EV vs Petrol Calculator Germany: Formula, Tables and What Is Left Out

There is no single number that answers ev vs petrol calculator germany, because the answer moves with four inputs: the price of petrol, the petrol car's MPG, the price of electricity and the EV's miles per kWh. Change any one and the result changes, sometimes by enough to flip the conclusion. That is why this page shows its working instead of handing you a verdict: the formula, a worked example with stated assumptions, and tables at different mileages.

The short answer is that the comparison comes down to cost per kilometre: the petrol car burns litres, so its cost per kilometre is the fuel price per litre multiplied by its litres per 100 km and divided by 100, while the EV uses kilowatt-hours, so its cost per kilometre is the electricity price per kWh divided by its kilometres per kWh. With the example assumptions on this page — petrol at €1.75 per litre, 6.0 litres per 100 km, electricity at 32 cents per kWh and 6.5 km per kWh — the petrol car costs about €0.10 per kilometre and the EV about €0.05 per kilometre. Those are example figures, not prices you should quote, and the rest of this page shows how they were reached and what would change them.

Assumptions used on this page for ev vs petrol calculator germany

Every figure in the tables below comes from this assumptions table. Each one is an assumption or an example, not a measured fact about any particular car or a current price. Substitute your own numbers and the method still works. That is the point this page works through for ev vs petrol calculator germany.

Input Value used Status
Petrol price €1.75 per litre Example price
Petrol consumption 6.0 litres per 100 km Assumption
Electricity price 32 cents per kWh Example price
EV efficiency 6.5 km per kWh Assumption
Annual distance 12,000 km Example

Because this page is about germany, the units above match how drivers there usually measure fuel and electricity. The method itself does not change with location — only the units and the example prices do — so a driver anywhere else can use the same steps with local figures. Do not treat the example prices as current prices for Germany: they are placeholders chosen to make the arithmetic easy to follow, and real prices move constantly.

How the EV versus petrol comparison works for ev vs petrol calculator germany

Taking ev vs petrol calculator germany as the case in point: Hold the distance constant and price the energy each car actually uses. For the petrol car, cost per kilometre equals the price per litre multiplied by litres per 100 km, divided by 100. For the EV, cost per kilometre equals the price per kWh divided by kilometres per kWh. Multiply each cost per kilometre by the annual distance and you have the annual fuel and charging bill for each car; subtract one from the other and you have the saving, or the extra cost, under those assumptions. The method is deliberately simple, because a simple method with honest inputs beats a complicated model built on guessed ones. The two numbers that matter most are the electricity price and the petrol car's consumption: a driver who charges at home on a cheap overnight rate will see a very different answer from a driver who relies on public rapid chargers, and a thirsty petrol car widens the gap while an efficient one narrows it.

ev vs petrol calculator germany: Worked example: the same distance, two energy bills

Take a driver covering 12,000 km a year. The petrol car uses 6.0 litres per 100 km and petrol costs €1.75 per litre as an example price, so its cost per kilometre is €1.75 × 6.0 ÷ 100 = €0.10, and 12,000 km cost €1,260.00 a year. The EV does 6.5 km per kWh and electricity costs 32 cents per kWh as an example price, so its cost per kilometre is 32 ÷ 100 ÷ 6.5 = €0.05, and 12,000 km cost €590.77 a year. The difference on fuel and charging alone is €669.23 a year in the EV’s favour under these assumptions. Now change one input and watch the answer move: if the EV is charged mostly at a public rapid charger at, say, double the home electricity price used here, its annual charging cost doubles and most of the saving disappears. If the petrol car is driven mainly in town at higher consumption, the petrol bill rises and the saving grows. That sensitivity is the real lesson — the answer is only as solid as the assumptions, so write yours down before you believe the result.

ev vs petrol calculator germany: Cost at different annual distances

The table uses the worked-example assumptions above — petrol at €1.75 per litre (example), 6.0 litres per 100 km, electricity at 32 cents per kWh (example), 6.5 km per kWh. The gap grows with distance, which is why high-mileage drivers see the biggest fuel-cost difference and low-mileage drivers see the smallest.

