Electric car rapid charging costs soar in UK, says RAC
The cost of rapidly charging an electric car in the UK has risen sharply as energy costs soar, the RAC has said.
However, electric car charging still remains cheaper than petrol and diesel, the motoring organisation said.
Rises in electricity and gas prices, in part since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are behind the increased charging costs.
But fuel prices have gone up more quickly as crude oil suppliers struggle to meet demand.
The price of charging an electric car on a pay-as-you-go, non-subscription basis at a publicly accessible rapid charger has increased by 21% over the last nine months, the RAC said.
Even charging at home has been getting more expensive as energy bills spiral upwards.
The cost of the electricity used to power electric vehicles varies according to the household tariff the customer is on.
But both rapid charging and home charging are still less expensive than petrol or diesel per mile.
Electric vehicle (EV) charging is nearly half the cost per mile compared to filling a family car with petrol, the motoring organisation said.
“While electric car drivers may not be immune from the rocketing price of wholesale energy – most notably gas, which in turn dictates the cost of electricity – there’s no doubt that charging an electric vehicle still represents excellent value for money compared to filling up a petrol or diesel car,” RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said.
The three main rapid charging companies are BP Pulse, Instavolt and Osprey according to Zap Map, which records charge point distribution and costs.
Mr Williams said that “unsurprisingly” the quickest places to charge are also the most expensive with ultra-rapid chargers costing on average 14% more to use than rapid chargers.
