,314
$10,000 premium, fuel only: 10.5 years to break-even $10,000 premium, fuel plus maintenance: 7.0 years to break-even Use our cost per mile calculator to break down your full driving costs beyond just fuel.
What Are the Real Running Cost Savings?
For a typical US driver doing 12,000 miles per year, switching from a 28 MPG petrol car to a 3.5 mi/kWh EV charging at home saves around $79 per month and $951 per year in fuel. Add maintenance savings of around $40 per month and the total monthly saving reaches $119. Over five years, that totals $7,157 before the price premium, or a net positive of $7,157 minus whatever premium you paid.
Monthly and Annual Fuel Savings
At 12,000 annual miles, the worked example above saves $951 per year in fuel, which is $79 per month. At 15,000 miles per year the annual fuel saving rises to $1,189 ($99 per month). At 20,000 miles per year, it reaches $1,586 ($132 per month). High-mileage drivers benefit most. A delivery driver doing 30,000 miles per year at the same figures saves $2,378 in fuel annually. Check your monthly petrol baseline using our monthly fuel cost calculator before comparing to EV running costs.
Maintenance Cost Difference
EVs have no engine oil changes, no spark plugs, no timing belts, and no catalytic converter. Regenerative braking reduces brake pad wear significantly. According to DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center data, battery EVs cost approximately $0.06 per mile in maintenance compared to $0.10 per mile for petrol vehicles. On 12,000 annual miles, that is a $480 saving per year. Over five years, that adds up to $2,400 in maintenance savings alone. Combined with fuel savings, the total five-year saving before premium is $7,157 using the worked example numbers above. Use our fuel consumption calculator to benchmark your current petrol running costs.
5-Year and 10-Year Ownership View
Five-year total saving (fuel plus maintenance, 12,000 mi/year, worked example): $7,157. If the EV premium is $10,000, the five-year net position is minus $2,843.You are still behind at year five on this example. en-year total saving: $14,314. Against a $10,000 premium, you are ahead by $4,314.This is why holding period matters so much. An EV bought at a small premium and kept for 8 to 10 years almost always wins financially at typical US mileage levels.A leased EV returned after 3 years rarely shows a financial advantage unless mileage is very high.
When Does an EV Pay for Itself?
For most US drivers doing 12,000 miles per year and charging at home, an EV breaks even against its petrol equivalent in 7 to 11 years on fuel savings alone, or in 5 to 8 years when maintenance savings are included. Higher annual mileage, lower electricity rates, and smaller price premiums all accelerate the break-even point.
How Break-Even Works
Take your EV price premium. Divide it by your total annual savings. That is your break-even year. Premium $10,000, annual saving $1,431 (fuel plus maintenance): break-even at 7 years. Premium $5,000, same saving: break-even at 3.5 years.Premium $15,000, same saving: break-even at 10.5 years.
The calculation becomes more accurate the more precisely you know your real-world efficiency and electricity rate. EPA ratings run 10 to 15 percent better than real-world figures for most EVs, so use your actual measured efficiency if possible.
What Affects Your Break-Even Timeline
Annual mileage is the single biggest factor. A driver doing 20,000 miles per year breaks even roughly 40 percent faster than one doing 12,000 miles. Electricity rate matters almost as much. A driver on an off-peak EV tariff at $0.08 per kWh saves far more per mile than one relying on public DC fast chargers at $0.40 per kWh. The price premium is fixed and unchangeable once you buy. Choosing an EV that costs $3,000 more than a comparable petrol car rather than $15,000 more changes the break-even by years.
Home Charging vs Public Charging Costs
Home charging is where EV economics are strongest. At $0.10 to $0.16 per kWh for home charging, an EV costs 2.5 to 4.6 cents per mile. Public DC fast chargers at $0.35 to $0.50 per kWh push that to 10 to 16 cents per mile, nearly eliminating the fuel cost advantage over a 28 MPG petrol car.
Home Charging
Level 2 home charging (240V) costs $0.13 to $0.18 per kWh on standard tariffs. Many utilities offer off-peak EV rates at $0.07 to $0.10 per kWh overnight.At $0.10 per kWh on a 3.5 mi/kWh EV, your cost drops to 2.9 cents per mile. That is less than a quarter of the 12.5 cent petrol benchmark. Most EV owners charge 80 to 90 percent of the time at home according to fueleconomy.gov data.
Public Charging
Level 2 public chargers run $0.20 to $0.35 per kWh. DC fast chargers on networks like Electrify America, ChargePoint, and Tesla Superchargers typically charge $0.35 to $0.50 per kWh. At $0.40 per kWh on a 3.5 mi/kWh EV, your cost is 11.4 cents per mile, well above the home charging rate. Use our trip fuel calculator[/LINK] to estimate petrol costs for road trips before comparing against fast-charging costs.
