New figures suggest that electric cars can be up to twice as expensive to run as petrol or diesel vehicles.
Running an electric vehicle (EV) can cost over 24p per mile, while a diesel vehicle averages 12.5p per mile.
Charging an EV at rapid or ultra-rapid roadside chargers can cost up to 80p per kilowatt hour, according to data from the ZapMap app. With a typical electric car traveling 3.3 miles per kWh, rapid chargers currently cost around 24.1p per mile, as calculated by The Times.
Slower chargers cost around 16.4p per mile.
In comparison, an average diesel car, achieving 43 miles per gallon, costs about 12.5p per mile at current prices, while a typical petrol car costs 14.5p per mile, according to the analysis.
A round trip from London to Penzance using rapid chargers in an electric car would cost £148, The Times reported, compared to £77 in a diesel car and £89 in a petrol car.
Charging at home, however, is significantly cheaper—less than a third of the cost of using a typical rapid charger.
ZapMap also revealed that prices at rapid chargers have risen by 5% over the past year, despite a 30% drop in wholesale electricity costs, alongside a decline in oil prices.
Even drivers opting for slower public chargers (with a threshold of 50 kWh, providing a full charge in about 30 minutes) are paying more per mile than those driving petrol or diesel vehicles.
The number of rapid and ultra-rapid charging stations across Britain has surged by 40%, now totaling over 12,500.
However, recent data indicates a significant slowdown in electric vehicle sales. Electric cars have accounted for 17.2% of all new registrations since the start of 2024, down from the 18.7% peak in late 2022.
Analysis shows that rapid and ultra-rapid chargers currently cost electric vehicle drivers around 24.1p per mile, while slower chargers cost approximately 16.4p per mile.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers, told The Times: “It’s tough out there. Demand levels are significantly softer.”
Electric car sales in Europe are performing even worse than in the UK, with registrations down by 44% in August.
Charging at home is generally much cheaper than using public charging points. However, nearly half of UK households live in terraced houses or flats, making it difficult for them to charge at home without access to a driveway or garage.
The AA has urged the Government to align the VAT rate on public chargers, currently 20%, with the 5% rate applied to at-home electricity.
Thom Groot, founder of the Electric Car Scheme, said: “We need to keep encouraging demand with incentives and help consumers transition. It’s unfair that those who charge at home pay less VAT than those using public chargers.”
There is also growing pressure on the Government to reduce VAT on electric car purchases or exempt them from the upcoming “luxury car supplement,” which applies higher road tax rates to vehicles costing over £40,000. This change is expected to affect about two-thirds of electric cars.
