Electric car vs petrol or diesel: how much does fuel cost?

2024 is confirmed as having been a good year for the move to electric, with more than 54,000 charging stations in the country as of 31 March, which is up 31.5% from the previous year. An incredible achievement that embraces the European Parliament's regulation, effective from April 2023, to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. The goal of sustainability on the road is therefore getting closer, and technologies and fuel costs are rewarding the advantages of electric. If you want to find out why, read on...

Comparing Technologies

Electric cars: how they work, battery types, charging

The powertrain in an electric car, which consists of the electric motor and battery pack, transforms the electric energy contained in the batteries into mechanical energy.

The rotor of the electric motor creates mechanical energy to be transferred to the wheels during acceleration, while during braking it generates electric current, which is transferred to the batteries. This mechanism allows the battery to be charged during movement, increasing the total autonomy of the car.

The batteries of an electric car can be charged from the comfort of your own home with a home charging station (typically 3kW) and a standard Shucko socket, like those used for household appliances. This process requires an average of 8 hours’ charging time. Then there are public charging points, with an average charge time from 30 minutes (for power between 43 kW and 50 kW) to 2 hours (for power between 7.4 kW and 22 kW). For ultrafast charging points (with power up to 350 kW), the average charging time drops to 20 minutes.

Petrol/Diesel cars: the efficiency of internal combustion or hybrid engines

Non-electric cars, on the other hand, are distinguished between hybrid cars, which are designed to use both an internal combustion engine and one or more battery-powered electric motors, and petrol- or diesel-powered cars, which are equipped only with an internal combustion engine. The hybrid solution (mild-hybrid, full hybrid or plug-in hybrid) is an eco-friendly alternative that has a more or less substantial electric component and performs best on city mileage. Petrol or diesel cars, on the other hand, involve thermal combustion through which the fuel is burnt and converted into CO2.

During combustion, however, more than 50% of the energy is lost in heat. Consequently, only a small part of the remainder is converted into kinetic energy on the wheels. Therefore, in terms of motor efficiency, the electric motor optimises energy better, because the energy conversion of the electricity stored in the batteries is immediate. This is an important factor in sustainable mobility, which also focuses on engine efficiency. However, when it comes to mobility, other factors come into play, such as fuel consumption, maintenance and, above all, fuel costs.

Fuel Costs

Fuel costs for electric, petrol and diesel cars depend on multiple factors. An evaluation carried out in the period from 13/05/2024 to 19/05/2024, with a survey of 20/05/2024, however, gives us a price estimate for a C-segment vehicle with a length of 4.30-4.50 metres. Below is an explanatory table:

*Calculation based on a 90% charging mix at home (with Enel Drive from Enel Energia, assuming charging only during the hours of 00:00-03:00 with zero energy component, up to a maximum of 1,700 kWh per year) and 10% on the public network (Enel X Way Pay-per-use prices), with annual mileage of 12,000 km. Sources: petrol and diesel prices on mise.gov.it; average petrol and diesel consumption on mise.gov.it and average consumption of C-segment electric vehicles from Smart Mobility Report 2023 - Politecnico di Milano. For further details and updates, visit enel.it

Electric car

The calculation shown in the graph considers a C-segment electric vehicle with an annual mileage of 12,000 km and an average consumption of 0.15 kWh/km. Let’s consider that the electric vehicle under consideration makes use of an EV charging mix. 90% comes from a home charging station, with home activation of Enel Energia's Enel Drive power tariff, which provides CCV 32 €/POD/month + free energy between 00:00 and 03:00, up to a maximum of 1700 kW/h. In this way, it is worthwhile to charge an electric car at home, with zero charge in the guaranteed time band and 0.151€/kWh at other times (including grid outages).

With the above-mentioned assumptions, the average annual domestic charging cost amounts to EUR 418.50, including VAT and taxes (including Energy Raw Material, Meter Transportation and Management, and System Charges). Let's imagine, however, that the remaining 10% of electric vehicle charging takes place at public charging stations, with an average charging cost of 0.797€/kWh including VAT with Pay Per Use by Enel X Way. This value is calculated by assuming a charging station power mix of 56% AC (alternating current); 25% DC (direct current) and 19% HPC (high power charging).

Now let’s look at the costs and consumption for petrol or diesel cars.

Petrol/Diesel Cars

For a petrol vehicle, the current average price of fuel on city roads is 1.853€/l (on motorways 1.944€/l), and for a diesel vehicle 1.706€/l (on motorways 1.827€/l). Evaluated in kWh, official figures indicate an energy consumption of approximately 56 kWh/100km for petrol cars and 51 kWh/100 for diesel cars. It is possible to see a significant gap between the above figures for electric vehicles, in favour of choosing electric.

Enel Drive by Enel Energia

Enel Energia offers you the solution that enhances efficiency, savings and sustainability. Find out more about Enel Drive from Enel Energia which includes rental of an electric car from €299 per month with full insurance, servicing, and 24/7 roadside assistance included. In addition, there is up to 8,000 km of annual charging, a Waybox home charging station on loan, and three hours of free energy every night. Discover the benefits of switching to electric mobility with Enel Energia.