How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

More people are opting for electric cars but how much do they cost to run? In this blog we outline the typical running costs of electric cars.

With more and more people making the switch from petrol or diesel to electric and it’s not hard to see why. There are dozens of electric vehicles (EVs) to choose from and ranges are increasing, charging infrastructure is getting better and the performance of the cars themselves are also very impressive.

That’s not all: benefits like tax grants and free entry into inner-city low emission zones mean that an electric car could require much lower running costs which could save owners thousands in the long run.

Typical costs of charging electric cars:

To work this out:

Size of battery (kWh) x Electricity cost of your supplier (pence per kilowatt hour) = Cost to charge an electric car from absolutely empty to full.

Let’s consider a 100kWh Tesla Model S. At the time of writing, the company’s Supercharger network costs £0.28 per kilowatt-hour, so the total outlay is 100 x 28p = £28 if you were to theoretically charge from completely empty to full.

Charging electric cars at home

Charging your electric car at home is generally cheaper than public charging, so the savings could be even more significant than a petrol or diesel car. However, if you consider 80% of electric car owners charge at home (according to BP Chargemaster) this is the most common scenario for the majority of EV motorists.

We would recommend looking at how much you’d potentially use your EV, and then calculate how much you’d need to charge up at home versus on the open road. The likelihood is that an electric car will save you hundreds, or maybe even thousands of pounds a year compared to keeping a conventional petrol or diesel car going, but don’t forget about depreciation and servicing.

How much does it cost to install a car charger at home?

The average cost of installing a home charging point is around £1,000, but, thanks to government schemes encouraging people to drive electric, this might not all have to come out of your own pocket.

The government has schemes such as the Homecharge Scheme which may cover some of the cost, depending on your personal circumstances.

The installation takes around three hours and consists of connecting your new car charging point to an electric supply and fitting it to your outside wall. This is usually installed as close as possible to where you park your car at home, so that your vehicle can be charged overnight and doesn’t inconvenience you.

Advantages of electric cars

Maintenance

Maintenance and costs for hybrid vehicles are similar to those of conventional vehicles, however, for all-electric vehicles this is significantly less. The battery, motor and associated parts on an electric vehicle require little regular maintenance.

In addition, there are fewer fluids, such as engine oil, that require regular maintenance, in an all-electric vehicle, as well as fewer moving parts relative to a conventional engine which means there is simply less to look after.

Environmental

One of the biggest and well-known benefits is the improvement driving electric can make to the environment. Fully electric vehicles emit no exhaust gasses which means reduced local air pollution especially in congested cities.

Even with electricity generation associated with charging your electric vehicle, the carbon emissions of an electric car are around 17-30% lower than driving a petrol or diesel car.

If you’re looking to shrink your carbon footprint then investing in an electric or hybrid vehicle is absolutely the way forward for you. Even better, if you charge your car at home, and your home runs on renewable sources, then this could dramatically reduce your carbon footprint.

Congestion charges

Some areas are introducing Clean Air Zones including London and Birmingham, and the fees are designed to discourage certain vehicles with high pollution rates from entering certain areas. The benefit of owning an all-electric car is that you will be exempt from these charges.

In London with an all-electric car, you can travel in the Congestion Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone for free which could save you up to £2,875 if you’re working in the city.

To find out more about electric cars or to find our next vehicle, see our EVs in stock at CarShop.