Calculator Inputs
Example Data Table
| Scenario | Years | Annual Miles | Electric Miles | Fuel Price | Electricity Price | End Resale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-heavy commuter | 8 | 12,000 | 40% | $3.60 | $0.18 | $14,000 |
| Highway-heavy driver | 8 | 15,000 | 15% | $3.90 | $0.20 | $13,000 |
| Low mileage, long ownership | 10 | 8,000 | 30% | $3.50 | $0.16 | $11,000 |
Formula Used
Energy Cost
- Gas miles = AnnualMiles × (1 − EVShare)
- Gallons = GasMiles ÷ MPG
- Fuel cost = Gallons × FuelPrice
- EV kWh = (AnnualMiles × EVShare) × kWhPerMile × (1 + Loss%)
- Electricity cost = EVkWh × ElectricityPrice
Ownership Cost
- Net purchase = Price + (Price × TaxRate) − Incentives
- Annual maintenance+tires = Miles × (MaintPerMile + TiresPerMile)
- Annual cash out = Energy + Maintenance + Insurance + Registration + Other + Battery + LoanPayment
- Lifetime cost = Sum(AnnualOut) + DownPayment − EndResale
Net Present Value (NPV)
NPV = DownPayment + Σ(AnnualOut / DiscountFactor) − (EndResale / DiscountFactor(end))
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter purchase price, sales tax, and any incentives or rebates.
- If financing, set down payment, loan rate, and loan term.
- Set annual miles, fuel price, electricity price, and EV mile share.
- Enter maintenance, insurance, registration, and other yearly costs.
- Optionally add battery replacement timing and cost, plus end resale value.
- Press Calculate to view totals above the form.
- Use Download CSV or Download PDF to save results.
Ownership Cost Drivers
This calculator breaks lifetime ownership into upfront cash, annual operating cash, and end resale value. Purchase economics set the baseline through price, sales tax, and incentives. Fixed annual costs like insurance and registration matter most for low-mileage drivers, while per‑mile maintenance and tires grow with distance. The outputs include total cost and cost per mile so you can compare vehicles on a consistent basis across the same years and miles.
Hybrid Energy Split Modeling
Hybrid energy spend depends on how many miles are electric versus gasoline. Enter an electric‑mile share to split annual miles into EV and gas miles. Gas cost is based on MPG and fuel price. Electricity cost uses kWh per mile and utility rate, adjusted for charging losses to reflect wall‑to‑battery inefficiency. An energy inflation rate escalates both prices each year to create a realistic forward path for ownership planning.
Financing and Payment Timing
Financing changes when costs happen. The model treats the down payment as immediate cash out and calculates annual loan payments from rate and term using standard amortization. Payments appear only during the loan years, letting you compare cash purchase versus financing without mixing timing. If you pay cash, set loan term to zero to remove financing payments and focus purely on operating costs and depreciation.
Battery Risk and Resale Planning
Battery replacement is optional but important for stress testing long ownership horizons. If you expect a replacement, select the year and cost and the model will add it to that year’s cash flow. Depreciation is represented through the end resale value, which is subtracted from lifetime costs. Use a conservative resale estimate for budgeting, and keep resale assumptions consistent when comparing two hybrids.
NPV and Decision Quality
Net Present Value (NPV) converts future cash flows into today’s dollars using your discount rate, representing the value of money over time. NPV is useful when one option costs more upfront but saves later through lower energy or maintenance. The calculator also provides an annualized NPV cost for an easy year‑by‑year comparison. Exporting results to CSV or PDF helps document assumptions and share scenarios.
FAQs
1) What does “lifetime cost” include?
It includes upfront cash (down payment), annual energy, maintenance, tires, insurance, registration, other yearly costs, optional battery replacement, and financing payments, then subtracts the end resale value.
2) Why is there both undiscounted and NPV cost?
Undiscounted totals add dollars without time weighting. NPV adjusts future costs to today’s value using a discount rate, which helps compare options with different timing of payments.
3) How should I estimate percent electric miles?
Start with your typical weeks. If you can charge nightly and drive mostly short trips, the share is higher. If you drive long highway miles without charging, the share is lower.
4) What does charging loss represent?
Charging loss captures energy lost in the charger, wiring, and battery. If your utility meter shows higher kWh than the battery stores, this parameter helps align costs with real bills.
5) How do I handle maintenance differences between models?
Use per-mile maintenance and tire costs that match your service plan and local prices. Keep the same assumptions when comparing vehicles, then change only one variable at a time.
6) Can I use this for plug-in hybrids and non-plug-in hybrids?
Yes. For non-plug-in hybrids, set electric miles to 0%. For plug-in hybrids, estimate electric share and kWh per mile based on your charging habits and vehicle efficiency.