Drive Cost Calculator is designed to provide transparent estimates of the cost of driving gasoline, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
Instead of using a single national average, our calculators allow you to enter your own driving distance, fuel price, electricity rate, vehicle efficiency, charging habits, purchase prices, and other assumptions.
This page explains how the calculations work, where example vehicle data comes from, and the limitations you should consider when interpreting the results.
How gasoline and hybrid costs are calculated
For vehicles measured in litres per 100 kilometres, estimated fuel use is calculated using:
Annual fuel used = annual distance ÷ 100 × fuel consumption
Estimated annual fuel cost is then:
Annual fuel cost = annual fuel used × fuel price per litre
For example, a vehicle driven 15,000 km per year with a fuel consumption rating of 8.5 L/100 km would use approximately 1,275 litres of fuel before multiplying that amount by the selected fuel price.
Hybrid vehicles use the same calculation but normally have a different fuel-consumption rating.
How electric vehicle charging costs are calculated
Electric vehicle energy use is estimated using annual driving distance and the vehicle’s electricity consumption in kWh per 100 km.
Annual electricity use = annual distance ÷ 100 × EV consumption
The calculator can combine home and public charging rates based on the percentage of charging performed at each location.
For example, a driver who charges 80% at home and 20% at public chargers will receive a blended electricity cost based on those percentages.
Optional adjustments may also be used to account for additional electricity consumption caused by charging losses or driving conditions.
Purchase and ownership cost calculations
When Buying a car mode is selected, users can enter purchase prices and an expected ownership period.
The calculator combines the selected purchase price with estimated running costs over that period.
Where applicable, users can also include additional costs such as charger installation or annual vehicle expenses.
These calculations are intended to compare the assumptions entered into the tool. They are not a prediction of the future resale value or complete lifetime cost of a vehicle.
How break-even estimates work
A break-even estimate compares a higher upfront vehicle cost with potential annual running-cost savings.
In simple terms:
Break-even period = additional upfront cost ÷ estimated annual savings
For example, if one vehicle costs $5,000 more to purchase but is estimated to save $1,000 per year in energy costs, the estimated break-even period would be approximately five years.
Actual savings can change as fuel prices, electricity rates, driving habits, and vehicle costs change.
Vehicle efficiency data
Some calculator presets use publicly available vehicle efficiency information as a convenient starting point.
For Canadian vehicle examples, we use information published by Natural Resources Canada, including its Fuel Consumption Guide and vehicle fuel-consumption ratings.
Natural Resources Canada states that published ratings are useful for comparing vehicles, but actual fuel consumption can vary because of factors such as weather, traffic, vehicle condition, speed, and driving behaviour.
For U.S. vehicle information and additional reference data, we may also use FuelEconomy.gov, which is administered for the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Vehicle presets are examples only. Users should confirm the exact model year, trim, drivetrain, and specifications of the vehicle they are comparing.
Why your real-world costs may be different
Calculator results are estimates and should be treated as a comparison tool rather than a guaranteed prediction.
Actual costs may vary because of weather, driving style, traffic, fuel and electricity price changes, charging behaviour, maintenance, insurance, financing, taxes, incentives, depreciation, tire costs, vehicle condition, and other factors.
Cold weather can be particularly important for Canadian drivers because vehicle energy consumption can change significantly with temperature and driving conditions.
Privacy and calculator inputs
The calculator performs its calculations using the information you enter.
No account or signup is required to use the calculator.
Standard website analytics may still collect general website usage information as described in our Privacy Policy.
Transparency
Our goal is to make every important assumption editable rather than hide it behind a single estimate.
If you notice outdated vehicle information, an incorrect calculation, or something that could be explained more clearly, please contact us.
You can return to the EV vs Gas vs Hybrid Cost Calculator at any time and replace the example values with your own numbers.