Annual km Petrol cost per year EV charging cost per year Difference
6,000 €630.00 €295.38 €334.62
10,000 €1,050.00 €492.31 €557.69
12,000 €1,260.00 €590.77 €669.23
15,000 €1,575.00 €738.46 €836.54
20,000 €2,100.00 €984.62 €1,115.38

ev vs petrol calculator germany: Cost per mile and per 100 miles

At the example assumptions, the petrol car costs €0.10 per kilometre (€10.50 per 100 km) and the EV costs €0.05 per kilometre (€4.92 per 100 km). Per 100 km is often the easier figure to compare with a fuel receipt or a charging bill, because both are usually priced in round numbers per 100 km of driving. If you know your own consumption and your own prices, the same two divisions give your own figures: petrol price per litre times litres per 100 km divided by 100, and electricity price per kWh divided by kilometres per kWh.

ev vs petrol calculator germany: What the comparison leaves out — and why it matters

Taking ev vs petrol calculator germany as the case in point: Before treating any EV saving as a promise, check what was excluded. This page's maths covers fuel and charging only. It does not include the price difference between the cars, depreciation, insurance, servicing, tyres, or tax — all of which differ between an EV and a petrol car and all of which change the real answer. It also assumes a single electricity price, while real charging mixes cheap home charging with expensive public rapid charging, and the mix matters more than the headline rate. A driver who charges at home overnight will beat the figures here; a driver who relies on rapid chargers may not. Work out your own mix, price it honestly, and only then compare the totals.

Common mistakes for ev vs petrol calculator germany

  • On this page, ev vs petrol calculator germany is the case in point: Using the same electricity price for every charge hides the real cost. A driver who mixes home and public charging has two different prices, and averaging them into one number without weighting by how much energy comes from each is a common error.
  • On this page, ev vs petrol calculator germany is the case in point: Treating the example prices on this page as current prices is the last mistake. Fuel and electricity prices move constantly, so always substitute the prices you actually pay before trusting any saving.
  • Using one tank or one charge instead of an average is next — a single fill is noisy, and a pump that clicks off early can add a phantom gallon, while a single charge says nothing about your usual mix of home and public charging. That is the point this page works through for ev vs petrol calculator germany.
  • On this page, ev vs petrol calculator germany is the case in point: Comparing a laboratory test figure against a real-world figure tells you nothing about the car and everything about the methods. Keep the method constant — real-world against real-world — and the comparisons become meaningful.

ev vs petrol calculator germany: Related calculations

Taking ev vs petrol calculator germany as the case in point: If this page answered your question, these pages take the next step — the same method applied to a closely related question, or the calculator that does the arithmetic for you.

Putting your figure to work for ev vs petrol calculator germany

For ev vs petrol calculator germany, the point is this: Use the result as a tool, not a verdict. Re-run the two divisions with your own prices and efficiencies whenever they change, and the comparison stays honest. A monthly log — miles, energy used, price paid — is enough to spot the patterns that matter: colder months cost more per mile for an EV, a new charging habit shifts the average, and a petrol car driven more in town drifts the other way. Measured figures beat remembered ones, and the method on this page is built for measured figures.

Frequently asked questions

Why do EV running-cost figures disagree so much?

On this page, ev vs petrol calculator germany is the case in point: Because the inputs differ. Two honest calculations can give very different answers if one assumes cheap home charging and the other assumes public rapid charging, or if one uses a high-mileage year and the other a low one. Always ask what electricity price, what MPG and what mileage a figure was calculated with before comparing it with another.

Can I use the same method for a diesel car?

Yes. A diesel car uses the same petrol-side formula — fuel price per gallon divided by MPG — with diesel prices and diesel MPG. The EV side is unchanged. Compare the two cost-per-mile figures the same way, and remember the same exclusions apply. That is the point this page works through for ev vs petrol calculator germany.

How many kWh does it take to charge an EV?

On this page, ev vs petrol calculator germany is the case in point: It depends on the battery size and how empty it is. A charge from near-empty to full takes roughly the battery's capacity in kWh, plus a few percent for charging losses. Divide the kWh drawn by the miles driven afterwards and you have the car's real miles per kWh for that period.

Should I use US or imperial gallons?

Use the gallon your country uses, and say which one. A UK imperial gallon is about 4.55 litres and a US gallon is about 3.79 litres, so the same car shows a higher MPG number in imperial gallons. Mixing the two shifts the answer by about 20 percent with no warning. That is the point this page works through for ev vs petrol calculator germany.

Does an EV cost more to insure?

Insurance is not part of the fuel-and-charging maths on this page, and it can differ between an EV and a petrol car for reasons that have nothing to do with energy: repair costs, parts availability and the car's value all play a part. Get a quote for both cars before comparing total costs. That is the point this page works through for ev vs petrol calculator germany.