EVs: greener and now cheaper than ever to run

The Club’s 2021 Annual Vehicle Running Costs survey examined 81 popular cars on the market, and measured all expenses per month (pm) associated with normal private car ownership including loan repayments, fuel, tyres, servicing, insurance and government charges.

There were six electric vehicles examined in the survey, with the cheapest model costing $44,000 on-road, and the most expensive model was $65,000.

RACQ spokesperson Lauren Ritchie said going green had never been more affordable.

“The MG ZS-E is the cheapest EV on the market in Queensland and will set a buyer back $1086pm to own and run,” Ms Ritchie said.

“Other EV models available include the Hyundai Ioniq Elite EV at $1207pm, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV at $1263pm and the Nissan Leaf $1306pm.

“An equivalent petrol-run car costs on average $195pm less than the cheapest EV. But with more models coming onto market and more EV charging infrastructure being rolled out in Queensland, now might be the right time to consider switching.

“Those drivers who are keen to transition to lower emissions transport but are concerned about range can also consider a plug-in hybrid or hybrid option, for example a $30,000 Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport Hybrid costs $821pm.”

Ms Ritchie said the most affordable petrol-powered car in the survey was the MG3 Core costing $607pm and the most expensive was the Nissan Y62 Patrol Ti at $2220pm.

“The costs associated with owning and running a car really do add up for whichever vehicle you choose. Drivers should do their homework and really weigh up just where they want to spend their money.”

Electric vehicles analysed in the 2021 Annual Vehicle Running Costs survey: