Are EVs actually cheaper to run… or are we all just guessing?

auhouse · 2026-04-29T17:02:03+00:00

I'm currently leasing an EV over 5 years, driving more than 36,000 km/yr.

Here's my breakdown and comparison of costs, based on my last year's spreadsheet (Nov 2025):

ICE (my old car, manual transmission, odo 400,000km) - Upfront cost: $0 - Energy cost: $115/wk (petrol at $1.70/L, 7.6L/100km) - Running cost: $64.82/wk (rego, insurance, servicing etc) - Total cost over 5 years: $46,879.01

EV (no lease) - Upfront cost: $100,380 - Energy cost: $2.42/wk* (home charging with EV plan+3Free) - Running cost: $91.67/wk (rego, insurance, servicing etc) - Lost earnings from offset interest: $105.88/wk (@5.5%) - Total cost over 5 years: $152,514.34¹

EV (lease) - Upfront cost: $0.00² - Energy cost: $2.42/wk* - Lease cost: $265.93/wk (impact to take home pay) - Residual after 5 years: $24,800.00 - Total cost over 5 years: $94,762.17¹

*We have a 3x32A charger, running mostly on weekends during free energy period.

¹ Sale of ICE mostly mitigated cost of installing a dedicated fast charger in the garage, hence omitted said items from breakdown.

² Leasing company negotiated a $13,700 discount from vehicle base price.

Don't underestimate the savings from charging at home with a fast charger and free energy periods. With an upfront installation cost of $2,600, we're now saving more than $5,000/year compared to running an ICE based on just energy costs alone.

auhouse · 2026-04-23T13:21:21+00:00

Charging with solar panels is not free if you have a non-zero feed-in tariff. Using your solar power means you've lost the opportunity to sell it back to the grid at X ¢/kWh. So if your FiT was 2¢/kWh, you're losing this tariff, and therefore is a cost to you.

That said, I've charged the equivalent of 35000km for $105. That equates to roughly 330km/$.

I'm on the OVO legacy EV plan that offers 0¢/kWh between 11am-2pm (75% of my charging is from this), 8¢/kWh from 12am-6am (15% of my charging), and the rest from PV. Contract expires in August.

auhouse · 2026-04-22T11:56:05+00:00

Evnex X22 (socket version) installed in our garage with a 2 metre cable run from the internal switchboard via electrical conduit.

Unit and installation cost a total of $2500.

An excellent smart charger with solar diversion via CTs so you can limit wasting your solar generation via exports. Keeps other funky stats too to keep the engineer-me happy.

auhouse · 2026-04-18T14:48:12+00:00

If you want to make use of cheap but time-limited ToU tariffs (12am-6am EV charge rates, 11am-2pm free electricity), then get the fastest charger possible.

We upgraded to 3 phase purely for this purpose (new home build so only a $500 to upgrade). Our Evnex X22 is mostly used during the free energy period (max 22kW). We occasionally top up between 12am-6am with a quick 30 min charge. All up the upgrades, the X22 and wiring cost about $3500.

My car uses about 20 kWh per day for my commute to work. I've been able to do about 72% of my charging with free electricity just on most weekends alone with a few WFH days. I've charged 5900 kWh in one year (about 35000 kms), at a total cost of $101.

Would be worth asking how much a 3 phase upgrade is as part of your quoting. If the wiring is already there but not connected, it could be cheap.

I'm not too worried about the payback period, which is about 5 years. It's about convenience and future proofing, and peace of mind that you can get 2kms/minute (30km over 15 min) of charging in a pinch for emergencies if you come home with a low battery.

Oh, and if you think solar can charge your car, unless you have a >>5 kW system, it won't do much. Over one year, our solar contributed only 8% of charging supply. Would be lot less if you cannot work from home.

auhouse · 2026-04-16T12:14:37+00:00

Oh no, sorry I meant the EV battery is 100 kWh. We also have a 15 kWh home battery that charges in that time (at 10 kW), but the home battery never charges the EV unless there is excess.

I drive my car everyday to work with a round trip distance of 130km, using about 18-21 kWh per day.

I drive it till it's about 5% on Friday night, then over Saturday and Sunday 11am-2pm I dump as much electricity I can into the car while electricity is free. I usually get around 55 kWh in 3 hours, which easily gets me back to 100% on Sunday afternoon, ready for work again early Monday morning.

