§ 05 — Vehicle

Your car's total cost — fully calculated

Fuel spend. EV vs petrol savings. Loan repayments. Three tools, one page. Set your annual kilometres once and watch the numbers carry across each tab.

Updated · May 2026·Source: FuelCheck · AER · RBA·Read · 8 min

Your inputs

Annual driving

km / year

Australian average is ~15,000 km/year (≈290 km/week).

Consumption

L/100km

Fuel price

$/L

Quick fill · current state averages

Typical trip distance

25 km

Inputs local. Nothing sent anywhere.

The result

You spend on petrol · per year

$2,161

≈ $42 a week · $180 a month

Per trip: $3.61; 25 km
Per week: $41.56
Per month: $180.09
Annual litres: 1,123 L

§ What if the price moves?
Pump price	Per week	Per month	Per year
$1.72 -20¢	$37.24	$161	$1,936
$1.82 -10¢	$39.40	$171	$2,049
$1.92 current	$41.56	$180	$2,161
$2.02 +10¢	$43.72	$189	$2,273
$2.12 +20¢	$45.88	$199	$2,386
$2.32 +40¢	$50.20	$218	$2,610

State averages from FuelCheck (NSW), FuelWatch (WA), RACQ (QLD), and equivalent state monitors. May 2026.

The three numbers every car buyer needs

Most Australians think about the sticker price and the monthly repayment. The drivers who get ahead financially know three numbers: what they spend on fuel each year, what switching to electric would save them over five years, and the true total cost of financing versus paying cash.

The fuel tab uses current state-by-state bowser prices. Change your state and the number recalculates instantly — no page reload, no guessing.

The EV vs petrol tab carries forward your annual km. If you set 15,000 km in the fuel tab, the EV comparison starts there. Adjust the horizon from 1 to 15 years to see when — or if — the energy saving justifies any purchase-price premium.

The car loan tab models balloon payments and compares the cash, finance, and novated lease paths over five years. The annual km you set feeds the novated lease running-cost estimate automatically.

§ Letters & replies

Vehicle costs, answered.

Common questions about running costs, EV economics, and car finance.

What is the cheapest car to run in Australia?+ open

On running costs alone: an entry EV (BYD Dolphin, MG4) charged at home wins by a wide margin — typically $600–800/year vs $2,000–2,600 for a comparable petrol car at 15,000 km. Factor in finance, insurance, and servicing and the gap narrows, but EVs still win above ~12,000 km/year for most buyers.

Does the annual km carry across all three tabs?+ open

Yes. Set your annual km in any tab and it stays consistent across all three. The EV vs Petrol tab uses it for the comparison horizon, and the Car Loan tab uses it to estimate the running-cost component of the novated lease. Each tab stores its own non-shared inputs (consumption, rates, loan amount).

Is paying cash always better than financing?+ open

Not necessarily. If you can invest the cash at a return higher than the loan rate (net of tax), financing can come out ahead. At current rates (7.5–9.5%), you'd need a consistent 10%+ return after tax to beat cash — achievable in equities over long periods but not guaranteed. For most buyers, cash wins.

When does a novated lease beat cash?+ open

When you're in the 37–45% tax bracket and your employer participates. A $50,000 EV on a novated lease can save $10,000–15,000 over 5 years vs paying cash, mainly from the FBT exemption and GST saving on the vehicle price. Below the 32.5% bracket, the saving shrinks significantly.

Next: the rest of your money

§ 01 — Pay

Your car's total cost — fully calculated

The three numbers every car buyer needs

Vehicle costs, answered.

Next: the rest of your money

Salary take-home

Solar panel ROI

Mortgage repayments