Nine cars, one more number
Every figure below is each model's Recommended Retail Price (RRP) before on-road costs (stamp duty, registration and dealer delivery), sourced directly from CarsGuide, CarExpert and EV-specific pricing coverage in July 2026. RRP rather than drive-away is the fairer like-for-like figure here, since on-road costs vary by state and are already covered in detail by the stamp duty and registration table on the companion running-cost guide.
Two of the six models originally priced here have changed since this site's own running-cost guide priced them. BYD Australia has discontinued the Dolphin Dynamic variant for 2026, replaced by a simpler two-trim range; Essential, the new entry point, stands in for it here. Tesla no longer badges a Model Y “AWD” at all; the same all-wheel-drive powertrain is now sold as “Long Range AWD”, priced here under its current name. The Toyota LandCruiser 300's price is for the GXL, the range's cheapest trim; VX and Sahara share roughly the same fuel figure but cost tens of thousands of dollars more on trim alone, so GXL is the fairest match to the other five entry-level variants below.
A seventh figure adds a second Tesla to the medium class: a Model 3 RWD alongside the Model Y Long Range AWD already priced here, the same two medium-class EVs this site's own running-cost guide already uses side by side. One model per side per class was the rule everywhere else on this page, but the medium class is the one carrying this guide's entire “EVs cost more to buy” finding, so it's worth seeing whether that holds with the cheaper of Tesla's two comparable models too, not just the pricier one.
An eighth figure does the same for the large class: a BMW iX xDrive40 alongside the Kia EV9 already priced here, the same two large-class EVs this site's own running-cost guide already uses side by side. Unlike the medium class, the large class's own finding so far has looked like a clean win for going electric on price as well as running cost. Adding a heavier, pricier EV to the same size class tests whether that holds up, or whether “large class” was really just standing in for one specific car.
A ninth figure closes out the small class the same way: the MG4 EV Urban Essence 43, launched in Australia in April 2026, alongside the BYD Dolphin Essential already priced here, the same two small-class EVs this site's own running-cost guide already uses side by side. The small class is the one pairing that hadn't been checked for a second model yet, and unlike the medium and large classes, it's the control case: does the small class's clean win hold for a second EV too, or was it also really just one specific car standing in for a size?
What it actually costs
RRP before on-road costs, fetched directly from CarsGuide and CarExpert pricing pages, plus EV-specific coverage for the Tesla and Kia figures, all July 2026.
| Option | What it includes | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small (BYD Dolphin Essential vs Mazda3 G20 Pure) | $29,990 EV vs $31,610 petrol | EV $1,620 cheaper |
| Small (MG4 EV Urban Essence 43 vs Mazda3 G20 Pure) | $29,990 EV vs $31,610 petrol | EV $1,620 cheaper |
| Medium (Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD vs Hyundai Tucson 2.0 auto) | $68,900 EV vs $39,100 petrol | EV $29,800 more |
| Medium (Tesla Model 3 RWD vs Hyundai Tucson 2.0 auto) | $54,900 EV vs $39,100 petrol | EV $15,800 more |
| Large (Kia EV9 Air RWD vs Toyota LandCruiser 300 GXL) | $97,000 EV vs $108,791 diesel | EV $11,791 cheaper |
| Large (BMW iX xDrive40 vs Toyota LandCruiser 300 GXL) | $136,900 EV vs $108,791 diesel | EV $28,109 more |
Entry variant in each class, not every trim on offer, except the small class, which prices the Mazda3 against both small-class EVs this site's own running-cost guide already uses, and the medium class, which prices the Hyundai Tucson against both Tesla medium-class models the same way, to show how much the model chosen changes the price gap. On-road costs (rego, stamp duty, dealer delivery) add a few thousand dollars either way and vary by state; see the companion guide's own state-by-state EV stamp duty and registration table for that half of the sum.
The gap isn't where the running-cost story would suggest
The assumption behind “EVs cost more to buy” doesn't hold across the board, but it doesn't cleanly split by size class either, the way it first looked. A BYD Dolphin undercuts a Mazda3 by $1,620 before a single kilometre is driven, a clean win for the EV on both purchase price and running cost. A Kia EV9 undercuts a Toyota LandCruiser 300 GXL by $11,791 too, the same finding this guide first reported for the large class. Adding a second EV to the medium or large class changes that: “small and large both win outright” stops being the whole story there.
The small class breaks that pattern the other way. An MG4 EV Urban Essence 43 lands at the identical $29,990 RRP as the BYD Dolphin Essential, so it undercuts the same Mazda3 by the same $1,620. Two different small EVs, two different battery sizes and two different brands, land on the exact same purchase-price gap. Where a second EV flipped or complicated the medium and large classes' own findings, a second small EV confirmed the small class's win holds for more than one specific car.
