What would an EV really cost me?
Usually less to run than a petrol car if you can charge at home: the electricity is cheaper per mile and there's less to service. But an EV often loses more value, and public charging can cost as much as petrol. So the honest answer depends on your numbers.
Tell me your plate, your miles and your postcode, and I'll put keeping your car next to three EVs like it, over three or five years.
Your car against three EVs
A dozen or so quick questions, about three minutes. Have your number plate handy. Free, and no sign-up.
A line-by-line answer
Your car next to each EV, one line at a time, with the total at the bottom. Tap a line to see where its number comes from.
The kind of answer you'll get: a Kia EV3 would save£635a year against a 2017 Ford Focus, for one made-up driver. Yours will be different, which is the point.
| Per year | Focus | EV3 |
|---|---|---|
| £1,620 | £540 | |
| Example: petrol at 142p a litre and 52 mpg, against a cheap overnight tariff, charging at home four nights in five. | ||
| £190 | £195 | |
| Example: the standard rate for both cars. | ||
| £620 | £680 | |
| Example: typical quotes for a driver with five years' no-claims. | ||
| £310 | £190 | |
| Example: main-dealer service plans. EVs have fewer parts to wear out. | ||
| £1,900 | £2,400 | |
| Example: what each car might lose in value over a year. EVs often lose more, which is why it's on the list. | ||
| Total | £4,640 | £4,005 |
A made-up driver doing 8,000 miles a year, to show how the answer reads. Updated 12 September 2026.
Example figuresWhat the calculator covers
Every line, not just fuel
Value lost or payments, fuel against electricity, road tax, insurance, servicing and MOT. The boring lines are where the surprises hide.
Your car, your miles, your prices
Your car from its number plate, your mileage, pump prices near your postcode and the EV tariffs in your area. Not a national average.
All the working, on show
Every figure with its source and the date I checked it, over three and five years. Change any assumption and the total follows.