Hybrid decisions
Petrol vs hybrid running costs
A hybrid’s lower fuel use has to be weighed against its purchase price and the other costs you actually expect to pay.
Calculate fuel cost separately for each car
At 15,000 km/year and 1.50 per litre, a petrol car doing 15 km/L costs 1,500 in annual fuel. A hybrid doing 22 km/L costs 1,022.73. The annual fuel saving is 477.27. These are illustrative inputs, not specifications for a particular model.
Add costs that differ
Include realistic insurance and maintenance quotations. If the hybrid saves 477.27 in fuel but costs 100 more annually to insure, operating savings become 377.27 before other differences. Avoid assuming that either powertrain always costs less to maintain.
Compare at your ownership horizon
A 3,000 purchase premium divided by 477.27 annual fuel savings gives about 6.29 years before other costs. If you plan to sell after three years, resale value can be decisive. Enter end-of-ownership resale values separately instead of treating the purchase premium as the whole depreciation difference.
Method and references
Examples use nominal geometry and fixed-price scenarios, with no vehicle-specific specifications implied. See our calculation methodology and editorial policy.
Unit reference: NIST Guide to the SI: conversion factors. Financial examples are arithmetic illustrations, not market-price forecasts.