Should I switch car type?
Compare the total cost of ownership between Fuel, Hybrid, and Electric vehicles. See which option saves you the most money based on your driving habits and budget. No sign-up needed — your inputs and saved comparisons stay in your browser.
Step 1 of 3
Your Current Transport
Total km you drive per year
Used to estimate remaining vehicle lifespan
Your data is used only for this calculation and is not stored or shared.
Saved comparisons
View all on dashboardRun a comparison and choose “Save” to keep it here. Saved comparisons live in this browser only — no account required.
Cost Comparison (5 Years)
Purchase Price
Annual Fuel Cost
Annual Maintenance
Annual Insurance
5-Year Total Cost
10-Year Total Cost
Purchase Price
Annual Fuel Cost
Annual Maintenance
Annual Insurance
5-Year Total Cost
10-Year Total Cost
Purchase Price
Annual Electricity Cost
Annual Maintenance
Annual Insurance
5-Year Total Cost
10-Year Total Cost
Cost Breakdown
Fuel
$40,386.73
Hybrid
$38,581.28
Electric
$45,608.66
💡 5-Year Cost Breakdown: Includes purchase price, fuel/electricity, maintenance, insurance, and registration. Based on your inputs and NZ market data.
Key Findings
Best Overall Value
Hybrid
Lowest 5-year cost overall
Lowest Annual Cost
Hybrid
Year-round operating cost
Best for Environment
Electric (EV)
Lowest CO₂ emissions per year
Total 10-Year Cost
Long-term perspective
Compare costs over a longer ownership period
Our Recommendation
Hybrid vehicles offer a good balance of cost and efficiency, saving $1805 over 5 years compared to fuel vehicles.
What If? Scenarios
Toggle scenarios to see how changes affect your decision:
💡 Pro Tip: Scenarios help you understand which vehicle is most resilient to changing conditions. The best choice should remain economical across various situations.
How we calculate total cost of ownership
The sticker price of a Fuel, Hybrid, or Electric vehicle rarely reflects what it actually costs you to own. This calculator models total cost of ownership (TCO) over five years — combining purchase price, fuel or charging costs based on your actual driving habits, servicing, insurance, and road user charges (RUC) where they apply, so you can compare the real running cost of each option rather than just the price tag.
Fuel costs are estimated from your weekly driving distance and current NZ petrol, diesel, or electricity prices. Electric and some hybrid vehicles pay road user charges instead of fuel excise, which we factor in separately since it changes the maths meaningfully over five years. Servicing and insurance estimates reflect typical NZ costs for each vehicle type — EVs generally cost less to service due to fewer moving parts, while insurance can run higher depending on the model.
Depreciation is the largest single cost for most vehicles and the hardest to predict, so we use conservative, vehicle-type-specific estimates rather than a single flat rate. The result is a side-by-side comparison built for your situation, not a generic "EVs are cheaper" or "EVs are more expensive" headline — the right answer depends on how much you drive and how long you keep the car.
Frequently asked questions
Is an electric car actually cheaper than petrol in New Zealand?
It depends on how much you drive. EVs have a higher purchase price but lower running costs — cheaper "fuel" (electricity vs petrol) and less servicing, offset by road user charges. High-mileage drivers usually come out ahead with an EV over five years; low-mileage drivers often don't recoup the higher upfront cost in that time. This calculator uses your actual driving habits rather than a national average to answer this for your situation specifically.
What are road user charges (RUC) and which vehicles pay them?
RUC is a per-kilometre charge that replaces the fuel excise duty normally built into the pump price of petrol. Electric vehicles and most diesel vehicles pay RUC instead of fuel tax; petrol and most petrol-hybrid vehicles don't. RUC can add a meaningful ongoing cost for EV owners, which is why this calculator includes it explicitly rather than assuming electricity is simply "free" running cost.
Does this calculator include depreciation?
Yes. Depreciation is usually the single largest cost of owning any vehicle, so it's built into the five-year total rather than left out. Estimates are vehicle-type-specific since EVs, hybrids, and petrol vehicles depreciate at different rates.
How does hybrid compare to full electric?
Hybrids sit between petrol and electric on most metrics: lower fuel costs than petrol but not as low as an EV's electricity cost, no RUC in most cases, and typically a smaller price premium than a full EV. Whether a hybrid or EV suits you better usually comes down to your driving distance, access to home or work charging, and budget.
What driving habits change the result the most?
Weekly distance driven has the biggest effect — the more you drive, the more running-cost differences between Fuel, Hybrid, and Electric compound over five years. How long you plan to keep the vehicle also matters: EVs and hybrids tend to look better the longer you hold them, since the upfront price premium gets spread over more years of lower running costs.