Have you been thinking of swapping to electric? The rise in EVs over the last couple of years has been huge. Around 1.5million electric vehicles are on the road, plus an additional 800,000 plug-in hybrids. Let’s take a look at the pros (& cons!) of electric vehicles and also answer the question of how much does it cost to charge an EV.
Electric Vehicles
The history of the electric vehicle goes back perhaps further than you expect. Dating to 1820 when basic and not very popular electric carriages were first invented. Later that century, more practical electric vehicles became commercially available. The popularity slowed when petrol/diesel powered cars came around in the 1920s. However, toward the end of 20th century and into the 21st century, mass-produced electric vehicles hit the market and that is where we find ourselves today.
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The Cost To Buy
There is certainly a large outlay to consider when you are thinking about buying an electric car. The average price is £46k, but remember that is an average. That takes into account the luxury higher-end vehicles that you might not even be thinking about. There are lower-priced models available but you’d still be looking at around £25k. There are numerous companies that are making EVs, including VW, Citroen, Renault, Kia, Volvo, BMW and Tesla. This is definitely something to factor into things when are you looking for an electric vehicle. How are you going to use and what types of journeys are you going to be doing? Along with the question of how much does it cost to charge an EV?
How Much Does It Cost To Charge An EV?
So let’s look at the main question here. How much does it cost to charge an EV? There are many factors here so we are going to look at averages. Ballpark figures that could sway you one way or another if you are considering a purchase. It’s important to remember that you can find additional information online for specific makes and models of electric cars, so if you are going to buy, make sure to do some further digging.
The average price of charging an EV at home is between £12 and £25 for a full charge. Of course, different models have different sized batteries and we are all on various energy tariffs that cost of different amounts of money. That said, if you are buying, you can get a tarrif which gives you cheaper energy at night which is perfect for charging your EV – something to look into!
The thing is, we don’t always charge our vehicles at home. If we are out and about, we pull into a petrol station to fill up our vehicles. This gets us on the way again. So charging your EV on the go is something you need to think about. Public chargers will cost you about £26 on average for a full charge. There are rapid chargers which will give you about 30 minutes of charging for around £19.
Something you might not have thought about is charging at work. Some companies are giving cheaper or even free charging options to those who have electric vehicles. For some, this could eliminate needing to charge the vehicle elsewhere at all.
All of this information helps answer the question of how much does it cost to charge an EV? We can even work it out down to the cost per mile. This can be as low as 6p, but with on-the-go charging options you could be looking at 13p per mile.
Additional Pros & Cons To Consider
There are, of course, additional pros and cons of owning an electric vehicle. There are obvious environmental positives, as you are using electricity to power your car, rather than fossil fuels. But then you need to consider where your electricity is coming from, and how it is created. Along with the environmental impact of creating the electric vehicle in the first place. Many of these issues revolve around how the battery is made.
It is also an additional strain on the electricity grid, which in many ways doesn’t have the infrastructure ready for driveways full of EVs being charged. On the flip side, jobs are being created because of the creation of these electric vehicles.
Final Thoughts
So whilst we may focus on the question of how much does it cost to charge an EV, there are clearly further thoughts to consider. Whilst you might save money keeping your car going, you don’t have the quick turnaround of putting petrol into your car and getting back on the road. Do your budget, weigh up whether an EV is for you and get driving!
