Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
$51,777 / 5 yr
$863/mo$0.86/km
Lowest 5-yr cost
EV vs petrol cost in Australia (2026) — the true 5-year total
As of July 2026: of the 62 models we track in Australia, the cheapest to own over 5 years is the Toyota Corolla Hybrid at $42,750 — a hybrid. The cheapest electric, the BYD Atto 1 (Essential) ($43,990), runs about $1,240 more — we say it plainly when the petrol or hybrid car wins.
What an EV really costs to own in Australia versus petrol or a hybrid: depreciation, charging, insurance, maintenance and rego — every figure sourced and dated. Electricity varies by state (see the by-state table). The big lever for many buyers is the federal FBT exemption via a novated lease, shown separately. In Australia, the average motor-insurance premium is about $1,052 (Insurance Council of Australia; a national average across drivers, not a quote for this car or driver), and electric cars generally sit at the dearer end.
Choose your state
In Australia, the true cost of an EV vs petrol depends heavily on where you live: home electricity ranges from about 28.0c/kWh to 43.7c/kWh (a 1.6× spread) — enough to change, and sometimes flip, whether an EV or petrol car is cheaper. Petrol, incentives and rego are Australia-wide. Choose your state for numbers that are actually true for you.
Australia reference numbers
- Electricity (Australia)
- 33.00c/kWhAER · 2026-07-01
- Petrol (Australia)
- $1.63/LAIP
- Charging loss (modeled)
- 12%EPA / SAE J1634
- Maintenance ($/yr)
- EV $950 vs petrol $1280est.
- Insurance ($/yr, avg)
- EV $2,545 vs petrol $1,700est.
- EV incentive
- FBT exemption (novated lease)ATO
Cheapest to own in Australia
Every model, ranked by true 5-year cost at Australia rates (12,000 km/yr, all-in). Tap a column to sort, or filter by type:
| Type | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Corolla Hybrid | Hybrid | $32,110 | $42,750 | $713 |
| BYD Atto 1 (Essential) | Electric | $23,990 | $43,990 | $733 |
| Toyota Corolla | Petrol | $29,990 | $44,016 | $734 |
| GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid | Hybrid | $33,990 | $44,969 | $749 |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | Hybrid | $39,990 | $48,031 | $801 |
| GWM Haval H6 Lux 2.0T petrol FWD | Petrol | $34,490 | $48,302 | $805 |
| Suzuki Jimny XL 5-door auto | Petrol | $37,490 | $49,757 | $829 |
| BYD Dolphin | Electric | $31,760 | $49,948 | $832 |
| BYD Atto 2 (Dynamic) | Electric | $31,990 | $50,537 | $842 |
| Nissan X-Trail ST 2WD petrol | Petrol | $38,140 | $50,667 | $844 |
| MG4 | Electric | $31,990 | $50,858 | $848 |
| Kia Sportage S 2.0 petrol FWD | Petrol | $37,990 | $51,255 | $854 |
| Toyota RAV4 Hybrid | Hybrid | $45,990 | $51,777 | $863 |
| Mazda CX-5 | Petrol | $39,990 | $51,866 | $864 |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | Petrol | $39,990 | $51,964 | $866 |
| Hyundai Tucson | Petrol | $39,100 | $51,974 | $866 |
| GWM Ora 5 | Electric | $33,990 | $52,268 | $871 |
| Subaru Forester AWD Hybrid | Hybrid | $46,490 | $53,646 | $894 |
| Hyundai Inster | Electric | $39,990 | $56,586 | $943 |
| Isuzu D-Max LS-U (diesel) | Petrol | $46,200 | $57,247 | $954 |
| BYD Atto 3 | Electric | $41,760 | $58,314 | $972 |
| Geely EX5 | Electric | $41,990 | $58,610 | $977 |
| BYD Sealion 6 (Dynamic Extended PHEV) | Plug-in hybrid | $47,990 | $59,161 | $986 |
| MG ZS EV | Electric | $44,092 | $60,421 | $1,007 |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | Electric | $45,990 | $61,342 | $1,022 |
| MG S5 EV (Excite 62kWh) | Electric | $45,990 | $61,576 | $1,026 |
| Kia EV3 (Air Standard Range) | Electric | $46,990 | $62,178 | $1,036 |
| Leapmotor C10 Design | Electric | $45,888 | $62,257 | $1,038 |
| Toyota Kluger GX Hybrid AWD | Hybrid | $62,410 | $62,739 | $1,046 |
| Deepal S07 | Electric | $47,990 | $63,775 | $1,063 |
| BYD Seal | Electric | $48,760 | $64,053 | $1,068 |
| Ford Everest Ambiente (diesel) | Petrol | $59,490 | $65,190 | $1,087 |
| BMW X1 sDrive18i | Petrol | $62,400 | $65,509 | $1,092 |
| Ford Ranger | Petrol | $59,000 | $66,240 | $1,104 |
| BYD Shark 6 | Plug-in hybrid | $57,900 | $66,795 | $1,113 |
| Lexus NX 350h Luxury 2WD | Hybrid | $71,700 | $67,802 | $1,130 |
| Tesla Model 3 RWD | Electric | $54,900 | $68,099 | $1,135 |
| Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV | Plug-in hybrid | $60,290 | $68,324 | $1,139 |
| BYD Sealion 7 | Electric | $54,990 | $69,339 | $1,156 |
| Kia EV5 | Electric | $56,770 | $70,782 | $1,180 |
| Toyota HiLux | Petrol | $70,000 | $71,119 | $1,185 |
| Zeekr 7X (RWD) | Electric | $57,900 | $71,164 | $1,186 |
| Tesla Model Y RWD | Electric | $58,900 | $71,357 | $1,189 |
| Toyota Prado GX (diesel) | Petrol | $72,500 | $74,180 | $1,236 |
| Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD | Electric | $67,900 | $78,506 | $1,308 |
| Mercedes-Benz GLC 200 | Petrol | $89,000 | $83,726 | $1,395 |
| Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD | Electric | $75,900 | $84,877 | $1,415 |
| BMW iX1 xDrive30 | Electric | $77,900 | $86,901 | $1,448 |
| Land Rover Defender 110 D250 S | Petrol | $100,900 | $92,920 | $1,549 |
| Toyota LandCruiser 300 GXL diesel | Petrol | $108,791 | $99,150 | $1,653 |
| Porsche Macan RWD (Electric) | Electric | $129,800 | $127,020 | $2,117 |
| Genesis GV70 Electrified | Electric | $132,800 | $130,466 | $2,174 |
Example comparison — change the vehicles belowOver 5 years, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (hybrid) is the cheapest at $51,777 — about $19,580 less than the Tesla Model Y RWD ($863/mo, $0.86/km).
