Using a public charger to replenish an electric car’s battery can see drivers pay 50% more per mile than those who fill their cars with petrol, according to a new analysis.
The AA’s Recharge Report sets out that EV drivers paid an average of 78 pence per kiloWatt hour (kWh) for electricity when using an ultra-rapid (UR) chargers in April, equating to 17.63 pence per mile.
Someone refuelling a petrol car during the same month would have paid an average of 134.6 pence per litre, resulting in a cost of 11.77 pence per mile, making UR charging 49.79% more expensive.
Ultra-rapid chargepoints can deliver electricity at 150kW or more, and are the new norm in public charging, being the fastest growing type of connection with around 7,700 UR chargers in the UK. Rapid chargers (50-149kW) are similarly numerous though hardly less expensive, at an average of 74 pence per kWh in April.
Around 90% of electric cars are run by people who take advantage of substantial tax incentives offered via company-car schemes, while Department for Transport data indicates 95% of EV owners have off-street parking at home, against a national average of around 65%.
This means that as well as enjoying discounted vehicles, the vast majority of EV drivers can have a home charger installed and benefit from domestic electricity. This can cost as little as 7.5 pence per kWh for those on an agile tariff, around 10% the price of juice from rapid and ultra-rapid chargers. This is partly thanks to domestic electricity being subject to VAT of just 5%, against the 20% levied on power from commercial plugs.
When paying 27 pence per kiloWatt hour, which the AA says was April’s average for domestic electricity, drivers who can charge their car at home pay just 6.1 pence per mile, around half as much as those running a car on petrol.
Nonetheless, the stark contrast between per-mile costs for public electricity and petrol indicates challenges remain in offsetting high prices for people who are unable to charge at home and must therefore use public chargers.
Some initiatives to open domestic chargers up to members of the public are underway, though, with Allstar’s Co Charger scheme allowing people with no off-street parking to sign up to use neighbours’ domestic sockets.
