EV vs petrol in 2026: what it really costs per km

An electric vehicle costs more to buy and far less to run. Whether it makes sense for you comes down to three numbers: how far you drive, what you pay for a unit of electricity and where you charge. This guide works through each one with real 2026 figures.

EV vs petrol: cost per km

Charged at home, an electric car costs about ₹1 to ₹1.5 per km and an electric scooter about ₹0.15 to ₹0.40 per km. The petrol versions cost about ₹5.5 to ₹7 per km and ₹2 to ₹2.50 per km. That makes an EV four to seven times cheaper to run, as long as most charging happens at home.

How to work out your own cost per km

Multiply the units your vehicle uses per km by what you pay for a unit. Your electricity bill shows the rate: divide the bill amount by the units used. The vehicle’s energy use is in its spec sheet or trip display.

Car example

A car using 16 units per 100 km, charged at ₹8 a unit, costs 0.16 × ₹8 = ₹1.28 per km. At 1,500 km a month that is about ₹1,900, against roughly ₹9,000 for a petrol car doing the same distance.

Scooter example

A scooter using 1.75 units for 50 km costs about ₹0.28 per km at ₹8 a unit. A 30 km daily commute comes to around ₹250 a month, against about ₹2,000 for petrol.

Electric scooter vs petrol scooter by daily distance

Two-wheelers are most of what India drives, so here is the scooter comparison at four common daily distances. It assumes 1.75 units per 50 km charged at home at ₹8 a unit (about ₹0.28 per km) and a petrol scooter at about ₹2.20 per km.

At 30 km a day the electric scooter saves around ₹20,000 a year, which is roughly the price gap between a mid-range electric scooter and its petrol rival in two to three years.

Try it with your own vehicle

Why your electricity rate matters

Home electricity costs ₹6 to ₹9 a unit in most states, and the rate often rises as your monthly units cross a slab. Adding a car can push a household into a higher slab, so check the slab rate that applies to your extra units, not your average.

Home charging vs public fast charging

Public DC fast chargers cost about ₹15 to ₹26 a unit, roughly three times the home rate. At ₹22 a unit a car costs about ₹3.55 per km. That is still cheaper than petrol, but the saving shrinks by half.

Charging from rooftop solar

One kW of rooftop solar makes about 120 units a month. A car driving 40 km a day needs about 200 units a month, so 1.5 to 2 kW of solar covers it. A scooter covering the same distance needs only about 40 units, well within a 1 kW system.

Solar works best when the car charges in daylight, for example at a workplace, or when your net meter credits daytime units you export and draw back at night.

Running costs beyond charging

• Servicing is simpler: no engine oil, clutch, spark plugs or exhaust.
• Brakes wear more slowly because regenerative braking slows the car.
• Tyres can wear faster because EVs are heavier.
• Check the battery warranty in years and kilometres; it is the part that matters most for resale.

When does an EV pay back?

The more you drive, the sooner the higher purchase price is recovered. At 12,000 km a year an electric car saves roughly ₹50,000 a year on fuel alone, before lower servicing. Divide the price difference between the electric and petrol versions by that saving to get your payback in years.

For delivery fleets

Vans and three-wheelers that run 100 km or more a day recover the higher price fastest, because the saving is earned on every kilometre. That is why electric commercial vehicle sales reached a record 4,702 units in August 2026, up 188% on a year earlier.

Setting up home charging

Check your sanctioned load

A home AC charger draws a steady load for hours. If your connection’s sanctioned load is low, the charger can trip your supply or add penalty charges. Your DISCOM can raise the sanctioned load on request, usually for a small fee.

Choose the charger

Home chargers are AC. Most cars come with a portable charger that plugs into a heavy-duty socket, and a wall-mounted charger charges faster. Match the connector to your vehicle and prefer a charger with a timer, so you can charge in cheaper or daylight hours.

Get permission in a society

In an apartment you need the housing society’s approval and a supply point at your parking spot, often through a separate meter. Ask early; it usually takes longer than buying the car. The full process, with costs, is in home EV charger installation.

A quick checklist before you switch

• Your daily distance and where the car will be parked overnight
• Your electricity rate on the slab the extra units will fall into
• Whether you can charge at home or work most days
• The price gap between electric and petrol versions, divided by your yearly saving
• Battery warranty in years and kilometres

Frequently asked questions