Electric or petrol car: what does it really cost to own a car in Denmark?

Dansk

Registreringsafgift (registration tax) on electric cars: in Denmark, the low tax on electric cars is already built into the list prices — EVs pay a reduced registration tax that is being phased in gradually towards 2035, plus a base deduction (bundfradrag). It is not a cash grant paid out to you: the benefit sits in the price you see. That's why we do not add it on again as a separate purchase benefit — that would count the same discount twice. The prices above are already the after-tax prices. Source: Skattestyrelsen / Motorstyrelsen (the Danish tax and motor-vehicle authorities), as of 1 July 2026. Check the current tax rate and your base deduction before you buy.

Grøn ejerafgift (green ownership tax) and running costs: in Denmark there is no annual grant to deduct for an electric car — the EV's advantage comes first and foremost from running it (charging, maintenance). Electric cars do, however, pay a low grøn ejerafgift, because it is calculated from consumption, and they escape the higher rates on petrol and diesel. Remember that the EV's low registration tax is already built into the purchase price and must not be deducted again. Any running-cost saving goes straight into the usage costs — never counted as a cash grant. As of 1 July 2026.