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Car running cost calculator

Written and reviewed by Omm · Last reviewed · General information, not investment advice

What does your car really cost to run? Pick the fuel, enter the price, the mileage and how far you drive each month, and see the cost per kilometre, per month and per year. For an electric car, enter the battery size, the range and what you pay for a unit of electricity.

Fuel
km

Between 1 and 20000

Between 1 and 500

km

Between 1 and 60

Between 0 and 20

Running cost per km

₹7.47

Per month

₹7,467

Per year

₹89,600

Fuel / electricity per km

₹6.67

Maintenance per km

₹0.80

How it works

Petrol, diesel, CNG: cost per km = price per litre (or kg) ÷ km per litre (or kg) + maintenance per km. Electric: cost per km = (battery kWh ÷ range km) ÷ (1 − charging loss) × price per unit + maintenance per km

For a petrol, diesel or CNG car the fuel cost per kilometre is the price divided by the mileage. At ₹100 a litre and 15 km a litre, each kilometre costs about ₹6.67 in fuel. Use the mileage you actually get, not the figure on the brochure.

For an electric car the energy used per kilometre is the battery size divided by the real-world range. A 30 kWh battery that gives 200 km uses 0.15 kWh a km. Some energy is lost as heat while charging, so the energy drawn from the socket is a little higher. The price per unit is a mix of your home tariff and public charger price, weighted by how much of your charging happens in public.

Maintenance is a rupee amount per km that you can change: service, tyres and wear. Electric cars usually have fewer moving parts and lower servicing costs, but check your own garage’s quote.

Prices and mileage are not looked up for you: they differ by city and change often, so every value starts as an example. Insurance, road tax, parking, tolls, loan interest, resale value and battery replacement are not included. The EV vs petrol calculator lets you add insurance and compare the purchase price too.

Example. A petrol car at ₹100 a litre and 15 km a litre, with ₹0.80 a km for maintenance, costs about ₹7.47 a km, or ₹7,467 a month at 1,000 km. An electric car with a 30 kWh battery and 200 km of range, charging mostly at home at ₹8 a unit, costs about ₹2.07 a km, or ₹2,067 a month.

Read the guide: EV vs petrol car in India: running cost, payback and what to check.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate the running cost per km of my car?

Divide the fuel price by your real mileage, then add maintenance per km. For an electric car, divide the battery size by the real range to get units per km, allow for charging loss, and multiply by the price per unit. The calculator does this for you and shows the formula on this page.

Which mileage should I enter?

The one you actually get. Fill the tank, note the kilometres on the trip meter, and divide by the litres it takes to fill up again. City driving, air-conditioning and speed lower the figure shown in the brochure.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

It depends on the tariff and where you charge. Home charging at your household tariff is usually the cheapest. Public fast chargers usually cost more per unit. Enter both prices and the share of charging you do in public, and the calculator blends them.

Why is charging loss included?

Not all the energy drawn from the socket reaches the battery; some is lost as heat in the charger and the battery. Allowing for it makes the cost per km realistic. The default is 10%, which you can change.

What does this not include?

Insurance, road tax, parking, tolls, loan interest, depreciation and battery replacement. These can be a large part of owning a car, so treat this as the running cost only, not the cost of ownership.

How do I work out the fuel cost of one trip?

Divide the distance by your mileage to get the litres, and multiply by the price per litre. The fuel cost calculator on this site does this and can split the cost between people.

Why is my real mileage lower than the company figure?

The certified figure comes from a standard test. Traffic, air conditioning, load and driving style usually give a lower figure on the road. Measure your own over two or three tanks with the mileage calculator.

Sources

Rules, rates and definitions on this page come from these official sources. Check the current position there before you decide.

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