Petrol / diesel car
Electric car
Fill in both cars and click compare to see the annual cost difference.
How this comparison is calculated
This uses the exact same verified calculation as our running cost calculator: road tax (VED) from the current 2026/27 rules, fuel or electricity cost from today's live average price where available, and published UK-wide averages for insurance and maintenance. Running the same car through both tools will give you the same answer.
What this doesn't include: the purchase price difference between the two cars, or the Electric Car Grant, which can be worth £1,500-£3,750 off a new EV under £37,000, see our EV grants page for full details. A lower annual running cost doesn't automatically mean a lower total cost of ownership if the EV costs meaningfully more to buy in the first place; use this alongside a real price comparison for the specific cars you're considering.
Frequently asked questions
Is an EV actually cheaper to run than a petrol car?
Usually yes on fuel and tax, since electricity per mile is typically cheaper than petrol or diesel and EVs pay the same VED as any other car, but the gap depends heavily on your annual mileage, home charging access, and the specific cars being compared. A higher purchase price can offset running cost savings over a shorter ownership period.
Do electric cars pay less road tax than petrol cars?
Not anymore. Since April 2025, electric cars pay the same standard VED rate as petrol and diesel cars, £10 in the first year for new EVs then the standard rate from year two, though EVs have a higher expensive car supplement threshold, £50,000 versus £40,000 for petrol and diesel.
See the full breakdown for a single car, including a monthly figure.
Running cost calculatorCheck if a new EV qualifies for the £1,500-£3,750 Electric Car Grant.
EV grants explained