Cost to Charge an EV in Pakistan vs Petrol SUVs
- BYD Sales Dept
- Mar 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Petrol prices in Pakistan have reached Rs 458.4 per litre (March 2026) and expected to rise further to Rs.500/l. For drivers in Karachi, heavy traffic and constant air conditioning mean that most compact SUVs achieve only about: 7–7.5 km per litre
Electric vehicles like BYD Atto 2, BYD Atto 3, BYD Sealion 7 & BYD Seal are much more efficient and cheaper to run.
Let’s compare the real cost of driving an EV vs a petrol SUV in Pakistan.
Electricity Cost for Charging an EV
Most EV owners charge their vehicles at home.
Based on recent electricity bills from K-Electric, the effective cost after taxes and surcharges typically ranges between:
Electricity Source | Cost per kWh |
Grid electricity (low estimate) | Rs65 |
Grid electricity (high estimate) | Rs85 |
Solar charging | Rs10 |
EV Energy Consumption
A typical modern electric car consumes about:
15 kWh per 100 km
This figure already accounts for:
Karachi heat
AC usage
City driving conditions
EV Charging Cost
Cost to drive 100 km
Electricity Price | Cost for 100 km |
Rs65 per unit | Rs975 |
Rs85 per unit | Rs1,275 |
Solar Rs10 per unit | Rs150 |
Cost per kilometre
Charging Type | Cost per km |
EV (Grid low tariff) | Rs9.75 |
EV (Grid high tariff) | Rs12.75 |
EV (Solar) | Rs1.5 |
Petrol SUV Cost in Pakistan
Most compact petrol SUVs achieve 7–7.5 km per litre in Karachi traffic.
Petrol price: Rs458.4 per litre
Petrol needed for 100 km
Fuel Economy | Litres Needed |
7 km/l | 14.3 litres |
7.5 km/l | 13.3 litres |
Petrol cost for 100 km
Fuel Economy | Cost |
7 km/l | Rs6,550 |
7.5 km/l | Rs6,090 |
Cost per Kilometre Comparison
Vehicle Type | Cost per km |
EV (Grid electricity) | Rs10 – Rs13 |
EV (Solar charging) | Rs1.5 |
Petrol SUV | Rs61 – Rs66 |
Visual Comparison Chart
Running Cost Per Kilometre
Petrol SUV ███████████████████████████████████ Rs65/km
EV (Grid) ███████ Rs11/km
EV (Solar) █ Rs1.5/kmPetrol SUVs cost about 4× more to run than EVs.
Monthly Driving Cost
Assuming 25,000 km per year
Monthly distance:
≈ 2,080 km
Vehicle Type | Monthly Cost |
Petrol SUV | ~Rs130,000 - 145,000 |
EV (Grid charging) | ~Rs22,000 |
EV (Solar charging) | ~Rs3,000 |
Monthly Savings
Comparison | Monthly Savings |
EV vs Petrol | ~Rs100,000 - 120,000 |
EV Solar vs Petrol | ~Rs125,000 - 140,000 |
Annual Cost Comparison
Vehicle Type | Annual Cost |
Petrol SUV | ~Rs1,600,000 - 1,750,000 |
EV (Grid charging) | ~Rs280,000 |
EV (Solar charging) | ~Rs37,500 |
5-Year Running Cost
Vehicle Type | 5-Year Cost |
Petrol SUV | ~Rs8 - 8.5 million |
EV (Grid charging) | ~Rs1.4 million |
EV (Solar charging) | ~Rs190,000 |
5-Year Savings
Scenario | Savings |
EV vs Petrol | ~Rs6.5 - 7 million |
EV Solar vs Petrol | ~Rs7.5 - 8 million |
5-Year Cost Graph
Petrol SUV ██████████████████████████████████████████████ Rs6.5M
EV (Grid) ███████ Rs1.4M
EV (Solar) █ Rs0.19MMost Popular & Affordable EV Cars in Pakistan
Why EVs Make Financial Sense in Pakistan
Electric vehicles provide several key advantages.
Massive Fuel Savings
Petrol vehicles can cost 5× more per kilometre than EVs.
Lower Maintenance
EVs eliminate many traditional service items:
Engine oil
Fuel filters
Spark plugs
Gearbox servicing
Solar Makes EV Driving Almost Free
With solar electricity, driving costs can fall to around Rs1.5 per km.
Conclusion
For Pakistani drivers covering 25,000 km per year, the cost difference between EVs and petrol SUVs is enormous.
A petrol SUV can cost around Rs120,000 per month in fuel, while an electric vehicle may cost only Rs22,000 per month, or as little as Rs3,000 with solar charging.
Over five years, EV drivers can save between Rs6.5 million and Rs7 million in fuel costs.
Electric vehicles are not just environmentally friendly — they are also one of the smartest financial decisions for drivers in Pakistan today.
Comments