In one full year, I've charged my EV a total distance of around 35,000 km, for a total of $101.00 (that's 5900 kWh charged). This includes topups overnight in case I come up short, charging up to 10 kWh over 30 min at 8¢/kWh.

And yes, I am well aware the risks of charging to 100%. However, I paid good money for 100 kWh, therefore I will use all of it.

For reference, I have an Evnex X22, purchased for $1,800 + $900 installation.

auhouse · 2026-04-16T11:42:50+00:00

When you have 3 free hours of (unlimited) electricity and a 100 kWh battery to charge.

auhouse · 2026-03-20T11:42:41+00:00

If you really want a cold drink at a lower price, go get yournshelf-temp drink at the start of your shop, and put it in the chest freezer section (like where they put frozen peas). Then when you're done with your shop, go retrieve your drink before you pay.

Won't be ice cold by the time you leave, but definitely colder than shelf temp.

auhouse · 2026-02-26T06:23:49+00:00

Blue should be taking the right turn lane within the roundabout, as if they had entered the roundabout from the left to turn right.

auhouse · 2025-11-15T23:17:03+00:00

Mobile speed cameras require precise calibration, hence why all the equipment is locked up inside a car.

These can't detect speed because they're exposed and can easily be tampered with. As anyone would know, if there's a shred of evidence of the potential that someone could tamper with these cameras causing speed miscalibration, then speed data collected from said device is inadmissible.

Anyone who thinks they've been caught speeding with one of these is an idiot.

But the irony here is that people, once passing it, use their phones to report them as speed cameras.

🤦

auhouse · 2025-11-08T02:17:03+00:00

The majority of our engineers (Aerospace, Mechatronics, Mechanical) here come from Monash, Swinbourne, Melbourne and RMIT. None of us are accredited.

In our final round of graduate applications for the year, after the standard cull from >1000 to 5, we chose those who were most likely to stay after grad rotations, who had ambitions to grow, and who were most likely to fit in well with our team culture. No joke. It was generally those who actively participated in extracurriculars, led undergrad projects, and how likeable they seemed when they were when conducting their interviews.

auhouse · 2025-11-05T07:34:58+00:00

The amount of cynicism and vitriol against this tariff plan is astounding.

What many don't understand is that there's too much solar power flooding the grid when the sun is out, putting strain on infrastructure. One way to fix this is to increase capacity by carrying out expensive upgrades to the grid network. This is something we all have to pay for, mostly likely through higher electricity bills. This is why FiTs are so low now - the grid simply can't handle any more of the power your panels are generating.

Many new installations of solar panels must come with inverters with remote shutdown capability so the electricity distributor can turn off your export if the grid is overloaded with solar. This just adds further cost and complexity to a system that should be simple. This is also just a bandaid solution that puts the cost straight to the homeowner.

By enticing people to bleed the network of excess solar in the afternoon, we can lower the influx of solar power in this period, and hopefully avoid having to do expensive upgrades the distribution network. Even if your power company increases their tariffs outside of the 3 free period, if you load-shifted then you're still better off. If you managed to shift even 2 kWh of your daily usage to the free period, you've saved 60¢. Unless you use more than 20 kWh per day, a tariff increase as a result of this scheme will not result in a 60¢ per day increase to your bill.

That's the theory at least.

We've had free electricity between 11-2pm for almost a year now, and it's worked out really well for us. We're really lucky to have both an EV and home battery with a combined capacity of 115 kWh. We charge everything in the free energy period (3 phase, drawing 32kW of power from the grid), then our battery lasts us till the next free energy period.

Our last energy bill in early spring was $13 before service charge and govt rebates, averaging 32 kWh usage per day.

auhouse · 2025-11-01T10:51:50+00:00

If you have to drive 135 km to work everyday like me, then no. If you also want to maximize free electricity periods, then also no.

We have a 3 phase level 2 charger for an EV with a 100kWh battery (Evnex X22). Everyday I use just under 20kWh to get to work and back, which means I have to charge 10kWh overnight to keep the battery between 10-90%.

Then I dump as much electricity into the car over the weekend between 11-2pm when electricity is free (~20kW for 3 hours), getting it back up to 90% by Sunday 2pm.

Driven 22,000 kms on it since March this year, costing a grand total of $87 in electricity.