Blended Rate Strategy
For a realistic annual picture, a blended rate of $0.13 to $0.16 per kWh covers most US owners who charge mainly at home with occasional public charging. This is the rate this calculator uses as a default. If you have no home charging and rely entirely on public chargers, the EV fuel cost advantage narrows or disappears depending on local electricity rates.
EV vs Petrol CO2 Emissions
At 12,000 annual miles, replacing a 28 MPG petrol car with an EV avoids burning around 429 gallons of petrol per year. Using the EPA figure of 8.89 kg of CO2 per gallon, that is 3,810 kg (3.81 metric tons) of direct tailpipe emissions avoided annually.
Annual Emissions Comparison
The petrol car at 28 MPG uses 429 gallons per year. Each gallon of petrol burned produces 8.89 kg of CO2 according to EPA emissions data. Total direct CO2: 3,810 kg per year. The EV produces zero direct tailpipe missions at the point of use.Use our fuel unit converter for metric conversions if you need emissions in liters or kilometers.
Upstream Grid Factor
The EV’s real-world CO2 impact depends on your electricity grid’s carbon intensity.The US average grid emits around 0.38 kg CO2 per kWh according to EIA data. At $0.16 per kWh and 3.5 mi/kWh, the EV uses 3,429 kWh per year at 12,000 miles.Grid-sourced CO2: around 1,303 kg. Even accounting for grid emissions, the EV produces about two-thirds less total CO2 than the petrol equivalent on the average US grid. In clean-grid states like California or Washington, the advantage is larger.
Is an EV Worth It for You?
The financial case for an EV depends on mileage, charging access, and how long you keep the vehicle. High-mileage drivers with home charging who keep a car for 7 or more years almost always come out ahead. Low-mileage drivers who frequently use public charging have a weaker financial case.
High-Mileage Drivers
If you drive more than 15,000 miles per year, the EV case is strong regardless of a moderate price premium. At 20,000 annual miles with the worked example figures, annual total savings reach $2,390. A $10,000 premium breaks even in 4.2 years.From year five onwards, the EV is generating net positive savings every year.
Low-Mileage Drivers
Below 8,000 miles per year, the financial case weakens significantly. Annual fuel saving drops to around $634. A $10,000 premium takes 10 years to recover on fuel alone, or around 8 years including maintenance. For low-mileage drivers, buying a used EV with a small price premium or no premium at all makes stronger financial sense than buying new.
City Drivers
Stop-start city traffic is where EVs are most efficient. Regenerative braking recovers energy that petrol cars waste as heat. A petrol car rated at 28 combined MPG often drops to 20 to 22 MPG in dense city driving. The EV maintains close to its rated efficiency in city conditions. City drivers on high-mileage urban routes see some of the strongest real-world EV savings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Methodology
EV cost per mile is calculated as: electricity rate ($/kWh) divided by EV efficiency (mi/kWh). Petrol cost per mile: petrol price ($/gal) divided by MPG. Annual fuel saving: (petrol CPM minus EV CPM) multiplied by annual miles. Maintenance saving:(petrol maintenance per mile minus EV maintenance per mile) multiplied by annual miles.Break-even: price premium divided by total annual savings. 5-year saving: total annual savings multiplied by 5, minus the price premium. CO2 avoided: (annual miles divided by MPG) multiplied by 8.89 kg per gallon (EPA figure).
Electricity rates sourced from EIA monthly residential electricity price data. Petrol prices sourced from EIA weekly retail gasoline reports. EV efficiency figures from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Maintenance cost data from DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center.All results are estimates. Actual outcomes vary based on driving style, climate,battery degradation over time, charging behavior, real-world efficiency versus EPA ratings, and changes in fuel or electricity prices.
Related Calculators
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MPG CalculatorFind your real-world MPG from your last fill-up to use in the EV comparison above.
Monthly Fuel Cost CalculatorSee your total monthly petrol spend to establish your baseline before switching to EV.
Cost Per Mile CalculatorBreak down your full driving cost per mile including fuel, maintenance and depreciation.
Trip Fuel CalculatorEstimate petrol fuel cost for any road trip to compare against EV charging costs.
Fleet Fuel CalculatorCompare EV and petrol running costs across multiple fleet vehicles with weighted MPG.
Disclaimer
This calculator provides estimates only. Results are not financial advice. EV running costs, petrol prices, electricity tariffs, vehicle incentives, and maintenance costs change frequently. Verify current figures from your utility provider, fueleconomy.gov,and your vehicle manufacturer before making purchasing decisions. Break-even calculations do not account for insurance, depreciation, financing costs, government incentives, or battery replacement.