Question 1

Is an EV really cheaper to run than a petrol car?

Accepted Answer

For most owners who do the bulk of their charging at home, yes, and by a wide margin. On a typical UK home tariff a Model 3 or Model Y costs roughly 7p per mile in electricity, against roughly 16p per mile for petrol at current pump prices — call it a little over £700 a year cheaper on an average 8,000-mile UK driving year. That gap narrows, and can even reverse on paper, if you rely mainly on public rapid chargers rather than home or off-peak charging.

Question 2

Does Tesla maintenance really cost less than a petrol car?

Accepted Answer

Generally yes. There's no oil, spark plugs or timing belt to replace, and regenerative braking means brake pads typically last far longer. Illustrative annual servicing costs used in this calculator put EV maintenance at roughly half a comparable petrol car's — though tyres often wear a little faster than on an equivalent ICE car, thanks to the instant torque and extra weight of the battery pack.

Question 3

Why is my insurance quote higher for a Tesla than my old petrol car?

Accepted Answer

It happens more often than owners expect. Higher parts costs, specialist repair networks, and the cost of recalibrating cameras and sensors after even minor bodywork can push EV premiums above a comparable petrol car's, even though the Tesla is cheaper to fuel and service. It's one of the few line items where petrol cars sometimes come out ahead — worth shopping around rather than assuming an EV will automatically be cheaper to insure.

Question 4

Does this calculator include the cost of buying the car?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the purchase price (after any grant or incentive) is included alongside the running costs, so the 10-year comparison and break-even point both account for what each car cost to buy. What it doesn't model is resale value: how much each car is actually worth if you sell it partway through, which can swing the total picture in either direction. See our value estimator for what drives a used Tesla's price.

Element	Electric	Benzină (ICE)	Economisire
Prețul de achiziție	€46,990	€30,500	—
Combustibil și energie	€3,938	€9,281	€5,344
Asigurare	€4,250	€3,500	−€750
Întreținere	€1,400	€3,750	€2,350
Total pe 5 ani	€56,578	€47,031	−€9,546

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