EV vs petrol cost in Western Australia, Australia (2026) — the true 5-year total

What is different about Western Australia's numbers

Home electricity in Western Australia is 32.37c/kWh — level with the 33.00c Australia average (AER, 2026-08-06), which makes Western Australia 4th 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 Western Australia changes exactly one input on this page.

What the AER figure for Western Australia actually is: Synergy Home Plan A1 regulated tariff (asOf 1 Jul 2025); WA not in NEM, set by WA Govt. Only exact regulated figure.

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 Western Australia lands $89 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: Western Australia narrows the gap an EV has to close by about $89. At Western Australia 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 Western Australia for 5 years costs $534 more than in Tasmania, the cheapest state, and $1,386 less than in South Australia, the dearest.

Running cost at Western Australia prices: a BYD Atto 1 (Essential) draws about $5.08 of electricity per 100 km charging at home in Western Australia with the ~12% charging loss counted, against $11.41 of petrol for a 7 L/100km car — a petrol car would have to do 3.1 L/100km to match the EV's energy bill in Western Australia. Only the most frugal small hybrids get near that, so on energy alone an EV is still well ahead in Western Australia. 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 Western Australia rates instead of the Australia average moves 2 of them out of the position they hold nationally. The ones Western Australia moves furthest:

• Toyota HiLux — 1 place worse in Western Australia than at the Australia average, at $71,119 over 5 years here.
• Zeekr 7X (RWD) — 1 place better in Western Australia than at the Australia average, at $71,072 over 5 years here.

No model we price reaches either its cheapest or its most expensive state in Western Australia — on every one of them Western Australia sits mid-pack.

Cheapest to own in Western Australia, Australia

Ranked by true 5-year cost at Western Australia's own electricity rate (12,000 km/yr, all-in). Tap a column to sort, or filter by type:

That is the Western Australia-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 Western Australia

None of them. All 12 head-to-head matchups come out the same way at Western Australia rates as at the Australia average: Western Australia's electricity price moves an average EV's 5-year total by $89, which is never enough to change a winner in Western Australia. All 12 Australia matchups →

States whose numbers look like Western Australia's

Closest matches to Western Australia on home electricity and pump price — where the same car lands nearest to its Western Australia total — plus the cheapest and dearest states in Australia to run an EV:

• Northern Territory → 33.0c/kWh
• Queensland → 33.3c/kWh
• Australian Capital Territory → 30.8c/kWh
• Tasmania → 28.0c/kWh
• South Australia → 43.7c/kWh

Western Australia is one of 8 states we price: see all of them, and the full 52-model directory →

Estimates for planning, not financial advice. Australia depreciation, insurance and maintenance are dated estimates calibrated to Australia sources. How we calculate →