Total cost of ownership, cheapest first
Tesla Model Y RWD
$71,357 / 5 yr
$1,189/mo$1.19/km
+$19,580 more than the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (38%)
Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD
$84,877 / 5 yr
$1,415/mo$1.42/km
+$33,100 more than the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (64%)
Cumulative cost over time
Total spend by each year — purchase, charging/fuel, depreciation, insurance and financing combined. Where two lines cross is your payback point.
Tesla Model Y RWDToyota RAV4 HybridTesla Model Y Long
Tesla Model Y RWD never beats Toyota RAV4 Hybrid within 5 yrs · Tesla Model Y Long never beats Toyota RAV4 Hybrid within 5 yrs
Where the money goes (full breakdown)
| Cost component | Electric · Tesla Model Y RWD | Hybrid · Toyota RAV4 Hybrid | Electric · Tesla Model Y Long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depreciation (estimated) | $34,751 (49%) | $19,316 (37%) | $44,781 (53%) |
| Charging / fuel | $4,241 (6%) | $4,499 (9%) | $4,534 (5%) |
| ↳ of which charging loss | 12% (~$509) | — | 12% (~$544) |
| Maintenance | $4,752 (7%) | $5,502 (11%) | $4,752 (6%) |
| Insurance | $12,725 (18%) | $10,000 (19%) | $12,725 (15%) |
| Financing interest | $10,513 (15%) | $8,085 (16%) | $13,710 (16%) |
| Registration & fees | $4,375 (6%) | $4,375 (8%) | $4,375 (5%) |
| Total cost of ownership | $71,357 | $51,777 | $84,877 |
Australia head-to-head: EV vs petrol/hybrid
Tesla Model Y RWDvsToyota RAV4 HybridTesla Model 3 RWDvsToyota Corolla HybridBYD Atto 3vsHyundai TucsonMG4vsToyota Corolla HybridBYD SealvsToyota Camry HybridBYD DolphinvsMazda CX-5Hyundai Kona ElectricvsMazda CX-5Kia EV5vsHyundai TucsonBYD Sealion 7vsToyota RAV4 HybridMG ZS EVvsHyundai TucsonTesla Model Y Long Range AWDvsToyota RAV4 HybridBYD Shark 6vsFord Ranger
Australia cost by model
Electric
$71,3575-yr cost$84,8775-yr cost$68,0995-yr cost$78,5065-yr cost$58,3145-yr cost$49,9485-yr cost$64,0535-yr cost$69,3395-yr cost$50,8585-yr cost$60,4215-yr cost$70,7825-yr cost$61,3425-yr cost$43,9905-yr cost$50,5375-yr cost$71,1645-yr cost$58,6105-yr cost$52,2685-yr cost$62,1785-yr cost$56,5865-yr cost$61,5765-yr cost$63,7755-yr cost$62,2575-yr cost$86,9015-yr cost$130,4665-yr cost$127,0205-yr cost
Plug-in hybrid
Hybrid
FAQ
Is an electric car cheaper to own than a petrol car in Australia?
Usually not at typical mileage, as of July 2026: the cheapest model we track in Australia is the Toyota Corolla Hybrid (a hybrid) at $42,750 over 5 years, while the cheapest electric — the BYD Atto 1 (Essential) at $43,990 — runs about $1,240 more. High mileage or cheap home charging can flip it; each comparison page shows exactly when.
Which EV is cheapest to own in Australia?
As of July 2026, the BYD Atto 1 (Essential) — about $43,990 over 5 years all-in: depreciation, charging (including losses), insurance, maintenance, rego and financing.
What do electricity and petrol cost in Australia right now?
Our totals use 33.00c/kWh for home electricity (AER) and $1.63/L for petrol (AIP), as of July 1, 2026.
What does the 5-year total include?
Depreciation, charging or fuel (including the ~12% AC charging loss most calculators omit), insurance, maintenance, rego and financing interest — every source dated.
EVCostIQ in other markets
- United States →
- United Kingdom →
- Ireland →
- Canada →
- New Zealand →
- Germany →
- France →
- Netherlands →
- Norway →
- Spain →
- Japan →
- Switzerland →
- Belgium →
- Sweden →
- Denmark →
- Italy →
- South Korea →
- Poland →
- Portugal →
- Austria →
- United Arab Emirates →
- Brazil →
- Thailand →
- Philippines →
- Malaysia →
- Hong Kong →
- Indonesia →
- Vietnam →
- Taiwan →
- Luxembourg →
- Finland →
- Colombia →
- Mexico →
- Israel →
- Singapore →
Estimates for planning, not financial advice. Australia depreciation, insurance and maintenance are dated estimates calibrated to Australia sources. How we calculate →