EVITAL RESEARCH / OPEN METHODOLOGY
Compare the whole cost.
Show every assumption.
A cheaper weekly payment is not a complete ownership comparison. This framework explains how we would build a comparable budget and shows one reproducible charging example.
Published 26 October 2026 · Illustrative methodology, not completed model-level market research, a quote or a personal recommendation.
Keep two different questions separate.
Cash-flow planning: the upfront cash, scheduled payments, fees, operating costs and end-of-term obligation you must fund. Economic ownership cost: acquisition cost less resale proceeds, plus finance charges, fees and running costs over the same period. Do not add loan principal repayments to the purchase price in the economic-cost calculation: that would count the car twice.
For leasing, compare all required payments and fees, the residual or purchase option where applicable, and what happens to the vehicle at the end. Keep tax treatment separate until it is assessed for the actual arrangement. Neither a generic tax rate nor a marketed weekly deduction establishes a personal saving.
An illustrative charging sensitivity test
Assume 15,000 km a year, battery-side consumption of 18 kWh/100 km, 90% grid-to-battery efficiency, home electricity at $0.30/kWh and public electricity at $0.65/kWh. These are chosen example inputs—not observed averages, model specifications or current tariff quotations. Charging shares below refer to energy delivered, not the number of charging stops.
Battery energy: 15,000 × 18 ÷ 100 = 2,700 kWh
Grid energy: 2,700 ÷ 0.90 = 3,000 kWh
Mixed annual cost: 3,000 × (0.85 × $0.30 + 0.15 × $0.65) = $1,057.50
| Energy mix | Annual electricity cost |
|---|---|
| All home charging | $900.00 |
| 85% home / 15% public charging | $1,057.50 |
| All public charging | $1,950.00 |
Excluded: charger purchase and installation, demand charges, session/idle fees, subscriptions, solar opportunity cost and differences in real-world efficiency. Replace assumptions with your own tariff and vehicle evidence. This is not a full running-cost estimate.
What a publishable model comparison needs
The same comparison basis
Exact Australian variant and date, state-specific drive-away price, ownership period, kilometres, charging access and end-of-period treatment.
A traceable evidence ledger
A source URL or dated written quote for each number; GST and state assumptions; observed, supplied or hypothetical labels; and permission for any reused imagery.
Personalised costs kept honest
Insurance depends on the driver and risk profile. Finance depends on an actual offer. Do not fabricate quotes or present a single anonymous premium as a market average.
Sensitivity before a headline
Show how charging mix, kilometres, finance charges and resale assumptions change the answer. Publish no winner when missing inputs could change the ranking.
Use the framework
General information, not financial, tax, credit or insurance advice. EVITAL does not arrange finance or make provider referrals through this methodology.