EV Running Cost Calculator
Calculate EV running cost per kilometre, per 100 km, per month and per year from one set of inputs. Compare the total across every charging price tier at a glance.
EV running cost
Typical EV electricity cost by rate
The total annual running cost of an EV includes electricity, servicing and road user charges. Electricity cost varies with your charging rate, while servicing and road user charges are relatively fixed. The table below shows the electricity component at each price tier.
| Charging type | Price per kWh | Annual cost (14,000 km) |
|---|---|---|
| EV off peak | $0.12 | $269 |
| Home solar | $0.13 | $291 |
| Home off peak | $0.25 | $560 |
| Home standard rate | $0.39 | $874 |
| Public AC | $0.45 | $1,008 |
| DC fast | $0.68 | $1,523 |
| Ultra rapid DC | $0.95 | $2,128 |
Based on 14,000 km per year and a typical EV (16 kWh per 100 km). Actual costs depend on your electricity plan and driving distance. Change the distance above to see how sensitive the annual total is to how far you actually drive.
How this calculator works
This calculator estimates the total annual running cost of an electric vehicle by combining electricity cost with estimated servicing and road user charges. The electricity component is calculated from your inputs. Servicing and road user charges use industry midpoint estimates that apply to all tiers equally.
Formula
Electricity cost = EV efficiency (kWh per 100 km) × Electricity price ($ per kWh) × Annual distance ÷ 100
Total annual running cost = Electricity cost + Servicing ($400 assumed) + Road user charge (RUC) ($1,026)
Cost per 100 km = EV efficiency × Electricity price
Cost per km = Cost per 100 km ÷ 100
Monthly cost = Total annual running cost ÷ 12
Worked example
EV efficiency: 16 kWh per 100 km
Electricity price: $0.39 per kWh (Home standard rate)
Annual distance: 15,000 km
Electricity: 16 × 0.39 × 14,000 ÷ 100 = $874 per year
Total: $874 + $400 + $1,026 = $2,300 per year, or $192 per month
Cost per 100 km: 16 × $0.39 = $6.24, which is $0.062 per km
Servicing is an assumption, not a sourced figure: $400 is the midpoint of an indicative $300–$500 range for a typical EV, and actual cost varies by vehicle and service provider. Road user charges are included because light EVs in New Zealand have paid them since 1 April 2024, at $76 per 1,000 km — about 7.6 cents per kilometre, charged on distance rather than energy, so it applies however cheaply you charge. Both values come from a single set of constants — see how these figures are derived.
Price preset guide
Home solar is charging from your own rooftop generation. The cost shown is not a bill — it is the feed-in credit you give up by using that energy yourself instead of exporting it, which is what makes solar charging the cheapest option here.
EV off peak refers to very low EV specific overnight pricing offered by some electricity retailers.
Home off peak refers to a more typical off peak residential rate.
Home standard rate refers to a flat residential electricity tariff.
Public AC, DC fast and Ultra rapid DC refer to common public charging categories. Prices vary between networks and locations.
These labels are shorthand for the tiers used across this site. Set your own rate for any of them in the My EV panel and every figure here recalculates. Over a full year the spread between these tiers is the single largest variable in what an EV costs to run.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical EV running cost per km in New Zealand?
At a standard home electricity rate of $0.39 per kWh and a typical EV efficiency of 16 kWh per 100 km, the electricity cost works out to around $0.062 per km, or roughly $0.06 to $0.07 per km. This figure increases if the vehicle is charged mainly on public fast chargers and decreases if off peak home charging rates are used.
Cost per km, per 100 km, per month and per year — the same number, four ways
People ask this question in four different units depending on what they are trying to decide, and all four come from one calculation. Work out the cost of 100 km once and every other figure follows from it.
EV cost per km
The most useful figure to carry around in your head, because it prices any journey instantly. On a typical efficiency of 16 kWh per 100 km, charging overnight on a cheap EV tariff puts this in the range of one to two cents per kilometre. On expensive ultra-rapid DC it can be six to eight times that. Multiply by your trip distance and you have the cost of the drive.
EV cost per 100 km
The figure to use when comparing against a petrol car, because fuel consumption in New Zealand is quoted per 100 km too. It puts the two on the same footing: litres per 100 km against kilowatt-hours per 100 km, each multiplied by its own price.
