More and more automobile manufacturing companies are entering the electric vehicle segment. A new option, a cleaner option and one that is easier to drive and gives you a performance you only dreamed about – electric vehicles are not going anywhere soon. We are already expecting a horde of electric cars that are going to be launched in the Indian market in the next few years.
Before buying a car, any one of us would want to know where we are pouring our money down. Petrol cars have been on our roads for a long time now. The models have been tried and tested for decades. But that’s not the case with the newly arrived electric vehicles. There are a lot of factors to be considered starting from the down payment to the maintenance of the car post-purchase.
For you to make an informed decision on the type of car that would suit you and the car that would fare better, you need in-depth insight into both petrol and electric cars. This article will provide you with all the answers that you need on petrol-fuelled and electric cars.
Petrol vs Electric Cars
We all know that the petrol car runs on conventional petrol fuel while the electric car runs on electrical energy stored in a rechargeable battery pack. The design may not differ vastly on the exterior of both vehicles.
A petrol car has an IC engine that burns a mixture of petrol and air to generate mechanical energy. The mechanical energy is then transferred to the transmission, which relays the power to the wheels through the drive shafts and differential.
Meanwhile, an EV runs on energy stored in the battery pack that is transmitted to the electric motor through a controller. The motor converts the electrical energy into mechanical energy via the transmission that propels the wheels. This is responsible to the silence of the car during the drive.
| Electric car | Petrol car | |
| Fuel | Electrical energy | Petrol |
| Power | Electric motor | Internal combustion engine |
| Cost of Car | Expensive (High price) | Affordable than EVs |
| Fuel efficiency | Higher in the city and lower on highways | Higher on highways and lower in city roads |
| Carbon emissions | Zero | High |
Cost Comparison
Cost is the first factor that is taken into consideration when you are deciding between petrol and electric vehicles. For example, Tata Nexon has a petrol and electric version. Let’s look at the price difference between the base variants in both versions.
| Tata Nexon EV XM (Base variant) | Tata Nexon XM Petrol (Base variant) |
| Ex-showroom price (Delhi): Rs. 13.99 lakhs | Ex-showroom price (Delhi): Rs. 7.97 lakhs |
| On-road price (Delhi): Rs. 14.76 lakhs | On-road price (Delhi): Rs. 8.18 lakhs |
This significant increase in price for electric vehicles is due to various reasons – the most important of them being that they have newly entered the domestic market. Their parts, especially the battery packs are pretty expensive. The upfront price does not cover the total cost of ownership either.
Do you want to know what factors influence the overall cost of an electric car? Check out the list below!
- As we’ve already discussed, the upfront cost of the vehicle is significantly higher than that of a petrol vehicle.
- Electric vehicles are not charged for their registration like the petrol vehicles in India currently. The registration fee of a petrol car varies depending on the price of the car.
- Insurance for an electric vehicle is on the higher side whereas the premium for a petrol car is comparatively lower.
- Government incentives and subsidies for purchasing an eco-friendly car.
- Tax benefits.
- Fuel efficiency as electricity costs lesser than petrol.
- Overall running cost of a petrol car is high due to the increasing petrol price.
- The cost of maintenance for an electric vehicle is low, as it has fewer moving mechanical parts. Meanwhile, servicing or repairing the components in a petrol car is mandatory and hikes the maintenance cost.
- Since second-hand EVs are lacking in supply, a used electric car may give us a higher resale value than a petrol-fuelled car. It also depends on the model, condition and location.
Electric Cars
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Electric cars are easy to drive. Silent in operation due to the absence of mechanical parts. Quick acceleration due to the high torque available from the get-go. Low maintenance and the service intervals less frequent than petrol vehicles. Low running cost. Zero emissions and help reduce carbon footprints. Can be charged at home provided you have a home charging system. Government-provided subsidies and tax benefits. | Very few models are available to choose from in the Indian market. Low driving range and cannot cover long distances without charging the car. Lack of public charging stations. Installing a home charging module can be expensive. Lack of expert mechanics for service and repair. Replacing the battery pack of an EV is costlier. |
Petrol Cars
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| A wide range of models of petrol vehicles is available. Affordable price. Better acceleration, handling and speed. Petrol engines last longer than electric motors. A vast network of service centres and easy availability of expert mechanics. Petrol fuel stations are available everywhere. They can run long distances on a full tank. | Running costs are high because petrol is more expensive than electricity. Maintenance cost is high due to complex mechanical components. Produces harmful carbon emissions that pollute the environment. |
Final Verdict
The decision to choose between an electric car and a petrol car filters down wholly to our requirements and location.
For an urban dweller, driving probably involves the commute from home to work and the occasional dinner or shopping outside. Provided an EV is within the budget, then that would be the sensible and practical choice of purchase.
But let us say, you are looking for a car with impressive performance and easy availability of service options then an EV might not be the one for you. The charging infrastructure is not available at a large-scale level currently in India. This will make petrol a better solution as the cars offer a wide range of models with excellent performance and easy fuelling and servicing facilities.
