Every model, real running costs
EV running costs by model
16 electric cars with full Australian running costs — annual and 5-year — plus the saving versus a comparable petrol car.
BYD
BYD Atto 3
SUV$8,629/year
$1/km · $48,990 driveaway
- Battery
- 60 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~340 km
$2,979 more than Hyundai Kona 2.0 MPI (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs Hyundai Kona 2.0 MPI →BYD Atto 3 Extended Range
SUV$9,294/year
$1/km · $54,990 driveaway
- Battery
- 72 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~400 km
$3,831 more than Toyota RAV4 GX 2.0 (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs Toyota RAV4 GX 2.0 →BYD Seal
Sedan$10,363/year
$1/km · $64,990 driveaway
- Battery
- 83 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~440 km
$10,067 more than Toyota Camry Ascent 2.5 (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs Toyota Camry Ascent 2.5 →BYD Dolphin
Hatchback$7,473/year
$1/km · $38,990 driveaway
- Battery
- 45 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~275 km
$1,524 more than Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport →Tesla
Tesla Model 3 RWD
Sedan$9,220/year
$1/km · $63,400 driveaway
- Battery
- 60 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~400 km
Saves $24,694 vs BMW 320i (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs BMW 320i →Tesla Model Y RWD
SUV$9,630/year
$1/km · $67,400 driveaway
- Battery
- 60 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~370 km
Saves $30,890 vs BMW X3 xDrive20i (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs BMW X3 xDrive20i →Tesla Model 3 Long Range
Sedan$10,423/year
$1/km · $76,400 driveaway
- Battery
- 78 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~510 km
Saves $25,235 vs Mercedes-Benz C200 (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs Mercedes-Benz C200 →MG
MG MG4 Essence
Hatchback$8,099/year
$1/km · $46,990 driveaway
- Battery
- 64 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~360 km
$4,464 more than Mazda Mazda 3 Pure (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs Mazda Mazda 3 Pure →MG ZS EV
SUV$8,149/year
$1/km · $46,990 driveaway
- Battery
- 50 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~260 km
$578 more than Hyundai Kona 2.0 MPI (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs Hyundai Kona 2.0 MPI →GWM
Hyundai
Hyundai Ioniq 5
SUV$9,954/year
$1/km · $71,900 driveaway
- Battery
- 77 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~390 km
$7,129 more than Toyota RAV4 GX 2.0 (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs Toyota RAV4 GX 2.0 →Hyundai Kona Electric
SUV$9,020/year
$1/km · $62,900 driveaway
- Battery
- 48 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~300 km
$4,936 more than Hyundai Kona 2.0 MPI (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs Hyundai Kona 2.0 MPI →Kia
Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD
SUV$11,746/year
$1/km · $82,990 driveaway
- Battery
- 77 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~375 km
Saves $20,310 vs BMW X3 xDrive20i (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs BMW X3 xDrive20i →Kia Niro EV
SUV$9,213/year
$1/km · $62,990 driveaway
- Battery
- 65 kWh
- Range (real)
- ~315 km
$5,897 more than Hyundai Kona 2.0 MPI (5 yrs)
Full breakdown · vs Hyundai Kona 2.0 MPI →Volvo
Subaru
FAQ
- What is the cheapest electric car to run in Australia?
- The BYD Dolphin is the cheapest EV to run at about $7,473 per year ($1/km), based on average Australian energy, rego, insurance, servicing and depreciation at 15,000 km/year.
- Are electric cars cheaper to run than petrol cars in Australia?
- In most cases, yes. Of the 16 EVs we track, 5 cost less to run over 5 years than their petrol equivalent. The Tesla Model Y RWD saves the most — about $30,890 over 5 years versus the BMW X3 xDrive20i. EVs win mainly on cheap home charging and low servicing.
- What affects an EV’s running cost the most?
- Four things: how much you drive, where you charge (home and solar are cheapest, public fast chargers cost more), your state’s rego and electricity rates, and the car’s efficiency and depreciation. The calculator on each model page lets you adjust all of these.