EV cost per month
The figure that matters for budgeting, since that is the cycle most household bills run on. Take your annual distance, divide by twelve, and multiply by the cost per kilometre. The reason it often surprises people is that it lands as a modest line item next to a petrol bill they were used to paying weekly.
EV cost per year
The figure to use when weighing up a purchase, and the one where the choice of charging tariff shows its full effect. The gap between the cheapest and dearest rows in the comparison above, multiplied across a year of driving, is usually larger than most people expect — frequently larger than the running-cost difference between two different electric cars.
All four are shown together above so you do not have to convert between them. Change the distance or the electricity price and every one of them updates.
What actually moves your running cost
Three inputs decide the answer, and they do not carry equal weight.
Electricity price is the biggest lever by far. The spread between a dedicated overnight EV tariff and ultra-rapid public DC charging is roughly tenfold. Nothing else on this page varies by that much. If you want to reduce what your EV costs to run, this is the input to work on — usually by shifting charging to the cheapest window your retailer offers.
Distance scales everything linearly. Drive twice as far and you pay twice as much. This matters when comparing against a petrol car, because the saving per kilometre is fixed but the total saving grows with how much you drive. A high-kilometre driver recovers a price premium far faster than someone doing 8,000 km a year.
Efficiency varies less than people assume. Most EVs sold in New Zealand sit somewhere between about 13 and 20 kWh per 100 km. That is a real difference, and worth setting your own car for, but it is a narrower band than the electricity price range above it. Efficiency also degrades in practice: sustained highway speed, cold mornings, hills and a loaded car all push consumption up.
Servicing is included in the annual view because it is the one non-energy cost that reliably differs between an EV and a petrol car. Insurance, registration and depreciation are excluded, because they vary far more by individual circumstance than by drivetrain, and folding them in would make the result look more precise than it is.
More questions about EV running cost
How much does an EV cost per month in New Zealand?
For an average driver covering around 15,000 km a year in a typical EV, charging overnight at home usually lands somewhere in the low tens of dollars a month, while charging exclusively on public fast chargers can run several times that. The calculator above shows the monthly figure at every tariff, because the answer depends far more on where you charge than on which EV you drive. Set your own car and rate for a figure that reflects your situation rather than an average one.
How do I work out my EV cost per year?
Multiply your annual distance by your cost per kilometre. The calculator does this for you, but the arithmetic is simple enough to check: annual distance divided by 100, multiplied by your efficiency in kWh per 100 km, multiplied by your electricity price per kWh. The result is your electricity cost for the year, before servicing. If you drive substantially more or less than 15,000 km, change the distance above rather than scaling the default in your head.
Is EV cost per km the same as cost per 100 km divided by 100?
Yes, exactly. They are the same calculation expressed at different scales, and both are shown so you can use whichever suits the comparison you are making. Cost per kilometre is easier for pricing a specific trip; cost per 100 km is easier for comparing against a petrol car, because New Zealand fuel consumption figures are quoted in litres per 100 km.
Does this include servicing and maintenance?
The annual view includes an allowance for servicing, because that is the one non-energy running cost that consistently differs between electric and petrol vehicles. EVs have no oil to change, no spark plugs or timing belts, and regenerative braking means brake pads often last markedly longer. Tyres can run the other way, since EVs are heavier and deliver torque instantly. Insurance, registration and depreciation are not included, as they depend more on the specific model and driver than on the drivetrain.
Why is my real cost higher than the calculator says?
Usually one of three reasons. Charging losses mean you are billed for slightly more energy than reaches the battery, typically a few percent and more in cold weather. Real-world efficiency is often worse than the specification, particularly on short urban trips and at sustained highway speed. And most people charge on a mix of tariffs rather than one, so the true figure sits between the rows rather than on the cheapest one. Entering your own measured consumption and your actual rate closes most of the gap.
How does EV running cost compare with a petrol car?
On energy alone an EV charged at home is usually several times cheaper per kilometre than an equivalent petrol car, and the gap narrows considerably if you rely on public fast charging. Because that comparison depends heavily on your petrol car's real fuel consumption and the pump price, it has its own tool: the EV vs petrol cost calculator sets the two side by side at every electricity tier.