The medium class was already the exception, and it's a big one, though which Tesla is being compared changes how big. A Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD costs $29,800 more than a Hyundai Tucson before either car turns a wheel. Swap in a Tesla Model 3 RWD instead, the cheaper of the two medium-class Teslas this site's running-cost guide already prices side by side, and the same Tucson comparison narrows to $15,800, close to half the Model Y's premium. Either Tesla, the medium class carries this guide's entire “EVs cost more upfront” finding on its own.
The large class turns up a second exception of its own. Swap the Kia EV9 for a BMW iX xDrive40 against the same Toyota LandCruiser 300 GXL, and the large class's clean win disappears too: the BMW iX costs $28,109 more to buy, not $11,791 less. Cross-shopping the “large” class always meant comparing one specific EV, not a size, and which EV gets picked can flip the finding entirely, from the site's biggest EV purchase-price win to a premium bigger than the medium class's cheaper Tesla pairing.
How long the extra money takes to earn back
The running-cost guide already worked out the annual saving from driving electric in each class: roughly $430 to $930 a year for the small pair, $770 to $1,280 for the medium pair (a range that already spans both the Model Y and Model 3's near-identical energy use, 15.8 and 16.0 kWh/100 km), and $1,010 to $1,720 for the large pair, all at 13,000 km a year. Put the purchase price gap and the running saving in the same sum and the small pair needs no sum at all, for either EV: both the BYD Dolphin and the MG4 EV Urban Essence 43 were already the cheaper car to buy, so every year of running-cost saving after that is pure upside. The MG4's own saving against a Mazda3 works out to roughly $550 to $800 a year, on the higher-consumption end of the small class's range but still a real saving on top of a purchase price that's already lower.
Both the medium and large pairs need the sum done, and in both, which EV is picked changes the answer by a lot. Against a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, the $29,800 medium-class premium takes roughly 23 to 39 years of fuel savings alone to pay back, longer than most people keep a car, and longer than the 8-year battery warranty most EV makers offer. Against the cheaper Model 3 RWD, the smaller $15,800 premium takes roughly 12 to 21 years instead, real progress, but still longer than most ownership periods. The large pair now splits the same way. A Kia EV9 against a Toyota LandCruiser 300 GXL already recoups its purchase price from the day it's bought, so there's no payback sum to run. A BMW iX xDrive40 against the same LandCruiser carries a $28,109 premium instead, and against that diesel benchmark's own running cost, its annual saving of $1,260 to $1,610 a year takes roughly 17 to 22 years to pay back.
Picking the cheaper Tesla trim narrows the medium class's payback period a lot, and picking the Kia EV9 over the BMW iX removes the large class's payback sum altogether. The small class needed no such check: whichever EV is picked, it's already the cheaper car to buy. The two classes that do need the sum add up to the same point: which specific EV is being cross-shopped matters as much as which size class it sits in, sometimes more. That sum leaves out RACQ's own finding that EV servicing costs less too (which would shorten every payback period above, not lengthen any of them) and resale value, which this guide doesn't attempt to price.
Common questions
Do EVs actually cost more to buy than an equivalent petrol car in Australia?
Not always, and where they do, how much depends heavily on which specific model is compared, not just which size class. A BYD Dolphin Essential and an MG4 EV Urban Essence 43 both undercut a Mazda3 G20 Pure by $1,620, a clean win for the EV that holds for both small-class models. A Kia EV9 Air RWD undercuts a Toyota LandCruiser 300 GXL by $11,791 too, but swap in a BMW iX xDrive40 against the same LandCruiser and the large class flips to an EV costing $28,109 more. The medium class has no cheaper-EV pairing at all: the gap there ranges from $15,800 (a Tesla Model 3 RWD against a Hyundai Tucson) to $29,800 (a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD against the same Tucson), depending which Tesla is picked.
Does picking the MG4 EV instead of the BYD Dolphin change the small-class outcome?
No, and that's the finding itself. An MG4 EV Urban Essence 43 has a $29,990 RRP, identical to the BYD Dolphin Essential, so both undercut a Mazda3 G20 Pure by the same $1,620 before a single kilometre is driven. The MG4 does use more energy per 100 km than the Dolphin (16.1 kWh against 12.6 kWh, Green Vehicle Guide's own combined-cycle figures), so its running-cost saving against the Mazda3 is smaller, roughly $550 to $800 a year rather than the Dolphin's wider range, but it's still a real saving on top of an already-lower purchase price. Unlike the medium and large classes, where the second EV changed the finding, the small class's win holds for both cars.
How long does it take an EV's extra purchase price to pay for itself in fuel savings?
