EV or not?

Keep it, or switch? See the real cost.

Energy & fuel prices

Running pence per mile

Yearly cost breakdown

The full picture

Everything below is driven by the numbers you set above. Change anything and it updates. Nothing you type leaves your browser — the Share button just packs your inputs into the link.

Per-option summary over your chosen horizon

OptionPowerRunning p/mileAll-in p/mile Fuel/elec /yrDepreciation /yrFixed /yrTotal over horizon

How the maths works

  • Fuel = (miles ÷ MPG) × 4.546 × £/litre (UK gallon).
  • Electricity = (miles ÷ miles-per-kWh) × a blended £/kWh from your home / public / solar charging mix — solar miles can be near-free.
  • Cumulative cost = running costs + depreciation (reducing-balance) + repairs. Buying a car isn't treated as an instant loss — it becomes an asset that then depreciates, which is what makes "keep vs switch" a fair comparison.
  • Break-even = the year the switch's cumulative cost drops below keeping your current car (the dashed line on the chart).

Does the current car's age matter?

Mostly it's already baked into the car's current value — an older car is simply worth less, so there's less left to depreciate. What age adds on top is rising repair risk and limited remaining life: a 15-year-old car may not survive a 7-year comparison at all. Those aren't captured automatically, so set a realistic Repairs £/yr (and shorten the horizon if the car likely won't last it). The Age field flags this for you.

Why solar changes everything here

Charge largely from home solar and the marginal cost of those miles is close to zero — an EV's running cost can fall to 2–3p/mile against 14–20p/mile for petrol or diesel. Set your realistic home / public / solar split per car to see it.

Why servicing, insurance & road tax differ

  • Servicing is usually cheaper for EVs — no oil, fewer moving parts, and regenerative braking spares the brakes; ICE cars need more frequent, pricier services (Energy Saving Trust).
  • EVs can cost more to insure — expensive batteries, specialist repairers and longer repair times push premiums up, even though they're cheaper to run (ABI, Thatcham Research).
  • Road tax (VED) changed in April 2025 — EVs registered before then paid £0; newer EVs now pay the standard rate (~£195/yr), plus the expensive-car supplement above £40,000 (gov.uk VED tables).

Other UK calculators & the sources behind the defaults

Tools that do similar comparisons (and where the default figures come from):

Default rates are illustrative UK 2026 values (petrol ≈ £1.40/L, home electricity ≈ 27p/kWh, rapid public ≈ 79p/kWh). Always replace them with your own quotes.

Guidance only, not financial advice. Real costs depend on your tariff, driving and the specific cars. This tool stores no personal data and has no backend.