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Petrol vs EV Cost: Calculator, Break-even and Charging
An EV usually costs more to buy but much less to run: you pay for electricity units instead of litres of petrol, and there is less routine servicing. Whether it saves money overall depends on how far you drive, your petrol and electricity prices, the loan and how many years you keep it. Enter your own numbers in the calculator below to see the monthly cost, the total cost and the year the EV catches up.
- GST, EV
- 5%
- GST, small petrol car
- 18%
- RC fee, EV
- Nil
- Home charging
- Domestic tariff
- Public chargers
- 52,718 (July 2026)
On this page
Petrol vs EV cost calculator
The form starts with example values. They are round numbers for illustration, not the price of any model and not a forecast. Replace each one with your own figures.
Enter your numbers
Estimates only. The calculator runs only in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. It does not ask for your vehicle number or any personal details.
What goes into the cost of owning a petrol vehicle or an EV?
| Cost | Petrol | Electric |
|---|---|---|
| Price and GST | 18% GST for small cars and bikes up to 350 cc; 40% for larger ones | 5% GST; the e-2W subsidy can lower the price |
| Registration | RC fee and state road tax | No RC fee; road tax depends on your state |
| Loan | EMI on the amount borrowed | EMI on the amount borrowed, usually larger |
| Energy | Litres × pump price | Units (kWh) × electricity price |
| Maintenance | Engine oil, filters and other engine parts | Fewer moving parts; tyres, brakes and checks |
| Pollution check | PUC certificate after the first year | Ask your RTO |
The calculator leaves out insurance, resale value and a possible battery replacement, because they vary too much to guess. Add them yourself if you have a quotation. Enter the on-road price (with road tax and registration) for both vehicles, so the comparison is fair.
How do you find your own numbers?
YouDealer or billCost
- Get on-road quotations for both vehicles from the dealers
- Is the EV eligible for a subsidy?No: use the quoted price as it is
- Use the price after the subsidy, and your loan offer
- Read the rate per unit on your electricity bill and the pump price near you
- Work out the cost per km of each vehicle
- Enter everything in the calculator
- Price: ask both dealers for the on-road price in writing. For an electric two-wheeler, ask them to show the PM E-DRIVE deduction.
- Loan: use the amount, interest rate and tenure from the actual loan offer. Different lenders quote different rates.
- Electricity: your bill shows the charge per unit; one unit is one kWh. Slabs and fixed charges vary, so use the rate of the slab you usually reach.
- Energy use: the brochure may give range or consumption. If it gives battery size and range, divide: for example, 30 kWh ÷ 250 km × 100 = 12 kWh per 100 km. Real use is usually higher with the AC on, at high speed or on hills.
- Cost per km: petrol cost per km = pump price ÷ km per litre (for example, ₹100 ÷ 16 = ₹6.25). EV cost per km = kWh per 100 km ÷ 100 × rate per unit (for example, 14 ÷ 100 × ₹8 = ₹1.12). These are example sums, not typical prices.
What did the 2025 GST change do to the comparison?
From 22 September 2025, GST on small petrol cars (under 1,200 cc and up to 4 m long) and on motorcycles up to 350 cc fell from 28% to 18%. Larger cars moved to a flat 40% with no extra cess. EVs stayed at 5%.
So a small petrol car now pays 18% against the EV's 5%, a gap of 13 percentage points; before the change its GST alone was 28%. The price gap you are quoted is smaller than it was, and the EV needs more kilometres to catch up. Enter today's quotations in the calculator rather than older price lists.
Charging and battery basics
Under the Ministry of Power's charging guidelines of 17 September 2024:
Charging at home
- You can use your existing electricity connection, and domestic rates apply.
- You can also ask your electricity company for a separate metered connection with a dedicated EV tariff, if your state offers one.
- The company must give a new connection within 3 days in a metro city, 7 days in other towns and 15 days in rural areas (30 in hilly rural areas, and 90 if new lines are needed).
