How far does €123 take you? And what the car really costs
A graph that did the rounds on Delfi claimed: for €123 (one 60-litre tank) a diesel drives 920 km, an electric car charged at fast chargers 2,400 km and one charged at home 4,800 km. With Autokulu’s prices (home electricity with network fees, state fees and VAT, winter included) the same money takes you: Škoda Octavia Combi TDI 1,040 km (€11.83/100 km), Toyota Corolla 1,210 km (€10.16/100 km), Tesla Model Y, charged at home 3,420 km (€3.59/100 km) and Tesla Model Y, at fast chargers 1,660 km (€7.43/100 km).
Energy is only one cost line, though. Add depreciation, interest, car tax, insurance, servicing, tyres and repair risk and the picture changes. Total cost over 5 years at 20,000 km a year: Tesla Model Y €28,574, Toyota Corolla €28,596 and Škoda Octavia Combi TDI €31,191. The Tesla Model Y is cheaper than the Škoda Octavia Combi TDI at any distance from 5,000 to 60,000 km a year. The Tesla Model Y is cheaper than the Toyota Corolla from about 20,000 km a year.
The biggest differences: energy (Tesla Model Y €4,692, Škoda Octavia Combi TDI €13,071), insurance (Tesla Model Y €3,572, Škoda Octavia Combi TDI €1,351) and tyres (Tesla Model Y €3,294, Škoda Octavia Combi TDI €1,825).
Open this comparison in the calculator →
Assumptions: 20,000 km a year, 5 years, bought with cash, 80% of charging at home, fuel and electricity prices rising 5% a year; prices as of 12 October 2026. Every assumption can be changed in the calculator.
How far €123 takes you – energy alone
Energy cost per 100 km averaged over the year (winter included) and how many kilometres €123 buys. The electric car two ways: charged only at home, and only at fast chargers.
| Car | Energy per 100 km | Kilometres for €123 |
|---|---|---|
| Škoda Octavia Combi TDI | €11.83 | 1,040 km |
| Toyota Corolla | €10.16 | 1,210 km |
| Tesla Model Y, charged at home | €3.59 | 3,420 km |
| Tesla Model Y, at fast chargers | €7.43 | 1,660 km |
…and what it really costs
Total cost over 5 years at 20,000 km a year
| Cost | Škoda Octavia Combi TDI Diesel | Toyota Corolla Full hybrid | Tesla Model Y Electric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | €19,900 | €22,200 | €31,000 |
| Depreciation | €8,099 | €6,087 | €8,636 |
| Interest and cost of capital | €1,543 | €1,897 | €2,641 |
| Energy | €13,071 | €11,229 | €4,692 |
| Preheating | €280 | €255 | €375 |
| Car tax and registration fee | €291 | €250 | €279 |
| Insurance | €1,351 | €1,492 | €3,572 |
| Service and inspection | €2,565 | €2,782 | €1,115 |
| Repair risk after warranty | €2,166 | €2,780 | €2,670 |
| Tyres | €1,825 | €1,825 | €3,294 |
| Other costs | €0 | €0 | €1,300 |
| Total cost | €31,191 | €28,596 | €28,574 |
| Per month on average | €520 | €477 | €476 |
| Cost per km | €0.31/km | €0.29/km | €0.29/km |
| Value at the end | €11,801 | €16,113 | €22,364 |
How mileage changes the answer
Total cost over 5 years at different yearly distances. The cheapest is in bold.
| Distance per year | Škoda Octavia Combi TDI | Toyota Corolla | Tesla Model Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15,000 km | €26,467 | €23,382 | €24,417 |
| 25,000 km | €35,914 | €33,810 | €32,994 |
| 40,000 km | €49,110 | €46,439 | €41,569 |
Questions and answers
Why isn’t fuel cost enough?
Because the biggest cost is usually depreciation, not energy: the Škoda Octavia Combi TDI loses €8,099 of value over 5 years and spends €13,071 on energy, the Toyota Corolla loses €6,087 of value over 5 years and spends €11,229 on energy and the Tesla Model Y loses €8,636 of value over 5 years and spends €4,692 on energy. A cheap kilometre doesn’t pay for an expensive car – and an expensive kilometre can be perfectly bearable in a cheap one.
What if diesel gets cheaper?
At the defaults, diesel would have to fall below €1.69/L for the Škoda Octavia Combi TDI and the Tesla Model Y to cost the same. In the calculator, “What would change the answer?” shows the same limit for your own numbers.
What if electric cars get a road charge?
At the defaults the Škoda Octavia Combi TDI would win if electric cars got a road charge from €870 a year. The charge can be tried out under the calculator’s advanced settings.
Does an electric car lose value faster?
The calculator’s curve (from used-car asking prices) keeps 76% of the price after 3 years for petrol and hybrid cars, 71% for electric cars, 68% for plug-in hybrids and 64% for diesels, with a shift per make (Tesla and Toyota hold value better, say). An electric car does not lose value faster than a diesel – a new car of any kind loses far more than an old one.
More guides
- Car tax calculatorAnnual tax and registration fee for your car, with the 2028 and 2031 increases.
- Electric car or diesel?Which is cheaper over five years, and at what mileage the electric car pays off.
- Electric car or hybrid?Total cost of compact crossovers: electric against full hybrid.
- Hybrid or petrol car?How much a full hybrid saves on fuel, and whether that covers its higher price.
- Is a plug-in hybrid worth it?A plug-in hybrid against a hybrid, a diesel and an EV – and what happens if you never plug it in.
- Old diesel or a used electric car?Keep driving the €2,000 diesel or buy a used Zoe or Leaf – and at what yearly distance that pays.
- EV charging costWhat 100 km costs charged at home, at public posts and at fast chargers, for popular EVs.
- How we calculateEvery cost line, the data sources and the simplifications.