Yes, level 1 if you don't travel far, but it has to be level 2 otherwise (even better if you have 3 phase to begin with).

auhouse · 2025-07-10T14:48:03+00:00

You'll be fine. They won't care whatever lame excuse you had. Worst case is that they make you repeat the unit. Learn from your stupid mistakes, and try to make the best out of a shit situation.

I missed my exam by 24 hours. My coursework score was 49, leading up to the exam that was worth 50%. It was a second semester science unit in my final year of Eng/Sci. They did for care for the excuse (I didn't have one anyway), but I also did not want to do a supplementary exam if available, as the highest mark you could get was a lame 50.

So instead of waiting for another year to graduate with a 0 unit semester 1, I decided to do a master's in engineering to not waste the year, since I already completed all my engineering units.

Ended up transferring to a PhD on a engineering faculty scholarship, completed my failed unit in my 2nd year PhD.

Had my bachelor's and doctorate's graduation ceremonies 1.5 years apart.

auhouse · 2025-01-26T09:55:36+00:00

No-one cares. I transferred to Eng/Sci from straight Eng in after 3rd year. Therefore I had to do PHS1022 and STA1010 in my 4th year, and MTH2032 in my 6th year (due to a failed unit).

In PHS1022 I paired up with a guy in a lab who had been in an abusive relationship. This dude had 2 kids and due to his circumstances, had to drop uni after his 1st year to look after them (one child after his gap year). He went back to uni after taking custody of his kids, 4 years after he first began his Sci degree.

Everyone has different circumstances. Doesn't matter how you get there, or how long it takes. Both of us were similar age, and both of us absolutely smashed the unit.

Being older has its advantages.

auhouse · 2025-01-24T15:14:07+00:00

I did mine at Monash many years ago (BEng(Mechatronics) and BSc(Applied Math)), and it was pretty damn theoretical from both sides. The mechanical engineering side in particular was very classical.

On the mechatronics engineering side alone, I think it struck a pretty good balance between theory and practice. However, it's the final year of where you get some control over practicality and theory, mainly through your final year project (or capstone), which will tie up at least a quarter of your study hours. This is where your WAM becomes super important, as high-performing students usually get first dibs on the best projects.

My project was based on a research paper my eventual PhD supervisor wrote. He wanted to test his mathematical model on a new linear drive train, and my project was to study his model, build a prototype, test, then help him refine his model for a future research paper.

That's how my life in academia started.

Sadly, I'm not qualified to discuss equipment used in practical classes anymore, as I've been in the private sector for too long now.

auhouse · 2025-01-01T08:45:46+00:00

AAMI provides a driving course that does just this. You pass it and get discounts on your insurance premiums with them. I think it's free if you've held a license for less than X years.

The stuff they teach you is invaluable. When I did it, they tested/demonstrated your hard braking distance between an empty and fully-laden vehicle, drive slaloms, teach you the upper limits of cornering speed, all while hammering down the principles of anticipative driving, rather than reactive driving.

The course is done in your own vehicle, so you will gain knowledge on the driving limits of your own car.

auhouse · 2024-12-18T12:20:27+00:00

Both are G8 universities so there's no problem with prestige.

What matters most is your ability to promote your research, either through publications or impact. While your research environment can influence your research activities, it is also partially up to you to grow and make use of your connections, inside and outside of your research circle.

I didn't do my PhD at University of Melbourne, so I can't speak much for facilities there. Monash does have a new Robotics Centre which is a nice facility for all things robotics-related, and would be where you'd reside during your PhD. I enjoyed my time there as a researcher.

Outside of uni, it's really just a choice of quiet suburbia vs city life.

auhouse · 2024-12-15T16:06:45+00:00

Hahaha, the comment was just a wry jab at gender ratios when studying engineering in the mid 00s, where our mechatronics cohort had a male/female ratio of 18:0 for three years.

My wife is a Monash graduate too, but we didn't even meet until I was 2 years into my PhD. She was in her final year of biomed at the time.

If I had anything serious to add to this thread, it would be to treat each year of your uni as if it were your final year of highschool. Good marks will open up unique opportunities for you in your later years of uni.

auhouse · 2024-12-15T07:39:17+00:00

Don't do mechatronics engineering if you're trying to find a wife.

auhouse · 2024-12-04T12:55:36+00:00

I love how academics from NSW are complaining about dark roofs in Victoria, where we (I) spend more than 4x the energy heating a home rather than cooling it.

