HesapHanem

EV vs Petrol Cost per Mile Calculator

Enter EV consumption, electricity price, petrol economy and fuel price to compare the cost per mile.

How it is calculated

The tool works in miles and gallons only, with all prices in one currency. The EV consumption is in kWh per 100 miles and the electricity price is per kWh. EV cost per mile is (kWh per 100 mi / 100) × price per kWh. Petrol cost per mile is price per gallon / MPG. The saving per mile is petrol minus EV, and the annual saving is saving per mile × annual miles. A negative saving means the EV costs more to run at those prices. Per-mile values show three decimals. The comparison covers energy only: purchase price, insurance, servicing, depreciation and charger installation are not included. Use the gallon size your MPG figure is based on (US and UK gallons differ).

Worked example

An EV uses 30 kWh per 100 miles at 0.28 per kWh, and a petrol car does 40 MPG with fuel at 6.20 per gallon, over 8,000 miles a year. EV cost per mile = 30 / 100 × 0.28 = 0.084. Petrol cost per mile = 6.20 / 40 = 0.155. Saving per mile = 0.155 − 0.084 = 0.071. Annual saving = 0.071 × 8,000 = $568.00. At a higher electricity price the gap would shrink quickly.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Entering consumption as kWh per mile or per kilometre: the field is per 100 miles, and 0.3 would make the EV look almost free.
  • Mixing gallon types: a UK MPG figure with a US gallon price, or the other way round, misstates the petrol cost by about 20 %.
  • Using the home night tariff when much of the charging is on public fast chargers, which cost far more per kWh.
  • Using the manufacturer's test consumption for both cars: real consumption is usually higher, especially for the EV in winter.
  • Treating the annual saving as the payback: it ignores the difference in purchase price and other running costs.

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 (your kWh per 100 miles ÷ 100); for the petrol car, cost per mile = fuel price per gallon ÷ miles per gallon (mpg). Because electricity is priced per kWh and petrol per gallon, 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.

Your EV's consumption and electricity price are set against the petrol car's mpg and price per gallon; you see the cost per mile of each and, with your annual mileage, the yearly saving.

Was this helpful?

You can pick up to 3 reactions.

Comments

  • Be the first to comment.

Popular calculators

Loan Calculator

Monthly payment, total interest and full amortization schedule.

Percentage Calculator

Percent change, percent of, and ratio calculations.

Discount Calculator

Calculate final price, savings, and discount amount.

BMI Calculator

Body mass index from height and weight (metric or imperial).

Age Calculator

Compute your exact age in years, months and days from a birth date.

Compound Interest Calculator

Calculate the final amount and interest earned with compounding.

All Calculators