Free tool · for drivers and fleets
Electric vs diesel taxi cost calculator
Put in your miles per shift, shifts a week, your diesel or petrol economy and price, and what you pay for electricity at home and on rapid chargers. The calculator compares fuel against charging per shift, per year and over five years, using only the prices you enter, so it stays right as fuel and energy prices move.
Your car and your prices
Compare a diesel or petrol shift with an electric one
The figures shown are examples; the answer is only as good as the prices you put in.
Units
£632 a year
36,000 miles a year · £3,159 over five years
Running cost only: fuel or electricity, plus any servicing per mile you entered. Insurance, licensing, finance and resale value are not included. When rapid charging costs more per kWh than charging at home or the depot, the share charged on the road moves the result most.
How it works
How the running cost is worked out
Both sides are reduced to a cost per mile (or per kilometre), then multiplied by the distance you drive. For a diesel or petrol car in UK units it is the price per litre × 4.546 litres in a gallon ÷ miles per gallon; in US units it is the price per gallon ÷ miles per gallon; in metric it is litres per 100 km ÷ 100 × the price per litre.
For the electric car it is the energy used per mile or kilometre × the average price you pay per kWh. That average blends your home or depot rate with the public rapid-charging rate in the share you enter, and it decides most of the answer: a car charged overnight at a low rate costs far less a mile than the same car charged on the road at a high one.
The result is running cost only. Add servicing per mile if you know it, and the extra price of the electric car to see how many years the saving takes to repay it. Insurance, finance, licence conditions and resale value differ by car and by council; for how fleets pay for vehicles, see taxi finance and leasing.
FAQ
Electric taxi questions
Is an electric taxi cheaper to run than a diesel?
Per mile it usually comes down to what you pay for electricity. Charged mostly at home or at a depot on a low rate, an electric car often costs much less a mile than diesel; charged mostly on public rapid chargers, the gap narrows and can close. Enter your own prices and charging mix above to see which way it goes for you.
How do I work out the cost per mile of an electric car?
Divide the price you pay per kWh by the miles the car covers per kWh. At 25p a kWh and 3.5 miles per kWh, that is about 7.1p a mile; at 75p a kWh on a rapid charger it is about 21.4p.
How do I work out the fuel cost per mile of a diesel car?
In UK units, multiply the price per litre by 4.546 (litres in an imperial gallon) and divide by the car's miles per gallon. At £1.45 a litre and 50 mpg, that is about 13.2p a mile.
Does rapid charging wipe out the saving?
It can. Public rapid chargers usually cost more per kWh than home or depot charging, so a driver who charges mostly on the road pays much more per mile than one who charges overnight. Set the rapid-charging share in the calculator to the mix you really expect.
What else should I compare before switching to electric?
The purchase or finance price, insurance, servicing, how far the car goes between charges on a busy shift, and your council's vehicle age and emission rules. The calculator covers running cost; enter the extra price of the electric car to see the years it takes to repay.
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