Brief
Melbourne driver says EV saved $8,000 in two years
Imogen Lamport credits her MG4 electric car with cutting annual expenses by half compared with her previous BMW.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Emily Chantiri wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald that Melbourne resident Imogen Lamport switched from a 21‑year‑old BMW to an MG4 electric vehicle (EV) two years ago and says the change has saved her close to $8,000.
What happened
Lamport paid $40,000 for the MG4, which she describes as an average price for the models available at the time. She installed a 7 kW home charger and typically charges the car once a week. For longer trips, such as visits to her elderly parents in Canberra, she stops twice to fully charge before leaving home, adding roughly an hour to the journey depending on charger speed.
What the report adds
The SMH article notes that Lamport’s husband, Adam, recently bought a Zeekr 7X, allowing her to reduce the number of charging stops on the Canberra route to one. Lamport says a 20‑minute charge is enough time to use the restroom, buy a drink and return to the car, a duration she compares to the time previously spent refuelling.
What was said
Lamport told the SMH, “I decided to go EV. There’s no fumes or noise, and because we have solar panels it’s mostly free to run.” She added, “I paid around $10 k more than an equivalent ICE car but from my calculations it would only take two years to make up the difference.” She also said, “I rarely have to use the public charging network and even then, it would still have saved me $5 k as the maintenance costs with my BMW, along with petrol, was around $5 k a year.”
How it came about
Lamport’s decision was driven by rising petrol prices and increasing servicing costs for internal‑combustion‑engine (ICE) vehicles. The article references a broader Australian trend where electric‑vehicle sales have surged, with EVs now representing over 25 % of new car sales in the first half of 2026, according to a recent Felo News report.
Key facts
- Imogen Lamport bought a MG4 EV for $40,000 two years ago (smh.com.au)
- She estimates the EV saved her about $8,000 over two years (smh.com.au)
- Lamport charges at home weekly using a 7 kW charger (smh.com.au)
- Long trips to Canberra now require two charging stops, adding about an hour (smh.com.au)
- Her husband’s Zeekr 7X reduces Canberra charging stops to one (smh.com.au)
Sources
- [1] smh.com.au — originally reported as “Lifetime cost of driving: Do EVs really save you money?”
