Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
$51,777 / 5 yr
$863/mo$0.86/km
Lowest 5-yr cost
EV vs petrol cost in Australian Capital Territory, Australia (2026) — the true 5-year total
As of July 2026: of the 62 models we price, the cheapest to own over 5 years in Australian Capital Territory, Australia is the Toyota Corolla Hybrid at $42,750 — a hybrid. The cheapest electric, the BYD Atto 1 (Essential) ($43,721), runs about $971 more — we say it plainly when the petrol or hybrid car wins.
What an EV really costs to own in Australian Capital Territory versus petrol or a hybrid, at Australian Capital Territory's electricity price of 30.80c/kWh — depreciation, charging, insurance, maintenance and rego, every figure sourced and dated. Petrol, fuel and incentives are Australia-wide; only electricity changes by state.
Example comparison — change the vehicles belowOver 5 years, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (hybrid) is the cheapest at $51,777 — about $19,298 less than the Tesla Model Y RWD ($863/mo, $0.86/km).
Total cost of ownership, cheapest first
Tesla Model Y RWD
$71,075 / 5 yr
$1,185/mo$1.19/km
+$19,298 more than the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (37%)
Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD
$84,575 / 5 yr
$1,410/mo$1.41/km
+$32,798 more than the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (63%)
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 | $3,958 (6%) | $4,499 (9%) | $4,232 (5%) |
| ↳ of which charging loss | 12% (~$475) | — | 12% (~$508) |
| 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 | $71,075 | $51,777 | $84,575 |
Australian Capital Territory reference numbers
- Electricity (Australian Capital Territory)
- 30.80c/kWhAER · 2026-08-06
- 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
What is different about Australian Capital Territory's numbers
Home electricity in Australian Capital Territory is 30.80c/kWh — 6.7% below the 33.00c Australia average (AER, 2026-08-06), which makes Australian Capital Territory 3rd cheapest of the 8 states we price, between Tasmania at 28.00c and South Australia at 43.70c. Petrol stays Australia-wide at $1.63/L (AIP), as do rego and incentives, so Australian Capital Territory changes exactly one input on this page.
What the AER figure for Australian Capital Territory actually is: ActewAGL; med-low confidence.
Run all 52 models that have their own cost page through the kernel at both rate sets and the average electric car's 5-year total in Australian Capital Territory lands $310 below its Australia-average figure, while a petrol or hybrid car's total does not move by a cent — in Australia only electricity changes by state. Net effect: Australian Capital Territory narrows the gap an EV has to close by about $310. At Australian Capital Territory rates EVs take 1 of the 12 head-to-head matchups we track, against 1 at the Australia average — we publish that whichever way it falls.
Take one car — a BYD Atto 1 (Essential) — and keeping it charged in Australian Capital Territory for 5 years costs $342 more than in Tasmania, the cheapest state, and $1,578 less than in South Australia, the dearest.
Running cost at Australian Capital Territory prices: a BYD Atto 1 (Essential) draws about $4.83 of electricity per 100 km charging at home in Australian Capital Territory with the ~12% charging loss counted, against $11.41 of petrol for a 7 L/100km car — a petrol car would have to do 3.0 L/100km to match the EV's energy bill in Australian Capital Territory. Only the most frugal small hybrids get near that, so on energy alone an EV is still well ahead in Australian Capital Territory. Energy is only one line of the total: depreciation and insurance decide the 5-year figure, which is why most of the matchups on this page still go to the petrol or hybrid car.
Sorting all 52 models by 5-year cost at Australian Capital Territory rates instead of the Australia average moves 9 of them out of the position they hold nationally. The ones Australian Capital Territory moves furthest:
- Toyota HiLux — 2 places worse in Australian Capital Territory than at the Australia average, at $71,119 over 5 years here.
- BYD Dolphin — 1 place better in Australian Capital Territory than at the Australia average, at $49,685 over 5 years here.
- GWM Ora 5 — 1 place better in Australian Capital Territory than at the Australia average, at $51,966 over 5 years here.
No model we price reaches either its cheapest or its most expensive state in Australian Capital Territory — on every one of them Australian Capital Territory sits mid-pack.
Cheapest to own in Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Ranked by true 5-year cost at Australian Capital Territory's own electricity rate (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 | $43,721 | $729 |
| 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 |
| BYD Dolphin | Electric | $31,760 | $49,685 | $828 |
| Suzuki Jimny XL 5-door auto | Petrol | $37,490 | $49,757 | $829 |
| BYD Atto 2 (Dynamic) | Electric | $31,990 | $50,246 | $837 |
| MG4 | Electric | $31,990 | $50,546 | $842 |
| GWM Ora 5 | Electric | $33,990 | $51,966 | $866 |
| Hyundai Inster | Electric | $39,990 | $56,307 | $938 |
That is the Australian Capital Territory-relevant slice of the fleet. All 52 models we price, at the Australia average rate, are on the Australia hub.
Matchups that change hands in Australian Capital Territory
None of them. All 12 head-to-head matchups come out the same way at Australian Capital Territory rates as at the Australia average: Australian Capital Territory's electricity price moves an average EV's 5-year total by $310, which is never enough to change a winner in Australian Capital Territory. All 12 Australia matchups →
States whose numbers look like Australian Capital Territory's
Closest matches to Australian Capital Territory on home electricity and pump price — where the same car lands nearest to its Australian Capital Territory total — plus the cheapest and dearest states in Australia to run an EV:
- Victoria → 30.0c/kWh
- Western Australia → 32.4c/kWh
- Northern Territory → 33.0c/kWh
- Tasmania → 28.0c/kWh
- South Australia → 43.7c/kWh
Australian Capital Territory is one of 8 states we price: see all of them, and the full 52-model directory →
← All Australia EV costs (national average)
FAQ
Is an electric car cheaper to own than a petrol car in Australian Capital Territory, Australia?
Usually not at typical mileage, as of July 2026: the cheapest model we track in Australian Capital Territory, Australia is the Toyota Corolla Hybrid (a hybrid) at $42,750 over 5 years, while the cheapest electric — the BYD Atto 1 (Essential) at $43,721 — runs about $971 more. High mileage or cheap home charging can flip it; each comparison page shows exactly when.
Which EV is cheapest to own in Australian Capital Territory, Australia?
As of July 2026, the BYD Atto 1 (Essential) — about $43,721 over 5 years all-in: depreciation, charging (including losses), insurance, maintenance, rego and financing.
What do electricity and petrol cost in Australian Capital Territory, Australia right now?
Our totals use 30.80c/kWh for home electricity (AER) and $1.63/L for petrol (AIP), as of August 6, 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.
How much does it cost to charge an EV in Australian Capital Territory?
About $4.83 per 100 km charging at home at Australian Capital Territory's residential rate (30.80c/kWh, AER), including the ~12% charging loss — using a BYD Atto 1 (Essential) as the reference. A petrol car doing 7 L/100km burns about $11.41 over the same distance. Cost to charge every model in Australia →
Estimates for planning, not financial advice. Australia depreciation, insurance and maintenance are dated estimates calibrated to Australia sources. How we calculate →