Petrol vs Electric
The honest guide for Pakistan — no jargon, just facts
What's the difference?
Petrol Car
- Runs on petrol from any fuel station
- Fill up in 5 minutes
- Well-understood technology
- Higher monthly fuel cost
- More moving parts = more maintenance
Electric Car
- Runs on electricity — charge at home or station
- Fast charge: 30-50 min, home: overnight
- Much cheaper to run per km
- Lower monthly fuel cost
- Fewer moving parts = less maintenance
What does it cost each month?
Monthly savings with electric
Rs 19,963
That's Rs 2,39,556 per year
Based on 1,000 km/month, petrol at Rs 268/L, electricity at Rs 55/kWh
How does charging work?
Home charging (most common)
Plug your car in when you get home. It charges overnight and is full by morning. You need a dedicated charging outlet (~Rs 50,000).
6-10 hours (plug in at 10pm, ready at 6am)
Fast charging station
Found in malls, highways, public parking. Not as common as petrol stations yet.
30-50 minutes (have a coffee while it charges)
Solar charging
If you have solar panels, you can charge for essentially free. Especially valuable in sunny countries.
Will I get stuck? (Range)
Most affordable EVs have 250-400 km range. Here's how that maps to real routes:
Lahore to Islamabad
375 km — Need 1 charging stop
Karachi to Hyderabad
165 km — On a single charge
Islamabad to Peshawar
190 km — On a single charge
Lahore to Karachi
1200 km — Need 3 charging stop
5-Year Total Cost
Electric costs more upfront, but the savings add up over time
The electric car becomes cheaper overall after 2.5 years
Over 5 years, the EV saves you
Rs 6,97,780
Even accounting for the higher purchase price
What breaks? (Maintenance)
Petrol
- Engine oil changes every 5,000 km
- Transmission fluid
- Spark plugs
- Timing belt
- Exhaust system
- Fuel filters
- 2,000+ moving parts
Electric
- Brake pads (last longer)
- Tires
- Cabin air filter
- Windshield wipers
- ~20 moving parts
Electric cars have about 90% fewer moving parts that can break
The honest truth about electricity
Let's be honest: electricity supply in Pakistan isn't always reliable. Here's how to deal with that:
Get solar panels
Charge from the sun — essentially free, and no outage worries
Charge at night
Off-peak hours have fewer outages and cheaper electricity
Consider REEV
Range-Extended EVs have a small petrol generator backup. Best of both worlds.
Or go hybrid
If you have 8+ hours of outages daily, petrol or hybrid is the safer bet for now
So what should you choose?
Go Electric if...
- You have stable electricity or solar panels
- Most of your driving is within the city
- You can install a home charger
- You want the lowest monthly running cost
Stay with Petrol if...
- You have frequent power outages (8+ hours)
- You often drive very long distances
- No charging stations near your routes
- You prefer the familiar and simple
Best of both: Hybrid or REEV
- Electric for daily city driving (cheap)
- Petrol for long trips (no range anxiety)
- No need for charging station infrastructure
- Perfect for countries with unreliable electricity