See what fuel costs you each year at today's prices, then what would cut it: a cheaper fuel type, fewer kilometres, an electric car, or salary-packaging one. Every figure here is an illustration, not advice, and the assumptions are published (full assumptions).
Your annual petrol or diesel spend versus a pre-crisis baseline, with an equivalent electric vehicle comparison
Enter your details to see the personal impact across any fuel type.
Three popular EVs under the $91,661 luxury car tax threshold. In the strongest scenario we model, an EV on a novated lease saves around $6,434 a year; your saving depends on the car, your driving and your salary.
| Per year | BYD DolphinHatchback | BYD Atto 3SUV | Tesla Model YSUV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive-away price | $33,890 | $44,381 | $58,900 |
| Energy use (kWh/100km) | 14.3 | 16.8 | 15.8 |
| Fuel cost saving | $2,201 | $2,089 | $2,134 |
| FBT-exempt lease saving | $2,100 | $2,800 | $3,700 |
| Maintenance saving | $500 | $550 | $600 |
| Total saving | $4,801/yr | $5,439/yr | $6,434/yr |
Source: FuelCrisis editorial estimatesFuel saving compares a petrol car at 8.5 L/100km against each EV's energy use above, over 15,000 km/yr, with grid charging at 30 c/kWh and petrol at the current national average (223 c/L). The 8.5 L/100km is our own assumption, not a published fleet average, and the energy figures are manufacturer-published on test cycles that are not uniform across models, so treat them as indicative. The lease benefit needs employer salary packaging.How we measure this
How salary-packaging an electric vehicle could save you thousands per year
A novated lease lets you pay for an electric vehicle from your pre-tax salary. Eligible battery EVs under the $91,661 luxury car tax threshold (2026-27) attract a full FBT exemption, stacking with GST and marginal tax savings. Plug-in hybrids left the exemption on 1 April 2025. The full exemption runs to 31 March 2027; under changes announced in the May 2026 Budget (not yet legislated), it then narrows to EVs priced $75,000 or less (a 25 per cent discount applies above that), and from 1 April 2029 a 25 per cent discount replaces the exemption for all eligible EVs. Existing leases are grandfathered.
Based on ATO 2025-26 rates with the Medicare levy, indicative running costs, and the EV FBT exemption. Full assumptions.
Current federal and state support, with expiry dates
A one-off $100 payment for every valid WA driver's licence holder, claimed through the ServiceWA app. Applications opened 1 July 2026 and close 31 December 2026.
The 2026-27 NSW Budget funds a transport package instead of the earlier-flagged regional fuel rebates: $100 off vehicle registration (from 1 September 2026), a $50-a-week toll cap (from 6 July 2026), an Opal fare freeze, and extra FuelCheck price-enforcement funding.
All Victorian public transport fares are half price from 1 June 2026 to 1 January 2027, covering metropolitan trains, trams, buses, and V/Line regional services. This follows the free-travel period that ran from 1 April to 31 May 2026.
Tasmania has made all Metro buses and Bruny Island Ferry services free, and has extended the measure to 30 June 2027. Covers regional communities disproportionately affected by high fuel prices and limited alternatives.
The 2026-27 Queensland Budget lifts the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme mileage rate from 34 to 45 cents per kilometre ($11.7 million). This is health-travel relief for patients driving to medical care, not a general fuel subsidy.
The ACCC publishes weekly fuel price monitoring during the crisis and watches retail margins as excise changes work through to pump prices, in either direction. It is monitoring, not a payment; report suspected gouging to the ACCC.
Fuel excise returned to the full 53.7 c/L on 3 August 2026, a rise of 17.1 c/L before GST and up to about 18.8 c/L at the pump. That is a cost rather than a saving, so it is not listed above. What the rise costs per tank.
Source: FuelCrisis editorial estimatesCompiled from federal and state government announcements. Measures drop off this list automatically when their end dates pass.How we measure this
Lower-commitment options for cutting fuel use
Pay by the hour through GoGet or Uber Carshare. Removes registration, insurance, and depreciation. Households that drop a second car can save a large portion of the $10,000 to $12,000/yr AAA-estimated total ownership cost.
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