A new poll has found that 54% of motorists believe petrol and diesel cars are cheaper to run than EVs.
The survey by car insurer NFU Mutual also revealed that 17% of respondents thought a mild hybrid would be cheapest to run. Just 18% believed a fully EV would be cheaper, while 11% thought a plug-in hybrid would be cheapest.
The survey results come as high electricity wholesale prices have pushed up the cost of household electricity bills and public EV charging. However, NFU Mutual said EVs still have cheaper running costs than petrol and diesel vehicles if the owner is able to charge them primarily at home.
Jade Devlin, motor insurance expert at NFU Mutual, said: “We don’t need to look far to explain this shift in public perception. With the energy crisis hitting households this year, motorists are questioning whether EVs still live up to one of their main selling points.
“The answer is yes; they are still more economical to run and can provide significant savings – but with a word of caution to be canny about how you charge.
“Those who need to rely solely on the full-price rapid public charging network will likely see no cost benefit in running an EV, but those able to charge and use their vehicle efficiently will still see significantly lower running costs when compared to petrol or diesel cars. This means charging at home, making the most of workplace charging schemes, identifying free charging points available for customers at some supermarkets and car parks, and maximising efficiency when on the road.”
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