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South Africa · Electric vs petrol & diesel

EV vs Fuel Cost

What it really costs per kilometre to drive electric versus petrol or diesel, at today's fuel price, your electricity tariff and what public chargers in town and on the N3 charge.

Filled in with today's prices so you get an answer straight away. Change anything in a blue box to match your car, your bill and how you'd charge.

Worked out in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere. Your inputs are remembered on this device only.

Fetching today's fuel price…

1 Everyday driving

Compare like with like

Sets both cars' consumption to an example for that size (not from a source). Type in your own cars' figures below.

How far you drive
km

Fuel car
R/ litre

l / 100 km

Your real figure, not the brochure's: brochure figures are usually optimistic.

Electric car
kWh / 100 km

Where's that figure from?

%

Energy lost between the wall and the battery. 10% is a typical example; it's often more on a slow 10 A plug.

What electricity costs you
R/ kWh

R/ kWh
R/ kWh

Filled in with GridCars' rates (R5.88 AC, R7.35 DC), the biggest public network. Other networks' prices.

Where you'd charge

Fuel car

Electric car

Cost per 100 km

Where it tips over

    2 Road trip

    A long highway drive is where the difference shrinks: EVs use more at 120 km/h and fast chargers cost about twice what home power does. Uses the cars from section 1.

    Route
    km
    The EV on the trip
    kWh
    %

    Why does an EV need more at highway speed?
    %
    %
    %
    R/ kWh
    kW

    The N3's CHARGE sites haven't published a price, so this starts at GridCars' R7.35. The average speed is well below a charger's rating: cars slow the charge as the battery fills.

    Fuel car

    Electric car

    Battery along the way

    Fast chargers on the N3

      Newest sites, opened May 2026; there are others at filling stations along the route. Check a live map such as PlugShare ↗ or the operator's app for what's working before you leave, and have a backup stop in range.

      3 Thinking of buying?

      An EV usually costs more to buy and less to run. This shows when (or whether) the running savings pay back the difference, using your driving and charging from section 1.

      Prices
      R
      R
      R

      Example figures: type in real quotes. Use 0 if you'll charge from a normal plug or won't charge at home.

      Running
      R
      R

      Examples: EVs have no oil, filters, spark plugs or clutch to replace. A service plan in the price makes this 0 for those years.

      years
      % / yr
      % / yr

      Electricity went up 9.01% for municipal customers in July 2026. Insurance, finance and resale value aren't included: get quotes for both cars, they can swing the answer.

      4 Good to know

      Where you charge decides everything

      At home an EV costs a fraction of petrol per km. On fast chargers only, the gap narrows a lot. If you can't charge at home or work, run the "No home charging" mix above before you buy.

      Solar and time-of-use

      Charging in the day from your own panels, or overnight on a time-of-use tariff such as Eskom's Homeflex, can cut the home price a lot. Try R0 or your off-peak rate in the home box.

      Speed costs EVs more

      Air drag rises with the square of speed. At 120 km/h an EV can use a lot more than its spec-sheet figure; slowing to 100 km/h can save a charging stop on a long trip.

      Outages

      A home charger needs power when you plug in. If load shedding, load reduction or outages hit your area, plan charging around the schedule or charge from a battery and solar system.

      Check the battery warranty

      For a used EV especially: how many years and km it has left, and what capacity it guarantees. Ask for a battery health report before you buy.

      Public charging needs apps

      Most networks need their own app or card and an account with money in it. Set them up before a trip, and check for idle fees if you stay plugged in after charging.

      Where the numbers come from

      Default prices

        Other charging prices seen

          How it works out

            Sources