Whole Cost of Ownership

Don't Just Compare the Price. Compare What It Costs to Own

The price on the windscreen only tells you how much a car costs to buy. It doesn't tell you how much it costs to own. Fuel or electricity, servicing, maintenance, finance, road tax, insurance and depreciation all contribute to the real cost of running a car.

If you can charge cheaply at home and most of your journeys are relatively short, the overall figures can look very different from running a petrol or diesel car. If you rely heavily on expensive public rapid charging, the calculation may be different. We think you should know that before you buy the car.

Don't Compare Fuel. Compare the Whole Car

A meaningful comparison between an EV and a petrol or diesel car needs to look beyond the windscreen price. The real question is what each car will cost to own and use over the period you expect to keep it.

What should be included?

• Purchase price or finance payments
• Deposit / cash tied up
• Depreciation
• Petrol or diesel
• Home electricity
• Public charging
• Servicing and routine maintenance
• Vehicle Excise Duty
• Insurance
• Warranty costs
• Annual mileage

Home charging can make EV energy costs particularly attractive. Public rapid charging is convenient but can be much more expensive, so the customer's real charging mix matters. The calculator should therefore avoid headline claims and use the customer's own assumptions.