The EV Decision Journey
Should my next car be electric?
Six steps from "what does my driving look like?" to "what will an EV cost me per year?" — turning manufacturer marketing into numbers you can trust.
What you'll have at the end
A clear view of home charger sizing, real cost per 100 km, savings vs your current petrol/diesel car, and lifetime CO₂ avoided.
The Journey
- 1
Step 1 — Guide
What does my driving pattern look like?
Map annual mileage
Total km/year, share of long trips, overnight parking access. These decide whether an EV works logistically — 90% of daily trips need only home charging.
Read comparison guide→ Then continue to step 2 - 2
Step 2 — Calculator
What size home charger do I need?
Size your home charger
Match 3.7 / 7.4 / 11 / 22 kW to your battery, daily distance and available overnight hours. Most drivers are fine with 7.4 kW single-phase.
Size a charger→ Then continue to step 3 - 3
Step 3 — Calculator
What will it cost me per km and per year?
Calculate charging cost
Blend home and public tariffs, apply real-world consumption (18–22 kWh/100 km including losses), get cost per 100 km and annual running cost.
Open Charging Calculator→ Then continue to step 4 - 4
Step 4 — Guide
Is it actually cheaper than my petrol car?
Compare vs petrol/diesel
On energy alone an EV runs 40–70% cheaper per km in Europe. Break-even on purchase price usually needs 10,000–20,000 km/year over five years.
Read TCO breakdown→ Then continue to step 5 - 5
Step 5 — Calculator
Can I charge partly on solar?
Pair with rooftop solar
Midday surplus solar aligns well with weekend / work-from-home charging. Solar + EV together improve both economics — see the solar payback numbers.
Model solar + EV→ Then continue to step 6 - 6
Step 6 — Calculator
How much CO₂ am I avoiding vs petrol?
Verify climate impact
A petrol car emits ~120 g CO₂/km at the tailpipe alone. Grid-charged EVs emit 40–90 g CO₂/km depending on your country. Model the difference for your mileage.
Decision Summary
EV Assessment
High confidence- Real energy use
- 18–22 kWh/100 km
- Home charging cost
- $3–$6 / 100 km
- Savings vs petrol
- 40–70% per km
- Annual fuel savings
- $800–$2,200
- CO₂ reduction
- 30–75%
Including charging losses
At $0.15–$0.30 per kWh
Energy cost only
At 15,000 km/year
Vs a modern petrol car
Recommended next step
If you can charge at home overnight, a 7.4 kW charger is enough for 95% of drivers. Combine with a time-of-use tariff to cut charging cost by 30–60%.
Why this confidence level
EV energy economics are well-documented; the biggest variable is your local electricity price and time-of-use options.
Assumptions: Numbers assume a modern battery-electric vehicle (60–80 kWh), overnight home charging, and mixed urban/highway driving.
Journey complete
You now have the numbers to decide.
Save your results, take them to installer quotes, and revisit the calculators any time your inputs change. Every formula on this site is documented, every assumption editable — no black box.
Explore more electric vehicles guides
Continue with another journey
Household energy decisions are interconnected. The solar payback you just calculated feeds into the heat pump running cost, which feeds into your EV charging cost. Each journey below picks up where the last left off.