Thursday 29 September 2022

EV charging almost the same price as petrol

The cost of charging an electric vehicle (EV) in the UK is now comparable with filling up a regular car at the petrol station.

That’s according to research by RAC Charge Watch, revealing that since May, the cost of using a rapid charger has risen by 42%.

Sky-high electricity and gas prices have seen driving an EV lose its cost appeal against its gas guzzling cousin.

The research found that charging up your car on average now costs 18p per mile, with petrol costing 19p and diesel costing 21p. That estimate is made based on cars that drive at 40 miles to the gallon.

However, this high cost is only for public charging, as the Energy Price Guarantee announced by the Prime Minister will see the cost of charging at home sit at close to 9p per mile.

Charging an EV to 80% would cost £17.87 at home and £32.41 at a rapid charging centre.

“For those that have already made the switch to an electric car or are thinking of doing so, it remains the case that charging away from home costs less than refuelling a petrol or diesel car, but these figures show that the gap is narrowing as a result of the enormous increases in the cost of electricity,” said Simon Williams from the RAC.

The UK has set a target to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, however, the spike in charging costs has raised eyebrows, as to whether it’s still an appealing switch to make for drivers.

A government spokesperson responded: “We want consumers to have the confidence to make the switch to cleaner, zero emissions cars – and that is why we continue to support the growth of our world-leading charging network and have pledged £1.6 billion since 2020 to delivering chargepoints across the country.”