EV Charging Cost & Fuel vs. Electricity Calculator

Compare EV charging cost (including onboard charger efficiency loss) against combustion fuel cost per 100 km and per year.

Estimated Annual Energy Savings (EV vs. Fuel)
USD 873.00
5-Year Savings: USD 4,366.00 • Full 0–100% EV Charge: USD 10.11
0–100% Full Charge Cost USD 10.11
EV Cost per 100 km USD 2.39
Fuel Vehicle Cost per 100 km USD 8.21
Annual EV vs. Fuel Cost USD 359.00 vs USD 1,232.00
Inputs
Amounts are treated in the selected currency; no foreign-exchange conversion is applied.
km / yr
Total kilometers driven per year.
kWh
Usable pack capacity (e.g., 50–85 kWh for typical passenger EVs).
km / kWh
Kilometers traveled per kWh of battery energy (~6–7 km/kWh typical).
%
Accounts for ~10% AC-to-DC inverter and thermal charging loss.
$ / kWh
Home or public charger rate per kWh.
km / L
Combustion vehicle efficiency in km per liter.
$ / L
Pump price per liter of fuel.
Results & Graph
Estimated Annual Energy Savings (EV vs. Fuel)
USD 873.00
5-Year Savings: USD 4,366.00 • Full 0–100% EV Charge: USD 10.11
0–100% Full Charge Cost
USD 10.11
72.2 grid kWh (~423 km range)
EV Cost per 100 km
USD 2.39
Fuel Vehicle Cost per 100 km
USD 8.21
Annual EV vs. Fuel Cost
USD 359.00 vs USD 1,232.00

Annual Energy Spend Comparison (USD)

EV Electricity Spend vs. Petrol/Gasoline Spend Over 1 Year
Graph 1 • Annual Running Cost Comparison Home AC EV charging vs. public DC fast charging vs. petrol/diesel
Home AC EV Charging (Annual) 20,513/yr Public DC Fast Charging (~2.2× Tariff) 45,128/yr Internal Combustion Fuel (Annual) 109,286/yr
Graph 2 • 10% → 80% Charging Duration Across Charger Tiers Based on adding 45 kWh of net battery energy
Level 1 Portable 15A Outlet (2.4 kW) 18.8 hrs Single-Phase Home Wallbox (7.4 kW) 6.1 hrs Three-Phase AC Wallbox (11 kW) 4.1 hrs Highway DC Fast Charger (60 kW) 45 mins (0.75 hr) Ultra-Fast DC Hypercharger (150 kW) 18 mins (0.30 hr)
Graph 3 • 5-Year Cumulative Running Cost Trajectory Solid curve = Petrol/Diesel spend; Dashed curve = Home EV spend
0 295.1k 590.1k Year 1: 109,286 109.3k Year 1 Year 2: 218,571 218.6k Year 2 Year 3: 327,857 327.9k Year 3 Year 4: 437,143 437.1k Year 4 Year 5: 546,429 546.4k Year 5
Summary: Annual EV cost is USD 359.00 compared to USD 1,232.00 for fuel.
Summary: Driving 15,000 km/year in an EV averaging 6.5 km/kWh (with 90% charger efficiency at USD 0.14/kWh) costs USD 359.00/year (USD 2.39 per 100 km), compared with USD 1,232.00/year for a combustion vehicle at 14 km/L and USD 1.15/L, saving USD 873.00 annually.
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Formula & Mathematical Methodology: Grid-Adjusted EV Energy Cost vs. Combustion Fuel Cost

EV Cost = Annual kmkm/kWh × ηcharger × Tariff,   Fuel Cost = Annual kmkm/L × Fuel Price
Grid_kWh_annual = (Dist_km / EV_km_per_kWh) / ChargingEff; EV_Cost = Grid_kWh_annual × Tariff; ICE_Cost = (Dist_km / ICE_km_per_L) × FuelPrice
  • ChargingEff: Ratio of energy stored in the battery to energy drawn from the wall meter (typically 0.88–0.92)

Rounding: Per-charge and per-100km figures round to 2 decimal places; annual totals round to nearest dollar.

Worked Example: 15,000 km/yr: 65 kWh EV (6.5 km/kWh, 90% Eff, $0.14/kWh) vs. 14 km/L Car ($1.15/L)

Compare annual energy spend over 15,000 km.

  1. Full 65 kWh charge draws 65 ÷ 0.90 = 72.22 grid kWh × $0.14 = $10.11.
  2. Annual EV grid energy = (15,000 ÷ 6.5) ÷ 0.90 = 2,564.1 kWh → $358.97/year ($2.39 per 100 km).
  3. Annual fuel car consumption = 15,000 ÷ 14 = 1,071.4 L × $1.15 = $1,232.14/year ($8.21 per 100 km).
  4. Annual savings = $1,232.14 − $358.97 = $873.17/year ($4,365.85 over 5 years).
Result: Saves $873/year ($4,366 over 5 years); full EV charge costs $10.11.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the wall meter record more kWh than my battery capacity?

During AC Level 2 charging, the vehicle’s onboard charger converts AC power to DC and runs battery thermal management pumps, dissipating roughly 8%–12% of grid energy as heat.

Science & Engineering · Energy & Transportation Engineering

EV Charging Cost & Fuel vs. Electricity Calculator: inputs, method, and how to read the result

Compare EV charging cost (including onboard charger efficiency loss) against combustion fuel cost per 100 km and per year.

Choose inputs for the case you are checking

The defaults are illustrative. Replace them with values for your case and keep the units shown beside each field.

  • Display Currency: Amounts are treated in the selected currency; no foreign-exchange conversion is applied.
  • Annual Driving Distance: Total kilometers driven per year.
  • Usable EV Battery Capacity: Usable pack capacity (e.g., 50–85 kWh for typical passenger EVs).
  • EV Driving Efficiency: Kilometers traveled per kWh of battery energy (~6–7 km/kWh typical).

What the calculation includes

With the default values shown, Estimated Annual Energy Savings (EV vs. Fuel) is USD 873.00. The calculation follows Grid-Adjusted EV Energy Cost vs. Combustion Fuel Cost; the formula and variable definitions above show how the inputs combine.

One-input check: With the other defaults held constant, changing Annual Driving Distance from 15,000 km / yr to 16,500 km / yr changes Estimated Annual Energy Savings (EV vs. Fuel) from USD 873.00 to USD 960.00. This is a comparison inside the calculator's stated model, not a prediction.

Where to use caution

  • Includes wall-to-battery charging loss so meter billing is accurately represented.
  • Cold weather, highway speeds above 110 km/h, and DC fast-charging surcharges reduce EV cost advantages.

Scope: Global Check the assumptions and limitations against your situation before relying on the estimate.

More in Science & Engineering: Unit Conversion Calculator, Compound Interest Calculator, ROI Calculator (Return on Investment).