How much can I expect to pay for charging an electric car?
How much can I expect to pay for charging an electric car?
There’s a big conversation surrounding electric vehicle charging at the moment. Most people cite infrastructure - or a lack of it - as a primary reason for not making the switch to an EV - though it has seen massive improvements in recent years thanks to a big push from the charging industry.
But there’s still some uncertainty about how much it’ll all cost. So we’re going to take a look through just what you should expect from charging up an EV at the moment. All prices are correct as of August 2023, too.
Home charging
Charging at home is one of the most convenient and cost-effective ways of topping up an electric car. Of course, this isn’t available for everyone, but those who can plug-in at home will be able to take advantage of some really low charging costs which are considerably less than topping up a petrol or diesel car.
According to figures from the AA, to charge up a Vauxhall Corsa Electric with a 50kWh battery and a 222-mile range to 80 per cent will be just £12, which equates to 6.74 pence per mile. Compare that to the 14.44 pence per mile that you’ll get from a petrol car and you can see where the savings can be had.
Fast charging
If you’re out and about, then you’ll encounter a variety of charging speeds. Those rated between eight and 22kW are referred to as ‘fast’ and they’re usually speedy enough to fully charge a car like the Corsa Electric completely overnight.
Do so and you’ll pay around £22 for an 80 per cent charge, which equates to a per-mile cost of 12.26 pence. These chargers are still great value if you’re stopping over at a destination for a longer period of time.
Rapid charging
If you’re in a hurry and want to top up quickly, then rapid charging is the best way to go. This term applies to chargers rated at between 23 and 100kW, which can deliver a really fast rate of charge to get you on your way in no time.
Of course, faster public chargers carry a premium, so you’ll be looking at a total price of £27,60 to charge up that Corsa Electric to 80 per cent. However, it still equates to a good price-per-mile cost of 15.51 pence.
Ultra-rapid charging
Ultra-rapid charging is one of the quickest ways to top up an EV. The number of these chargers - which are rated at over 101kW - has really increased in recent years and you’ll find them in all types of locations. Many of Tesla’s Superchargers are ultra-rapid ones, too.
On average, it’ll cost £28.40 to charge a Corsa Electric to 80 per cent when using an ultra-rapid charger. These chargers are best for when you’re out and about, though their convenience and speed do make them the costliest option. That said, average prices have fallen by a penny since July.
Contrast to petrol
Whereas electric charging costs have remained largely static in recent months, petrol prices have continued to rise. In fact, the average price for a litre of fuel in July was 145p, whereas this has quickly soared to 151.9 pence per litre in August.
It now means that the average price to fill a 1.2-litre Vauxhall Corsa with a 40-litre tank to 80 per cent - in the same vein as the electric version - will now cost £48.38. It’s considerably more than you’ll pay to charge up a Corsa Electric to 80 per cent, even when using a more costly ultra-rapid charger.
