Truthful TCO Modeler

EV vs. Petrol Total Cost of Ownership Calculator

Pit an ultra-budget used petrol daily driver against a modern EV with depreciation, electricity, and real-world fuel factors.

Presets:

Financial Verdict & Cost Horizon

Calculating scenario dynamics...

Horizon: 5 Years | 60,000 Miles Driven
Petrol Vehicle Total Cost
$15,100
$0.25 / mile true cost
Electric Vehicle Total Cost
$50,600
$0.84 / mile true cost
EV Cost Break-Even Horizon
Never
High depreciation exceeds fuel savings
Source Reality Check (L.G. Brandon, Quora): "My car that I drive daily for work cost me $2,000 and runs and looks great... less than $500 a year on maintenance. Tell me how a car that costs $35k–$100k is cheaper."
1. Driving & Ownership Schedule
12,000 mi
US national average is ~13,500 miles/year.
5 Years
Number of years vehicle will be kept in service.
2. Petrol Vehicle Profile (ICE)
$2,000
e.g. $2,000 high-mileage work car vs $32,000 new sedan.
25 MPG
$3.50
$200 / yr
Older beaters depreciate negligibly; newer cars lose 10-15%/yr.
$500 / yr
Oil changes, brakes, spark plugs, filters, minor repairs.
3. Electric Vehicle Profile (EV)
$35,000
New entry EV or late-model used electric vehicle.
0.30 kWh/mi
Equivalent to ~3.3 miles per kWh.
$0.15
Home residential charging rate (commercial fast chargers ~$0.35–$0.45).
$3,000 / yr
EVs often suffer accelerated early market depreciation.
$200 / yr
Fewer moving parts, regenerative braking pads, no oil changes.
Cumulative Cost Trajectory Over Time Initial CapEx + Running Costs
■ Amber: Petrol cumulative expenditure ■ Emerald: EV cumulative expenditure
Categorical Cost Comparison (Full Horizon)
Expense Category Petrol Vehicle Electric Vehicle
Practicality & Friction Matrix

Real-world factors discussed in the Quora debate that don't show up on a raw fuel receipt:

Petrol Advantages:
  • Minimal capital tie-up in vehicle ($2k beater)
  • 5-minute refill anywhere (400-700 mi range)
  • No home charging infrastructure needed
  • Negligible residual value drop to absorb
EV Advantages:
  • Massively cheaper fuel per mile ($0.045 vs $0.14)
  • Zero trips to gas station if home charging
  • Smooth, quiet, instant torque drive
  • Near-zero mechanical maintenance failures

Saved vehicle cost comparison arithmetic

Read the explanation

The saved vehicle comparison enters twelve thousand annual miles. Petrol fuel expense is miles divided by twenty-five miles per gallon times three fifty, giving sixteen eighty yearly. EV expense multiplies miles by point three kilowatt hours per mile and point one five per kilowatt hour, giving five forty. Bars share zero at point three pixels per annual dollar. These are source assumptions, not measured performance or current energy prices. Over five years the source adds two thousand upfront plus fuel, two hundred yearly depreciation and five hundred maintenance, yielding thirteen thousand nine hundred. EV adds thirty-five thousand upfront plus five forty energy, three thousand depreciation and two hundred maintenance each year, yielding fifty-three thousand seven hundred. Bars share zero at point zero one pixels per total dollar. The source includes depreciation in addition to upfront, without an explicit resale subtraction; this is its accounting definition. Five years times twelve thousand is sixty thousand miles. Dividing source totals gives about point two three one seven petrol dollars per mile and point eight nine five EV. Bars use six hundred pixels per dollar per mile. Upfront selection and depreciation assumptions dominate this example. No recommendation, real break-even guarantee or verified market cost is established. Native full JSON and reset remain preserved.

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