EV vs Diesel vs Hybrid vs Gas
Put every fuel type head-to-head: electric, petrol, diesel and hybrid. See the real cost per 100 km, per year and over 5 years for your driving.
Your inputs
Home rate. Public is ~3x.
| Fuel type | Per 100 km | Per year | Over 5 years | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric (home) | ||||
| Hybrid | ||||
| Diesel | ||||
| Petrol (gas) |
Your verdict
Worked example: 15,000 km/year with typical cars
EV at 17 kWh/100km + $0.15/kWh home · hybrid at 4.5 L/100km · diesel at 5.2 L/100km · petrol at 6.5 L/100km. Prices: $1.75/L petrol, $1.65/L diesel:
| Fuel type | Per 100 km | Per year | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | $2.55 | $382 | $1,912 |
| Hybrid | $7.88 | $1,181 | $5,906 |
| Diesel | $8.58 | $1,287 | $6,435 |
| Petrol | $11.38 | $1,706 | $8,531 |
| EV saves vs the most expensive fuel | ≈ $1,325 / year | ||
EV beats every combustion fuel at home rates. The gap narrows with public fast charging but EV still wins — and maintenance savings stack on top.
Which fuel type suits you?
- EV — cheapest running, best if you charge at home and drive daily.
- Hybrid — great stopgap if you can't charge at home but want city efficiency.
- Diesel — still wins for extreme highway mileage (60,000+ km/yr) in many markets.
- Petrol — lowest upfront cost but the highest running cost per km.
How it's calculated
- EV = consumption (kWh/100) × electricity price.
- Combustion = consumption (L/100) × fuel price.
- Hybrids are usually 10-25% more efficient than equivalent petrol cars.
- Energy-only comparison — add taxes, maintenance and resale for the true total.
Dive deeper with the EV vs Gas calculator or get the full ownership math in the TCO calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is an EV cheaper to run than a diesel car?
Almost always. Diesel is ~30% more energy-dense than petrol but still costs far more per km than home charging. Over 15,000 km/year, an EV typically saves 55-75% vs diesel on fuel alone, and even more vs petrol.
How does an EV compare to a hybrid on cost?
A hybrid is very efficient in the city but still burns fuel on the highway. An EV charged at home costs roughly half as much per km as a hybrid. Over 5 years a plug-in EV beats a hybrid on running costs unless you rely heavily on public fast charging.
Is it worth switching from a petrol car to an EV?
If you charge at home and drive 10,000+ km/year, yes. You save on fuel, maintenance and often insurance incentives. The break-even point vs keeping your old petrol car typically arrives in 2-5 years of driving.
What is the cheapest fuel type overall?
Home-charged electricity is the clear winner at $0.15/kWh. Public fast charging is comparable to efficient petrol/diesel, while hybrids sit in between. For every 100 km, EV-at-home costs ~$2.50 vs ~$10 petrol, ~$8 diesel and ~$6 hybrid.