Buying an electric vehicle

NRMA has partnered with Evenergi. Evenergi is a software-as-a-service company and eMobility consultancy, driving towards a sustainable future.

Developed by Evenergi, the total cost of ownership engine aims to help consumers understand what it means to buy an electric vehicle and then power it with renewable energy sources.

The purchase price of an electric vehicle may be a little higher than others, but running costs will generally be a lot lower. There are many factors that make up the cost of owning and running a vehicle. To simplify this, we've created a rating system that provides a single number to compare – cents per kilometre (c/km). This number incorporates purchase and running costs, along with the projected loss of value that the car sustains over the period of ownership.

To calculate the cost to own we have included the current retail prices of vehicles and the manufacturer guidance on servicing and maintenance costs. On-road costs are calculated based on local (i.e. state) taxes and levies and energy prices are based on the standard pricing of the largest energy company in an area. The tool uses a standard default energy usage profile for the vehicle, however this can be modified using advanced options to update the size and configuration of your home energy appliances. You are also able to add solar, (which takes into account local feed-in-tariffs) and add a battery, which determines the amount of use for charging the car using the energy profiles you have created. For driving, we use standard driving and home garaging profiles, however you are also able to update these in advanced settings based on the amount that you garage your vehicle at home, and how far you drive in an average year.

The carbon impact is calculated on a well-to-wheel basis. This means it includes exhaust emissions, obtaining and producing the fuel or generating the electricity, and then the carbon intensity of the electricity grid within the region.

While EV is often used as a broad term for an all-electric car, the more specific term Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) is used by the industry.

BEVs are:
- Exclusively electric vehicles only
- They have no petrol or diesel internal combustion engines
- They only operate via an electric motor and battery.

Instead of a fuel tank, a battery is used to store the required energy to run the electric motor.

A Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is a specific type of Hybrid vehicle that not only has batteries and an electric motor and fossil fuel engine in it, but can also be plugged in to a power source to recharge the battery.

Investing in and building one of Australia’s largest public EV fast charging networks is just one way we’re supporting an electric future. We’ve also been leading the conversation about EVs for years now, encouraging Australian governments toward policies that improve consumer choice, lower the cost of motoring, and support a cleaner transport future.

We’re not doing this because we’re against internal combustion-engine vehicles – the reality is the world is changing. With all major manufacturers investing heavily in electric technology and many countries and cities around the world planning to phase out combustion-engine vehicles entirely, EVs are the inevitable future of motoring. We want to make sure that communities are not only ready for that, but ready to reap the benefits.

To learn more about why the NRMA supports EVs, click here.