The cost of charging an electric car | Blog | Dace Motor Group

Could electric car charging costs be comparable to petrol prices?

Electric vehicles have been considerably cheaper to run than petrol or diesel models for quite some time. The spiralling fuel prices just a few months ago certainly highlighted a significant difference in running costs where electric vehicles were much cheaper.

But, since then, we've seen fuel prices continue to come down (albeit slowly) while electricity costs have soared. Even with the new energy price cap in place, limiting personal electricity consumption to £0.34 per/kWh, rates are still far higher than we've ever known.

This has a knock-on effect on how much it truly costs to charge an electric vehicle.

According to research from the RAC, using the old standard variable rates (effective from 01 April until 30 September 2022), a driver was paying £18.37 to charge an electric car with a 64kWh battery.

With the new price cap in place, this has risen to £22.22 for a complete charge (0-100%).

Without the intervention of the government price cap, this could have risen further to £33.80.

The cost of public charging stations is complicating matters

It is believed that as many as one in three households do not have a garage or driveway where they can install a home ChargePoint. In these circumstances, drivers rely on pay-as-you-go options from publicly accessible charging stations to charge their electric cars.

We've spoken before about how the local infrastructure is improving, allowing Manchester motorists to benefit from rapid charge points and ultra-rapid chargers. There are currently 360 charge points in Greater Manchester, with 700 connectors available.

But the growing cost of these charging points is causing concern.

The RAC has set up a 'Charge Watch' campaign, which works in a similar way to their 'Fuel Watch' policy. The campaign aims to raise awareness of how much electric car drivers are paying to use the public charging infrastructure.

Their latest campaign figures make for interesting reading.

Over the past year, the cost of using a pay-as-you-go rapid charge has increased by a whopping 72%.

In September 2021, rapid charging points cost 36.74p per kWh. This rose to 44.55p in May 2022 before rising further to 63.29p per kWh in September 2022.

But what does this mean in practice?

Simply put, in September 2021, a driver using a rapid charge point was paying, on average, £18.81 to charge a 64kWh battery up to 80% capacity.

In May 2022, this cost increased to £22.81 before rising further to £32.41.

 (Data source: RAC Charge Watch)

How can this compare to petrol costs?

Now we've seen the price rises, how can we compare this to the cost of other fuels such as petrol or diesel?

Luckily, the RAC has worked out the calculations for us.

The motoring group have discovered that based upon an assumed average efficiency of 3.5 miles per kWh, electric car drivers are paying 18p per mile when charging an electric vehicle using a publicly available rapid charge station.

In contrast, if a petrol vehicle assumes an average mileage of 40mpg, drivers are paying 19p per mile – making them instantly comparable in costs.

Is it worth buying a second-hand electric car?

Used electric cars are still higher priced than second-hand petrol or diesel vehicles, but they have a clear environmental advantage. What's more, used EVs will be exempt from any charges within the Manchester Clean Air Zone, and you do not have to pay any car tax.

If your choice of second-hand car comes down solely to budget, you might find better value for money with a petrol or diesel engine. But ultimately, it depends on your driving habits and what you're looking for with your next used car.

At Dace, we have a wide variety of used electric cars for sale, and more stock is coming in weekly. Our sales team can answer any question you may have, and we can recommend what type of second-hand car is right for you.

To learn more about our range of used electric cars for sale across Manchester, please visit one of our four showrooms.

You can find us on Greg Street in Reddish, Buxton Road in Stockport, Manchester Road in Stockport, and Liverpool Road in Eccles.