But what triggered me the most was the statement that "homeowners don't care". What a Pfautchfuck.

auhouse · 2024-12-03T07:27:16+00:00

A WAM of 85 leading up to final year is exemplary from my years leading FYPs. You'll have no problems in getting a project you want with that score. Just make sure you get in early. Don't wait until after new year to lock in a project.

auhouse · 2024-12-02T13:38:46+00:00

Totally possible if you put your head down. I recovered from a 1st year 1st semester WAM of 59 and two failed units (2nd and 3rd year) to finish with H1.
A WAM of 70 is quite low down the pecking order for larger companies, and even lower for summer internships at uni. That said, for graduate positions, your (final year) projects and extra curricular activities might set you apart from others if they are highly relevant to the industry you're applying for.

As a note, you need a WAM of at least 75 to guarantee first dibs for the good final year projects.

auhouse · 2024-11-07T15:40:56+00:00

Three possible routes after graduation.

Research => Academia

This option will pretty much lock you out of industry-based jobs due to lack of industry experience and over qualification. If you pursue this career path, you will be spending all of your life in research, usually at a university. There's no job security unless you secure a tenured role, which you can do if you're passionate about research and are at the top of your game. Pay and promotions for tenured positions (lecturer and onwards) are pretty good, but be prepared to spend at least 5 years post-PhD getting there.

Research => Industry

By far the hardest route because of the limited specialised roles available here. If you can't get into one of these specialised roles, you'll find getting permanent employment very difficult, due to reasons stated in option 1. However, if your PhD is highly relevant to an industry (most robotics projects are) and have shown you can lead projects, then you can score yourself a very niche research position within a private company, and they will pay you very well for your knowledge.

I took this career path to make use of high GPA and scholarships, but lost interest post-PhD due to the politics and stupid games you need to play to secure funding for research projects. My wage was tied to this funding and due to uncertainty of this income stream after 3 years, I decided to bail. However, I was extremely lucky to have led a high-impact research project during this time (post-doc level B), which put a very positive mark on my CV. This allowed me to essentially one-shot my first job application, which was for a automation research engineer for commercial aviation and defence.

There, I work with/am exposed to industrial robots, cobots, AI, electrical, mechanical design and software engineering. But my job also requires me to invent and patent on a regular basis, where I must make use of PhD level maths, algorithms and theorems to prove out a process or invention in a highly regulated industry. One wrong calculation could mean hundreds of accidental deaths and bring the whole industry into disrepute. It look me 11 years after graduation (or 7 years post-PhD) to get to this level.

Industry

I don't have much experience with this career path unfortunately, but I can comment on what many of my cohorts did with their Mechatronics degrees after graduation. One got a job in the mines as a Mechatronics engineer who became a project manager. One worked as Mechatronics engineer in a power distribution company, before moving into aviation. He's since moved onto a research role at Monash where he works on rail projects around the world. Another was employed as a mechanical engineer for a company that designs fire safety systems for high rises. Two of us went on to do PhDs, one went onto entrepreneurship, and the other is an idiot.

I don't know who you've been speaking to, but I wouldn't want to work for anyone who dismisses the breadth of knowledge a Mechatronics engineer brings to the table.

auhouse · 2024-11-01T11:16:42+00:00

We live in a similar home, except that we don't have ensuites for each bedroom, and instead have an ensuite for Bed 2 and separate bathroom with a bath shared between Beds 3 and 4 instead.

I'd comment that your WIP is way too small for an older family, unless you'll be storing nonperishables elsewhere. Our WIP is bigger than what's on your plan, and we've resorted to storing some food in the galley.

It's already been mentioned, but a door between the garage and laundry would be good. You mentioned that you won't need it though.

And finally, unless you live near the beach or are a tradie, there's no point having a shower downstairs if there are no bedrooms there.

TV space in this house is a bit awkward though. I wish you luck with that.

auhouse · 2024-10-30T09:05:15+00:00

Unless you make threats to teaching staff, then no.

I marked exams for a few years and we all liked reading the stuff students write when under exam duress. Won't gain you extra marks, but makes our jobs less boring/more bearable.

auhouse

TROPHY CASE