It depends entirely which pairing, and for the medium and large classes, which specific EV. For the small pair here, the EV was already the cheaper car to buy, so there is nothing to pay back. For the medium pair, a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD's $29,800 premium over a Hyundai Tucson takes roughly 23 to 39 years of running-cost saving ($770 to $1,280 a year) to earn back; the cheaper Tesla Model 3 RWD's smaller $15,800 premium takes roughly 12 to 21 years instead. The large pair splits the same way: a Kia EV9 against a Toyota LandCruiser 300 GXL has already recouped its price on running costs from day one, but a BMW iX xDrive40 against the same LandCruiser carries a $28,109 premium that takes roughly 17 to 22 years of running-cost saving ($1,260 to $1,610 a year) to earn back.
Does picking a cheaper Tesla trim change the medium-class payback period?
Yes, substantially, though it doesn't close the gap outright the way the small class does, where the EV is already the cheaper car to buy. A Tesla Model 3 RWD's $54,900 RRP is $15,800 more than a Hyundai Tucson's $39,100, roughly half the $29,800 premium a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD carries over the same Tucson. That smaller premium takes roughly 12 to 21 years of running-cost savings to pay back, against 23 to 39 years for the Model Y, real progress but still longer than most people keep a car.
Does picking the Kia EV9 instead of a BMW iX change the large-class outcome?
Yes, more than any other model swap on this page, it flips which side wins. A Kia EV9 Air RWD undercuts a Toyota LandCruiser 300 GXL by $11,791 and has already earned that back on running costs before a single kilometre is driven. A BMW iX xDrive40, priced against the identical LandCruiser, costs $28,109 more instead and needs roughly 17 to 22 years of running-cost saving to earn that back. Same class, same diesel benchmark, opposite finding, depending only on which EV is being cross-shopped.
Are these prices RRP or drive-away?
RRP (Recommended Retail Price) before on-road costs, the same basis for every model so the comparison is like for like. On-road costs, registration, stamp duty and dealer delivery, add a few thousand dollars to any of these figures and vary by state. The companion running-cost guide's own state-by-state table covers exactly how EV stamp duty and registration differ from a petrol car's, state to state.
Has the BYD Dolphin or Tesla Model Y lineup changed since this site's running-cost guide was written?
Yes, both. BYD has discontinued the Dolphin Dynamic variant for 2026 in favour of a simpler Essential/Premium range; Essential is the closest replacement and the price used here. Tesla no longer sells a Model Y badged “AWD”; the identical all-wheel-drive powertrain is now called “Long Range AWD”, priced under its current name in the table above.
Does the Toyota LandCruiser 300 always cost this much more than a Kia EV9?
The $108,791 figure here is for the GXL, the range's cheapest trim. The VX and Sahara trims share a similar diesel fuel figure to GXL but cost tens of thousands of dollars more on trim and equipment alone, which would widen the EV9's price advantage further and shrink the BMW iX's premium in the same direction, though not necessarily close it.
Sources
Vehicle RRPs before on-road costs, fetched directly July 2026: CarsGuide, BYD Dolphin 2026 pricing (Essential, $29,990), CarsGuide, Mazda3 2026 pricing (G20 Pure, $31,610), CarsGuide, Hyundai Tucson 2026 pricing (2.0 MPi auto FWD, $39,100), CarsGuide, Toyota LandCruiser 300 GXL 2026 pricing ($108,791). MG4 EV Urban Essence 43 RRP ($29,990), fetched directly: CarsGuide, MG4 Urban pricing and specs, cross-checked against CarExpert, 2026 MG 4 EV Urban price and specs ($31,990 Australia-wide drive-away, consistent with the $29,990 RRP plus on-road costs); the model launched in Australian showrooms in April 2026, after this site's own running-cost guide first priced the MG4 EV. Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD RRP ($68,900) and the Model Y AWD/Long Range naming change: EV Central, 2026 Tesla Model Y Australian pricing. Tesla Model 3 RWD/Premium RWD RRP ($54,900), fetched directly: CarsGuide, Tesla Model 3 2026 pricing, cross-checked against CarExpert, 2026 Tesla Model 3 pricing ($59,648 Sydney drive-away, consistent with the $54,900 RRP plus on-road costs). Kia EV9 Air RWD RRP ($97,000), dated: The Driven, 2026 Kia EV9 pricing (17 Feb 2026). BMW iX xDrive40 Sport RRP ($136,900), fetched directly: CarsGuide, 2026 BMW iX pricing, cross-checked against CarExpert, 2026 BMW iX pricing ($152,163 Sydney drive-away, consistent with the $136,900 RRP plus on-road costs). BYD Dolphin's discontinued Dynamic variant and current two-trim range, corroborated: CarExpert, 2026 BYD Dolphin pricing. Annual running-cost savings by class and vehicle model pairing: this site's own EV vs petrol cost per kilometre guide, sourced to Green Vehicle Guide official combined-cycle test data. Servicing cost direction: RACQ, Electric cars v petrol cars. This guide is general information, not financial advice; RRP figures exclude on-road costs and change through the model year. All fetched July 2026.