- In a housing society, residents can install a private charger in their own parking space, and the society can set up shared chargers.
- Use a properly installed socket or wall charger; ask the vehicle maker which one suits your model.
Charging at a public station
- The station's electricity tariff can't exceed the average cost of supply until 31 March 2028. It is 0.7 times that cost from 9 AM to 4 PM (solar hours) and 1.3 times at other times, so daytime charging can be cheaper.
- The station adds a service charge. The ceiling per unit, before GST, is ₹3 (daytime) or ₹4 for slow AC charging, and ₹11 or ₹13 for DC fast charging. Ceilings are reviewed every year.
- India had 52,718 public charging stations in July 2026, of which 16,561 had fast charging. The government's e-Amrit tool helps you find one near you.
Battery basics
- Battery size is given in kWh. A bigger battery usually means more range and a higher price; the PM E-DRIVE subsidy for e-2Ws is also counted per kWh.
- The battery is the largest single cost in an EV, about 35–40% of the total, so its warranty matters more than almost anything else in the brochure. Get the battery warranty (years and km) in writing.
- Since 2020, EVs can be sold and registered without a battery. Some two- and three-wheelers come with a battery provided separately by the maker or an energy service provider, often as a swappable pack. If you buy this way, add the battery rental to your monthly cost.
- Range usually falls with heavy loads, high speed, AC use and steep roads, so plan for less than the brochure figure.
What subsidies lower the EV price?
- PM E-DRIVE: eligible electric scooters and motorcycles get ₹2,500 per kWh, up to ₹5,000, if the ex-factory price is up to ₹1.5 lakh. Valid until 31 March 2028, or until the fund runs out. E-rickshaws and e-carts get up to ₹12,500.
- No central subsidy for private electric cars.
- Registration: no fee to issue or renew the RC of a battery-operated vehicle, and a green number plate.
- State incentives differ. Maharashtra, for example, exempts EVs from motor vehicle tax until 31 March 2030.
Amounts, conditions and end dates for each are in our EV subsidies guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is an EV cheaper than a petrol vehicle?
To run, nearly always. To own, it depends on the price difference, your distance per month, energy prices and how long you keep it. The calculator shows the break-even year for your numbers.
How do I work out the running cost of an EV per km?
Multiply the units used per km by your electricity rate. For example, 14 kWh per 100 km at ₹8 a unit is 0.14 × 8 = ₹1.12 per km.
What rate do I pay to charge at home?
Your domestic electricity rate, unless you take a separate EV connection with its own tariff.
Why is fast charging more expensive?
DC fast chargers may add a higher service charge: up to ₹11 or ₹13 a unit before GST, against ₹3 or ₹4 for slow AC charging.
Does the calculator include insurance and resale value?
No. They vary too much to estimate. Add them from real quotations if you have them.
What GST do I pay on an EV?
5%. A small petrol car pays 18% and a larger car 40%.
Is the data I enter saved?
No. The calculation happens in your browser and nothing is sent to us or anyone else.
Sources
- Ministry of Power – Guidelines for Installation and Operation of EV Charging Infrastructure, 2024 (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
- PIB – Roads Reimagined: the rise of India's EV ecosystem (5 Aug 2026): GST, battery cost, public chargers, e-Amrit (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
- PIB – FAQs on the 56th GST Council decisions and the new GST rates for vehicles (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
- PIB – GST on EVs and chargers cut to 5% (27 Jul 2019) (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
- PIB – PM E-DRIVE Scheme backgrounder (1 Oct 2026) and the PM E-DRIVE portal (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
- PIB – sale and registration of EVs without batteries (12 Aug 2020) (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
- PIB – battery operated vehicles exempted from registration fees (2 Aug 2021) (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
- Motor Vehicles Department, Maharashtra – EV Policy 2025 (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
Page history: 26 Oct 2026: first published.