Car & usage
Running costs
How we calculate this
The formula: TCO = purchase + fuel + insurance + maintenance − resale
Fuel: (annual km ÷ mileage) × fuel price × years. For EVs, "mileage" is km per kWh and "fuel price" is ₹ per kWh — the same equation works.
Insurance: Year 1 uses the first-percent rate against ex-showroom price (standard comprehensive). Subsequent years apply the rollover rate against an IDV that declines with the depreciation curve, reflecting the drop in insured declared value each renewal.
Maintenance: A tapered annual schedule (year 1 = 0.5× the entered rate, ramping up to 2× by year 5) applied to the original price. This captures the real Indian pattern where year 1-2 only sees minor services and years 4-5 start triggering bigger repairs.
Depreciation: Indian market retention factors — year-end values of 85%, 76%, 68%, 61%, 55%, 50%, 46%, 42%, 38%, 35% for years 1–10. Resale value at the end of your ownership window is original price × retention[years]. These factors are consistent with IBB / Orange Book / Cars24 published curves.
What's excluded: EMI interest, parking, tolls, challans, accessories, extended warranty. Each of these is highly user-specific; leaving them out keeps the estimate comparable across cars.
FAQ
What does the 5-year car cost of ownership include?
Purchase price, fuel (or electricity), insurance premiums across all five years, routine maintenance, and depreciation — calculated as purchase price minus the estimated resale value after five years. It does not include finance/EMI interest, parking, tolls, or traffic challans.
What fuel and electricity prices does this use?
Indicative April 2026 defaults: petrol ₹96/L, diesel ₹89/L, CNG ₹76/kg, home electricity ₹8/kWh. All four are editable — adjust to your city or your current bill.
How is depreciation calculated?
We apply a published Indian industry curve (based on IBB / Orange Book / Cars24-style retention factors): year-end values of 85%, 76%, 68%, 61%, 55%, 50%, 46%, 42%, 38%, and 35% of the original price for years 1 through 10. Resale value at the end of your chosen ownership period is original price × that year's factor.
How accurate is this?
It is an estimate, not a quote. Real costs vary with driving style, city, insurance claim history, service centre rates, and resale-market conditions. Use this for comparison between cars, not as a budget forecast you can take to the bank.
Can I share my result?
Yes — every change you make is written to the URL. Copy the address bar and the recipient sees the identical calculation.