calculators.ieAll calculators

EV vs petrol cost calculator

Compare an electric car with a petrol or diesel car over the years you keep it: price after the SEAI grant, charging against fuel, motor tax and servicing.

Electric car
Home charging
Petrol or diesel car
Electricity prices and servicing
Saving with the EV 
Break-even
Running cost saved a year
EVPetrol
Year by year
YearEV totalPetrol totalDifference

This is an estimate. Energy prices, your driving and the value of each car when you sell it all change the result. Check grant terms with SEAI and your dealer, and your tariff with your electricity supplier. Terms of use.

Illustration for the ev vs petrol calculator

How the comparison is worked out

Each car starts at its price, less the SEAI grant for the EV. Each year adds energy, motor tax and servicing. The EV's energy is the km driven times its kWh per 100 km, at your home rate for home charging and the public price for the rest. The petrol or diesel car's fuel is the km times its litres per 100 km times the price per litre. Motor tax comes from the WLTP CO2 table. The break-even point is the extra price of the EV divided by the running cost it saves each year. Prices are held at today's level, and resale value and insurance are not included.

Example. An EV at €40,000 gets the €3,500 grant, so it costs €36,500, against a petrol car at €32,000. Driving 16,000 km a year, charging 80% at home at 10 cent and 20% in public at 60 cent, the EV costs €544 a year to charge. The petrol car at 5.5 litres per 100 km and €1.84 a litre costs €1,619 in fuel. With motor tax of €120 against €200 and servicing, the EV saves €1,305 a year and makes up its extra price of €4,500 in about 3.4 years. Over 5 years the EV costs €40,820 in total and the petrol car €42,846.

Default figures

The starting figures are typical prices including VAT, last checked on 10 October 2026: fuel from the AA Ireland survey of August 2026, about 35 cent per kWh for a standard home rate, 10 cent for a night or EV rate and 60 cent for public fast charging. Replace them with your own prices.

Sources

Rates last checked 10 October 2026. Every figure is listed on rates and sources.

Figures marked as announced come from Budget 2027 and are not law until the Finance Act or Social Welfare Act that brings them in is passed.

Questions

How much is the SEAI grant for an electric car?
The SEAI grant is €3,500 on a new battery electric car bought by a private buyer, where the full price is more than €15,000 and no more than €50,000. The €50,000 limit applies to applications from 1 August 2026; it was €60,000 before. The dealer applies for the grant and takes it off the price. Plug-in hybrids do not qualify.
Is there VRT relief on electric cars?
Yes. Electric cars get VRT relief of up to €5,000 where Revenue's open market selling price is €40,000 or less, tapering to nothing at €50,000. The relief is already in the dealer's price of a new car. It runs to 31 December 2026 and Budget 2027 announced an extension to 31 December 2028. The VRT calculator on this site shows the relief.
How much is motor tax on an electric car?
€120 a year, the lowest band. A petrol or diesel car registered from 2021 pays by its WLTP CO2 figure: a car at 125 g/km pays €200.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?
A car using 17 kWh per 100 km uses about 2,720 kWh to drive 16,000 km. At a typical standard rate of 35 cent per kWh that is €952, and at a night or EV rate of about 10 cent it is €272. EV night rates need a smart meter and a plan with a cheap overnight period.
Is public charging more expensive?
Usually. Public fast chargers in Ireland charge around 60 cent per kWh or more, several times a home night rate. Drivers who cannot charge at home pay much more per km, so set the public charging share to match how you would charge.
What is not included?
Resale value, insurance, finance costs, tyres and the cost of a home charger. EVs and petrol cars can lose value at different rates, which can change the result. Prices are held at today's level.
What about a company car?
Benefit in kind on an electric company car is lower than on a petrol or diesel car, with a reduction on the original market value. The company car BIK calculator on this site works it out.

Related calculators