Electric or petrol: what 100 km actually costs in Georgia
Short answer: 100 km in an EV costs about 14.04 GEL on a public fast charger and 11.70 on a slow one. The same distance in a petrol car using 8 litres costs 28.72.
So even on the most expensive public charging, an EV is roughly 2 times cheaper. Charge at home and the gap roughly doubles again.
Where these numbers come from
The two sides come from two different sources and both can be checked.
The charging tariff is the median of Georgia's catalogue of 609 public chargers: 0.78 GEL per kWh on fast DC and 0.65 on slow AC. It is the same data the app runs on.
The fuel price is the median across Georgia's 8 chains as of 2026-07-31: regular at 3.59 GEL a litre and diesel at 3.97. The median, because the cheapest station in the country is not where an ordinary driver fills up.
Consumption is taken as 18 kWh per 100 km for the EV and 8 litres for the petrol car, both mixed driving averages.
What 100 km costs
| How it is filled | Per 100 km | Tariff | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| At home, at an illustrative tariff | 18 kWh | 0.25 GEL | 4.50 GEL |
| Public slow AC charger | 18 kWh | 0.65 GEL | 11.70 GEL |
| Public fast DC charger | 18 kWh | 0.78 GEL | 14.04 GEL |
| Petrol, economical car | 6 L | 3.59 GEL | 21.54 GEL |
| Petrol, mid size car | 8 L | 3.59 GEL | 28.72 GEL |
| Petrol, SUV or heavy city traffic | 11 L | 3.59 GEL | 39.49 GEL |
| Diesel | 6 L | 3.97 GEL | 23.82 GEL |
The 0.25 GEL on the home row is an illustration, not a quoted tariff. Household electricity is tiered and an EV will normally push you into the top band, so take the exact figure from your own bill and multiply it by 18.
For your battery and your tariff, the same sum takes two seconds in the calculator.
What changes the picture
- Winter. In cold weather an EV uses 20 to 35 percent more, so 18 kWh becomes about 23. Petrol cars also get worse in winter, but less so. The gap narrows without closing.
- City against highway. Here it works the other way. In traffic a petrol car burns litres while an EV uses almost nothing and recovers part of what it does use when braking. The gap is widest in town.
- How full the battery is. It does not change the cost, only the time. Above 80 percent a fast charger slows down sharply.
- Free charging. Some of Georgia's 609 chargers belong to hotels and shopping centres, where charging is often free for customers. None of that is in the table.
What this calculation leaves out
Fuel is not the whole cost, and it is only honest to say so.
- Servicing. An EV has no oil, filters, plugs or exhaust. Brake pads last far longer because the motor does most of the slowing.
- Tyres. The other way round: an EV is heavier and goes through tyres faster.
- The battery. Pack wear belongs in any long term figure. That is its own subject and has its own guide.
- Import duty. Here the EV has a large advantage: excise and import duty are both zero. The figures and the comparison.
When it does not pay off
There are two cases where this arithmetic stops working.
First, if you drive less than 5000 km a year. The fuel saving is then so small that it never covers the difference in purchase price.
Second, if you have no way to charge at home and use only fast chargers. At 14.04 GEL per 100 km that is still cheaper than petrol, but three times what home charging costs. Anyone living in a flat should work that out before buying, not after. The options are covered in home charger installation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does 100 km cost in an electric car in Georgia?
About 14.04 GEL on a public fast DC charger, 11.70 on a slow AC one, and usually under 5 GEL at home. The figures assume 18 kWh per 100 km and the median tariffs across Georgia's chargers.
How much cheaper is an EV than petrol?
100 km in a petrol car using 8 litres costs 28.72 GEL, against 14.04 in an EV on a fast charger, roughly 2 times less. Charging at home widens the gap further.
Is an EV still cheaper in winter?
Yes. Cold weather raises consumption by 20 to 35 percent, so 100 km costs about a third more. The gap against petrol narrows but does not close.
More guides
See also
Map and live status — in the app
This page shows which chargers exist and where. The map, exact locations, real-time availability and route planning live in the free app.