How it is calculated
Blended charging price = home price × (1 − public share) + public price × public share. EV cost per distance = consumption ÷ 100 × (1 + losses) × blended price.
Total = purchase price (minus incentives) + (distance × cost per distance + maintenance + insurance and tax) × years.
Worked example
Using the calculator’s example values:
- Annual distance: 15,000 km/year
- Years you will keep the car: 8 years
- Combustion: car price: $25,000.00
- Combustion: fuel consumption: 6.5 L/100 km
- Fuel price: $1.60/L
- Combustion: annual maintenance: $600.00
- Combustion: insurance and taxes per year: $700.00
- Electric: car price: $32,000.00
- Electric: incentives or discounts: $0.00
- Electric: consumption: 16 kWh/100 km
- Charging losses: 10%
- Home electricity price: $0.15/kWh
- Share of public charging: 20%
- Public charging price: $0.45/kWh
- Electric: annual maintenance: $350.00
- Electric: insurance and taxes per year: $700.00
Result: The EV is cheaper over the period by — $3,044.80 (combustion total cost: $47,880.00; electric total cost: $44,835.20; energy cost per distance: combustion: $0.104/km).
Money-saving tips
- A tariff with cheap night-time hours changes the result considerably.
- Check which incentives genuinely apply to you before counting them.
- Include the cost of a home charger if you need one installed.
Frequently asked questions
How much energy does an EV use?
It varies by model, speed and temperature. Use real-world test data or the trip computer figure for the model you are interested in.
What are charging losses?
Some of the energy from the socket never reaches the battery (heat in the charger and battery). That is why you pay a bit more than the car’s consumption figure.
Does it account for battery degradation?
Not directly. If it concerns you, raise consumption slightly or add a reserve to maintenance.
How we calculate and the limits of the results: Methodology.