Total cost of ownership
EV vs Petrol Cost Comparison
See the full picture — purchase price, fuel, insurance and maintenance — over 10 years. Find out exactly when an EV pays off.
Region & Prices
Prices are approximate. Adjust the fields above to match your actual rates.
Your driving
Annual running costs
Tesla Model 3 LR · Toyota Camry LE
Electric
Petrol (ICE)
EV saves US$1,018 a year to run
When does the EV pay off?
until the EV's lower running costs repay its higher purchase price
Includes a US$7,500 incentive on the EV. Federal EV tax credit — income & vehicle-price limits apply
Cumulative costs cross at about 9.9 years — after that the EV is cheaper overall.
5-Year Ownership Cost Breakdown
| Item | Electric | Petrol (ICE) | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | US$45,990 | US$28,400 | — |
| EV grant / incentive * | −US$7,500 | — | — |
| Fuel & energy | US$2,730 | US$8,320 | US$5,590 |
| Insurance | US$10,500 | US$7,500 | −US$3,000 |
| Maintenance | US$2,000 | US$4,500 | US$2,500 |
| 5-year total | US$53,720 | US$48,720 | −US$5,000 |
* Federal EV tax credit — income & vehicle-price limits apply · For general comparison only — not financial advice. Regional prices, vehicle costs and incentives are illustrative; adjust the inputs to match your own.
Things to Consider
Charging convenience
Home charging overnight costs less than Supercharging and is convenient for most drivers. Longer journeys require planning around charging stops, with the Tesla Supercharger network providing extensive coverage.
Environmental impact
EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions. Lifetime CO₂ depends on your electricity grid mix — in countries with high renewable energy, EVs are significantly cleaner over their lifetime.
Road tax & incentives
Many regions offer EV purchase incentives, reduced road tax, and lower congestion charges. Check your local government website for current schemes.
Battery longevity
Tesla batteries are engineered to last 300,000+ miles. Real-world data shows less than 10% capacity loss after 100,000 miles with good charging habits. All Teslas are covered by an 8-year battery warranty.
Fuel: where the gap between a Tesla and a petrol car is widest
On a typical UK home tariff a Model 3 or Model Y costs around 7p a mile in electricity. A petrol car returning 40 mpg at current pump prices is closer to 16p a mile. Over an average UK year of about 8,000 miles that's roughly £700 saved before you touch any other line item.
The caveat is where you charge. Lean mainly on public rapid chargers at 50–90p/kWh and the per-mile figure climbs towards petrol territory — which is why the calculator above lets you set your own electricity price rather than assuming everyone charges at home overnight.
Servicing, tyres and tax: the costs that aren't fuel
There's no oil to change, no spark plugs, no timing belt and no exhaust system, and regenerative braking means brake pads often last far longer than on a petrol car. That removes most of a routine servicing bill. Working the other way: tyres, which wear faster on a heavier car with instant torque, and insurance, which can run higher on a Tesla because of parts costs and the need to recalibrate cameras and sensors after even minor repairs.
Road tax is no longer a differentiator in the UK — electric cars lost their VED exemption in April 2025, so both sides of the comparison now pay it. EVs still avoid fuel duty entirely, which is where the bulk of the running-cost advantage has always come from.
Break-even: how long until the switch pays for itself
If the Tesla costs more to buy than the petrol car you're comparing it against, the running-cost saving has to close that gap before you're genuinely ahead. The calculator includes both purchase prices in the ten-year total, so the break-even point it shows is the year your cumulative spend on the Tesla drops below the petrol car's.
Annual mileage is the lever that moves it most — at 15,000 miles a year the saving accumulates roughly twice as fast as at 8,000. What the model deliberately leaves out is resale value; see the value estimator for what a used Tesla is worth today, since selling partway through shifts the picture in either direction.