Petrol vs Diesel vs Hybrid vs Electric: Running Cost Differences

Fuel type is usually the single biggest lever on a car's running cost, because it changes two numbers at once: how much you're paying per unit, and how far a unit takes you.

Petrol

The most common choice, with the widest range of available vehicles. Petrol engines are generally cheaper to service than diesel or hybrid drivetrains, but typically return lower fuel economy than a comparable diesel.

Diesel

Diesel engines usually return meaningfully better fuel economy (more kilometers per liter) than petrol, which can offset a higher per-liter diesel price — especially for high-mileage driving. Diesel vehicles are less common in the passenger car segment in Pakistan than in trucks/SUVs, and maintenance can involve different service intervals and part costs.

Hybrid

Hybrids combine a petrol engine with an electric motor and battery, typically returning noticeably better fuel economy than an equivalent petrol-only car, especially in stop-start city driving. The trade-off is usually a higher purchase price and, in some cases, specialized maintenance for the hybrid battery system over the vehicle's life.

Electric

Electric vehicles replace fuel cost with electricity cost, calculated differently: energy consumption (kWh per 100km) instead of fuel economy, and electricity tariff instead of fuel price. See our EV-specific guide for how this changes the calculation.

Why you can't compare fuel types on price alone

A lower price at the pump doesn't automatically mean lower running cost — economy matters just as much. This is exactly why the calculator asks for your fuel type separately from your driving habits: the two numbers only mean something combined.