The unvarnished number
Compare EV vs petrol running costs in Australia
Free 5-year total cost of ownership calculator — compare electric, petrol, and hybrid cars across all 8 Australian states and territories. Transparent assumptions you can adjust.
Data last updated: 2026-06-12 · Not financial advice · Terms
Compare your vehicles
Pick your state, then choose an EV and a petrol or hybrid model. My comparison guides can pre-select specific pairs for you. Open advanced fields to fine-tune energy, charging mix, on-road extras, and running costs. You can share or bookmark your result link to come back to the same scenario later.
Preparing calculator
Preparing region, vehicle, and usage fields so you can start comparing.
What happens next
The main EV vs petrol comparison loads first, then the optional fine-tuning fields appear just after.
Here’s one I ran earlier
Real cars, real numbers — the exact figures the calculator returns, not a mock-up.
The assumptions behind this number
NSW · 12,000 km/yr · 5 years · paying cash · electricity 37¢/kWh · petrol 195¢/L
BYD Atto 3 · 16.9 kWh/100km
$33,746
5-year total cost
Toyota Corolla Cross GX Hybrid · 4.2 L/100km
$30,762
5-year total cost
Over 5 years the Toyota Corolla Cross GX Hybrid works out about $2,984 cheaper at these defaults. Your km, tariff, and home-charging mix shift this — try yours.
Run your own comparison →Figures computed from seeded ADR 81/02 efficiency and NSW reference prices, paying cash — RRP is indicative, before on-road costs. Illustrative: confirm stamp duty, rego, finance and insurance with official sources. Not financial advice.
How this comparison works
i.The whole cost
Total cost over the period you select — purchase, energy, insurance, maintenance, optional loan interest, minus estimated resale value.
ii.State-level defaults
Electricity and fuel prices for all 8 Australian states and territories. Override any field with your own numbers.
iii.Nothing hidden
Every input is visible and editable. No hidden weightings, and the methodology is published in full.
Vehicle and region figures come from curated Australia reference data. Read the full methodology, the Australia overview, or Learn: cost drivers.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CarCostIQ?
- CarCostIQ is a free, transparent 5-year total cost of ownership (TCO) calculator for Australian drivers comparing electric vehicles with petrol and hybrid cars. It adds up purchase price, energy, insurance, maintenance, and optional loan interest, then subtracts an estimated residual value.
- How accurate is the EV vs petrol cost comparison?
- Defaults reflect published reference pricing, state-level electricity and fuel rates, and planning-grade insurance, maintenance, and residual assumptions. Every input is editable — override with your own tariff, kilometres, charging mix, and on-road extras for a result tailored to your situation.
- Does the calculator include stamp duty, rego, and financing?
- Stamp duty, rego, and other on-road extras are entered in the advanced fields as a single 'on-road extras' amount so you can match your state's actual costs. Loan interest is optional — enter loan amount, rate, and term under advanced to include it in 5-year TCO.
- Which Australian states does CarCostIQ cover today?
- All 8 Australian states and territories (NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT) have built-in regional defaults — each has default electricity cents per kWh and petrol cents per litre reflecting planning averages, which you can override per scenario.
- Can I save or share my comparison?
- Yes. Every comparison produces a shareable URL containing your exact inputs — copy the link, bookmark it, or use 'Email this comparison' on the result page. No sign-in required.
- Is CarCostIQ free to use?
- The core EV vs petrol TCO calculator is free and always will be. Calculations are illustrative planning figures, not financial advice — confirm stamp duty, rego, finance, and insurance quotes with official sources before purchase.
More on the methodology page and in my EV vs petrol cost guide.
Explore related
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- State guideNSW EV running costAustralia's largest EV market. State-specific electricity prices, rebates and rego figures, all adjustable.
- ExplainerEV vs hybrid: which saves moreHybrid is often the cheaper-on-paper rival. This article covers when EV still wins — and when it doesn't.
Stay updated
Get notified when I add new states, update methodology, or improve the calculator.
To save a specific comparison, use Copy share link or Email this comparison on the result page. Privacy
Illustrative figures — confirm stamp duty, rego, finance, and insurance with official sources. Not financial advice.
Transparency
I publish how the calculator works and where defaults come from. Treat defaults as starting points — swap in your real tariff, insurer quotes, and resale guesses when you have them.
- Data coverage: Curated Australia vehicle reference data
- Data last updated: 2026-06-12(vehicle prices & regional defaults)
- Supported regions: all 8 Australian states and territories
- Published methodology: view full methodology
Estimates only; not financial advice. How I calculate