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Petrol vs hybrid vs EV: what does it really cost to own?

Compare three similar cars, bought the same way, over 1 to 8 years: fuel or charging, servicing, tyres, insurance, rego, loan interest and depreciation. Every number can be changed.

Last updated November 2026

Your driving and how you pay

The same for all three cars.

Kilometres a year

About 11,000–13,000 km is typical in Australia.
Or enter your daily average in the next box.

kmOr km a day

Or km a day

Your average per day, including weekends and trips.
Multiplied by 365 for the yearly figure.

km/dayPetrol price

Petrol price

Use your local average for unleaded.

$/LHome power price

Home power price

From your power bill.
Off-peak or EV plans can be much cheaper; free with surplus solar.

c/kWhFast charging share

Fast charging share

How much of your charging is at public fast chargers.
Most owners charge mainly at home.

%Fast charging price

Fast charging price

Public DC fast chargers are typically 50–80c per kWh.

c/kWh

Years you'll keep it

New car warranties are usually 5–7 years; EV batteries usually 8 years.

How you pay

EV home charger

Optional one-off cost for a wall charger, often $1,500–2,500 installed.
Leave at 0 if you'll use a normal power point.

$EV road user charge

EV road user charge

None applies today; one has been proposed because EV drivers pay no fuel excise.
Try 2.5–3c/km to see the effect.

c/km

Petrol

Drive-away price

Compare cars of a similar size and power.
Use the drive-away price.

$Fuel use

Fuel use

Look up the model on the Green Vehicle Guide.
Mid-size petrol SUVs use about 7–8.5 L/100km.

L/100kmServicing a year

Servicing a year

Check the maker's capped-price servicing.
Petrol about $400–800, hybrid a little less, EV about $200–400.

$Insurance a year

Insurance a year

Comprehensive. Get a real quote if you can.
Average quotes in 2026: about $2,300 for an EV and $1,700 for a hybrid (Compare the Market).

$Rego + CTP a year

Rego + CTP a year

Depends on your state and the car.
Some states offer EV rego discounts.

$Set of 4 tyres

Set of 4 tyres

Fitted and balanced.
EV-specific tyres can cost a little more.

$Tyres last

Tyres last

Typically 40,000–50,000 km.
EVs are heavier and quicker off the line, so often 30,000–40,000 km.

kmValue kept after 3 yrs

Value kept after 3 yrs

What it's worth when you sell, as % of the price.
Leave blank to use a typical figure (70% here).
Hybrids have held value best; EVs least, after new EV price cuts. Your model matters most.

Hybrid

Drive-away price

Compare cars of a similar size and power.
Use the drive-away price.

$Fuel use

Fuel use

Look up the model on the Green Vehicle Guide.
Mid-size hybrids use about 4.5–5.5 L/100km.

L/100kmServicing a year

Servicing a year

Check the maker's capped-price servicing.
Petrol about $400–800, hybrid a little less, EV about $200–400.

$Insurance a year

Insurance a year

Comprehensive. Get a real quote if you can.
Average quotes in 2026: about $2,300 for an EV and $1,700 for a hybrid (Compare the Market).

$Rego + CTP a year

Rego + CTP a year

Depends on your state and the car.
Some states offer EV rego discounts.

$Set of 4 tyres

Set of 4 tyres

Fitted and balanced.
EV-specific tyres can cost a little more.

$Tyres last

Tyres last

Typically 40,000–50,000 km.
EVs are heavier and quicker off the line, so often 30,000–40,000 km.

kmValue kept after 3 yrs

Value kept after 3 yrs

What it's worth when you sell, as % of the price.
Leave blank to use a typical figure (78% here).
Hybrids have held value best; EVs least, after new EV price cuts. Your model matters most.

Electric

Drive-away price

Compare cars of a similar size and power.
Use the drive-away price.

$Energy use

Energy use

Look up the model on the Green Vehicle Guide.
Mid-size EVs use about 15–18 kWh/100km.

kWh/100kmServicing a year

Servicing a year

Check the maker's capped-price servicing.
Petrol about $400–800, hybrid a little less, EV about $200–400.

$Insurance a year

Insurance a year

Comprehensive. Get a real quote if you can.
Average quotes in 2026: about $2,300 for an EV and $1,700 for a hybrid (Compare the Market).

$Rego + CTP a year

Rego + CTP a year

Depends on your state and the car.
Some states offer EV rego discounts.

$Set of 4 tyres

Set of 4 tyres

Fitted and balanced.
EV-specific tyres can cost a little more.

$Tyres last

Tyres last

Typically 40,000–50,000 km.
EVs are heavier and quicker off the line, so often 30,000–40,000 km.

kmValue kept after 3 yrs

Value kept after 3 yrs

What it's worth when you sell, as % of the price.
Leave blank to use a typical figure (60% here).
Hybrids have held value best; EVs least, after new EV price cuts. Your model matters most.

Total cost over 3 years

Hybrid costs least with these numbers, about $4,054 less than petrol ($1,351 a year).

