Petrol prices have crossed the ₹100 per litre mark in almost every Indian city, directly squeezing household budgets and increasing monthly commuting costs.
Given the current fuel situation, if you drive a car, you’ve probably thought at least once, ‘An EV would have saved me a lot of money and protected me from rising .’ But is that really true?
I asked ChatGPT for a complete breakdown comparing the real cost of ownership and performance of a petrol car and EV.
For this analysis, we compared two arch-rivals in India’s sub-4-metre car segment: the Tata Nexon EV and the Maruti Suzuki Brezza. To ensure a fair and consistent comparison, we selected the base variants of both models. Since both vehicles belong to the same segment, the comparison remains relevant and balanced.
Our prompt
I want a detailed 5-year total cost of ownership comparison between two vehicles: Maruti Suzuki Brezza (base variant) and Tata Nexon EV (base variant).
Context:
I live in South Delhi and commute daily to .
One-way distance is approximately 25 km (50 km round trip).
Petrol price in Delhi: ₹102.12 per litre.
Objective:
Create two separate comprehensive comparison tables, one for each commuting scenario below, showing total ownership costs over 5 years.
Vehicles to Compare:
Maruti Suzuki Brezza (base variant, ) on-road price in Delhi is ~ ₹9.5 lakh
Tata Nexon EV (base variant) on-road price in Delhi is ~ ₹13.28 lakh for 30 kWh battery with range of ~ 200km and ₹14.48 lakh for 45 kWh battery with a range of about 350km.
Include the following cost components in each table:
On-road price (base variant)
Annual insurance cost (estimate)
Running cost per year:
Petrol cost (for Brezza) at a mileage of 15 kmpl
Electricity cost (for Nexon EV) at ₹8.00 per unit (kWh)
Running cost over 5 years
Maintenance / servicing cost (annual and 5-year total)
Total cost of ownership over 5 years
Scenarios:
Scenario 1: Commute: 5 days per week
Distance: 50 km per day (round trip)
Scenario 2: Commute: 2 days per week
Distance: 50 km per day (round trip)
Output Format:
Provide two separate tables, one for each scenario.
Each table should clearly compare both vehicles side-by-side.
Use realistic Indian market estimates where exact figures are not available, and state assumptions clearly if needed.
ChatGPT’s Response
Scenario 1
5 Days/Week Commute (High Usage)
Distance
250 km/week × 52 = 13,000 km/year
5 years = 65,000 km
| Cost Component | Maruti Brezza (Petrol) | Nexon EV (30 kWh) | Nexon EV (45 kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-road Price | ₹9.50 lakh | ₹13.28 lakh | ₹14.48 lakh |
| Insurance (5 yrs) | ₹1.25 lakh | ₹1.60 lakh | ₹1.60 lakh |
| Running Cost / Year | ₹88,500 | ₹15,600 | ₹15,600 |
| Running Cost (5 yrs) | ₹4.43 lakh | ₹0.78 lakh | ₹0.78 lakh |
| Maintenance / Year | ₹7,000 | ₹5,000 | ₹5,000 |
| Maintenance (5 yrs) | ₹0.35 lakh | ₹0.25 lakh | ₹0.25 lakh |
| Total 5-Year Cost | ₹15.53 lakh | ₹15.91 lakh | ₹17.11 lakh |
Scenario 1 Insight
- Petrol Brezza is slightly cheaper than 30 kWh EV
- 45 kWh EV becomes noticeably more expensive due to higher upfront cost
- EV advantage here is lower running cost (~6x cheaper per km), but high upfront EV price offsets it at this usage level
Scenario 2:
2 Days/Week Commute (Low Usage)
Distance
100 km/week × 52 = 5,200 km/year
5 years = 26,000 km
| Cost Component | Maruti Brezza (Petrol) | Nexon EV (30 kWh) | Nexon EV (45 kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-road Price | ₹9.50 lakh | ₹13.28 lakh | ₹14.48 lakh |
| Insurance (5 yrs) | ₹1.25 lakh | ₹1.60 lakh | ₹1.60 lakh |
| Running Cost / Year | ₹35,400 | ₹6,240 | ₹6,240 |
| Running Cost (5 yrs) | ₹1.77 lakh | ₹0.31 lakh | ₹0.31 lakh |
| Maintenance / Year | ₹7,000 | ₹5,000 | ₹5,000 |
| Maintenance (5 yrs) | ₹0.35 lakh | ₹0.25 lakh | ₹0.25 lakh |
| Total 5-Year Cost | ₹12.87 lakh | ₹15.44 lakh | ₹16.64 lakh |
Scenario 2 Insight
- At low usage, Brezza is significantly cheaper
- EV savings on fuel are too small to recover higher upfront cost
- EV only makes financial sense if:
- Fuel prices rise significantly, or
- You value non-financial benefits (smooth drive, lower noise, EV tech)
Overall Conclusion (Important)
Pure Cost Perspective
- Low usage (2 days/week): → Brezza wins clearly
- High usage (5 days/week): → Brezza still slightly cheaper or nearly equal (30 kWh EV only)
When Nexon EV starts winning financially
- EV becomes cheaper only if:
- Annual driving crosses ~15,000–18,000 km consistently, OR
- Electricity remains cheap while petrol rises, OR
- You include intangible savings (time, comfort, lower maintenance variability)
Disclaimer:
This analysis is provided strictly for informational and educational purposes only. It should not be considered financial advice or any form of recommendation. Actual costs and outcomes may vary based on real-world conditions, usage patterns, pricing changes, and other factors.