Rising fuel prices are making more and more drivers seriously consider purchasing an electric car. A few years ago, electric vehicles were treated mainly as a technological curiosity. Today, they are increasingly appearing in analyses of car operating costs.
The key question, however, remains the same: at current fuel prices in Poland, is it better to choose an electric or a combustion car?
In this article, we analyze current fuel prices, the cost of charging an electric car, and the actual expenses for driving 100 kilometers.
Current fuel prices in Poland in 2026
Refueling costs are one of the most important elements of maintaining a combustion car. In recent months, fuel prices have started to rise again.
In mid-March 2026, average fuel prices in Poland are approximately:
- Pb95 gasoline: about 6.42–6.54 PLN per liter
- diesel: about 7.53–7.68 PLN per liter
- LPG: about 3.05–3.18 PLN per liter
Forecasts for the second half of March 2026 clearly indicate a further upward trend, which is driven primarily by a sharp jump in oil prices on global markets and the weakening of the zloty against the dollar.
For drivers, this means one thing: refueling a combustion car remains one of the biggest car operating costs.
How much does it cost to drive 100 km in a gasoline car
To realistically compare the profitability of different powertrains, it is best to calculate the cost of driving a specific distance.
Example for a popular gasoline car:
average fuel consumption: 7 liters per 100 km
gasoline price: 6.48 PLN per liter Cost of driving 100 km: 7 × 6.48 PLN = about 45.36 PLN In the case of a diesel, it looks slightly better, but it is still a high cost.
Example for a diesel:
fuel consumption: 6 liters per 100 km
diesel price: 7.59 PLN per liter Cost of driving 100 km: 6 × 7.59 PLN = about 45.54 PLN In practice, this means that with an annual mileage of 20,000 kilometers, a combustion car driver spends up to 9,000–10,000 PLN on fuel.
Cost of charging an electric car in Poland
The cost of driving an electric car depends primarily on the price of energy and the location where the car is charged.
In Poland, the energy price for households is on average about 0.65–0.91 PLN per kWh, although it may be higher in some tariffs.
In turn, tariff data indicate that in 2025, energy prices in households reached up to about 1.20 PLN per kWh.
The average energy consumption of an electric car is:
15–20 kWh per 100 km.
If we assume an energy cost of about 0.90 PLN per kWh, we get:
20 kWh × 0.90 PLN = about 18 PLN per 100 km.
In practice, this means that driving an electric car when charging at home can be even more than twice as cheap as driving a gasoline car.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car at public stations
The situation is different when the car is charged mainly at public chargers.
In many European charging networks, the energy cost is about 0.45–0.65 EUR per kWh.
When converted to PLN, this often gives about 2–3 PLN per kWh.
At this price level:
20 kWh × 2.50 PLN = about 50 PLN per 100 km.
This means that when using only fast chargers, the cost of driving can be similar to that of a combustion car.
Therefore, the charging location is one of the most important factors affecting the profitability of an electric car.
When is an electric car cheaper than a combustion one
Cost analysis shows that an electric car is most profitable in a few specific scenarios.
The greatest savings appear when the car:
- is charged mainly at home using a wallbox
- covers high annual mileage
- uses a cheaper night-time electricity tariff
- moves mainly in urban traffic
In such conditions, the cost of driving 100 km can drop to even about 12–18 PLN.
For comparison, a gasoline car with similar mileage generates a cost of over 40 PLN per 100 km, and with the current sharp price increase, it may be even higher.
Annual cost of driving an electric and a combustion car
The differences are best seen with annual mileage.
Example: 20,000 km per year.
Gasoline car:
- cost per 100 km: about 40 PLN
- annual fuel cost: about 8,000 PLN
Electric car charged at home:
- cost per 100 km: about 18 PLN
- annual energy cost: about 3,600 PLN
The difference is over 4,000 PLN per year.
Over five years of use, this can mean savings exceeding 20,000 PLN.
Rising fuel prices make owning an electric car the most effective way to achieve real savings. Choosing an EV is not only about caring for the environment, but above all about stabilizing the household budget and independence from sharp price jumps at gas stations and the unpredictable situation in the raw materials market.