	Petrol	Hybrid	Electric
Fuel or charging i Fuel or charging Petrol/hybrid: km × L/100km × petrol price. Electric: km × kWh/100km × your blended charging price (home + fast-charging share).	$5,400	$3,456	$1,901
Servicing i Servicing Yearly servicing cost × years. EVs have no oil, spark plugs or timing belt; hybrids still need oil changes.	$1,650	$1,500	$750
Tyres i Tyres (Total km ÷ km a set lasts) × cost of a set. Shown as a share of a set, so wear you've used but not yet replaced is counted. EVs are heavier, so tyres often wear a little faster.	$720	$720	$1,131
Insurance i Insurance Yearly comprehensive premium × years. EVs average more to insure (repairs, parts and battery). Get your own quotes.	$4,650	$4,950	$6,300
Rego + CTP i Rego + CTP Yearly registration and CTP × years. Varies by state; some states have EV discounts.	$2,700	$2,700	$2,700
Depreciation i Depreciation Purchase price − what the car is worth when you sell. Usually the biggest cost of owning a newer car.	$12,600	$10,340	$20,000
Total i Total Everything above added up: what owning the car cost you, after selling it. The same method for all three, so compare them directly.	$27,720	$23,666	$32,782
Per year	$9,240	$7,889	$10,927
Per km i Per km Total ÷ total km driven, in cents.	77c	66c	91c
Value kept	70%	78%	60%

Year by year
i
Year by year
Total cost if you sold the car at the end of each year.
Shows when one type overtakes another.
Uses the typical value curve, adjusted if you entered your own %.

Sold after	Petrol	Hybrid	Electric
1 yr	$11,340	$9,142	$15,261
2 yrs	$19,740	$16,404	$24,521
3 yrs	$27,720	$23,666	$32,782
4 yrs	$35,280	$30,928	$40,043
5 yrs	$42,840	$38,190	$46,804
6 yrs	$49,980	$45,452	$53,564
7 yrs	$57,120	$52,244	$59,825
8 yrs	$63,840	$59,036	$66,086

Green = cheapest for that year.

Browse EVs for sale

Estimate only. Example figures for a mid-size SUV; use your own quotes. Not financial advice.

How it works

Same car, same deal. Pick three cars of a similar size, power and price range. Each is paid the same way: cash, or the same loan rate, deposit and term. Novated leases aren't included; use our novated lease vs loan vs cash calculator for those.
Total cost of ownership = fuel or charging + servicing + tyres + insurance + rego + loan interest + depreciation (the price you paid less what you sell it for).
Year by year shows the total if you sold at the end of each year, so you can see when one overtakes another.

What usually decides it

Depreciation. For a newer car this is usually the biggest cost. Hybrids have held their value best in Australia; EVs least, after price cuts on new EVs. Values vary a lot by model, so check used prices for the car you're looking at.
How far you drive. The more km, the more an EV or hybrid saves on fuel. At low km, a cheaper petrol car can win.
Where you charge. Charging at home on an off-peak plan or from solar is far cheaper than public fast chargers.
Insurance. EVs currently cost more to insure on average. Read why EV insurance costs more.
Towing and long trips. Towing cuts EV range sharply. If you tow or drive long regional distances often, check range and charger locations with our EV road trip calculator.

Official sources

Green Vehicle Guide (Australian Government): Official fuel use (L/100km) and energy use (kWh/100km) for every new model.
Australian Institute of Petroleum: pump prices: Weekly national and city average petrol prices.
Australian Energy Regulator: Default Market Offer: The reference electricity price in NSW, SE Queensland and SA; check your own bill.
Insurance Business: EV and hybrid premiums (Compare the Market index, April 2026): Average comprehensive quotes for EVs and hybrids.

General information only, not financial advice. Default figures are examples for a mid-size SUV; use your own quotes and prices where you can.

Please check before you act

All results are estimates for reference only. No calculator can tell you exactly what you will pay, and these results may not be 100% accurate.
Results are based on the best information available to us and the figures you enter. Your own situation may include other costs or factors that the calculation doesn't cover.
Get written quotes and, where needed, professional advice before you commit.
This information was last reviewed in November 2026 and may not be up to date.
Laws, government policies, limits and prices can change at any time, sometimes with little notice.
You are responsible for checking the latest official rules and government announcements (see the sources above) before you buy, sell, ride, drive or modify.
General information only, not legal, financial or professional advice. eRideList accepts no liability for decisions made using this tool.

Petrol vs hybrid vs EV: what does it really cost to own?

Your driving and how you pay

Petrol

Hybrid

Electric

Total cost over 3 years

Year by yeariYear by yearTotal cost if you sold the car at the end of each year.Shows when one type overtakes another.Uses the typical value curve, adjusted if you entered your own %.

How it works

What usually decides it

Official sources

Year by year
i
Year by year
Total cost if you sold the car at the end of each year.
Shows when one type overtakes another.
Uses the typical value curve, adjusted if you entered your own %.