When deciding on which type of new car to get, knowing how much it will cost to run is an important part of the decision-making process. EVs can be relatively cheap to run, but it does depend on when, where and how you charge them.
This article will guide you on the cost to charge an EV using public chargepoints. Or, to put it another way, ‘charging on the go’.
Contents
- How to work out the cost of fully charging an EV
- Charging your EV on the go
- Factors affecting the cost of charging on the go
- Charging on the go versus charging at home
- Comparing EV charging costs with the equivalent petrol car
- Top tips to save you money when using public chargepoints
How to work out the cost of fully charging an EV
While it’s very unlikely you will ever charge your car from zero to 100%, there is a quick trick you can do to work out roughly how much it will cost you to charge your car.
It’s like the driver of a petrol or diesel car using the cost of a full tank to measure how expensive their car is to run. Here’s a simple formula you can use to work out the rough costs for any EV.
You can also use Zapmap’s public charging cost calculator to estimate the cost to fully or partially charge your electric car when using the public charging network.
Charging your EV on the go
If you charge at home using a home chargepoint, working out how much it costs to power up your EV is quite straightforward. But if you’re relying on the public chargepoints, the cost can vary a lot.
To help you understand how much you’re likely to pay to charge your EV on the go, we’ll look at factors that affect the cost. Then we’ll give you some example costs and compare the cost of using the public charging network with the cost of using a home chargepoint. Finally, we’ll compare the cost of charging an EV to the cost of fuelling a petrol car.
Factors affecting the cost of charging electric vehicles on the go
The cost to charge your EV away from home depends on several things. These are:
- Chargepoint location (for example, charging an EV at motorway services usually costs more)
- The specific network you use (some energy networks charge more than others)
- Energy cost (the price or ‘tariff’ charged by the energy supplier in pence per kilowatt hour, or kWh, at any given time. Some charge a flat rate, and some have peak and off-peak rates)
- The speed you choose to charge at (for example, slow, fast, rapid or ultra-rapid)
- If you have a subscription to an energy provider (this usually means you’ll pay less than if you ‘pay as you go’)
- Your EV battery’s capacity (the bigger your battery, the more it will cost to charge)
Charging on the go versus charging at home
Average cost of using a public chargepoint
| Charging speed | Cost per kWh | Cost of a full charge ** | Cost per mile |
| Slow | 50p | £22.00 | 11.1p |
| Fast | 59p | £25.96 | 13.0p |
| Rapid | 73p | £32.12 | 16.1p |
| Ultra-rapid | 77p | £33.88 | 17.0p |
If the energy provider does not charge a flat rate, as shown in the table above, then the cost per kWh will vary according to whether you charge up your EV at a peak or off-peak time. Peak times are set by the government as being between 8am to 11am, and 4pm to 10pm on weekdays. Peak time charges can be as much as 31p per kWh more than off-peak rates.
Typical cost of using a home chargepoint
| Charging type | Cost per kWh † | Cost of a full charge † † | Cost per mile † † |
| Home (off-peak/EV rate) | 7p | £3.08 | 1.5p |
| Home (standard rate) | 25p | £11.00 | 5.5p |
As you can see, the cost of charging an EV at home is considerably less than using a public chargepoint. However, slower public chargepoints in residential areas are typically priced at
49–63p per kWh, which brings the cost of public charging a little closer to that of home charging. And off-peak ‘fast’ public charging fell by as much as 28% in December last year.
Occasionally, you may come across a free public chargepoint. You’re more likely to find these if you subscribe to a network, such as bp pulse.
According to What Car? the average fuel consumption of Citroen’s 1.2 litre C3, the petrol version of the EV used in the cost calculations above, is 52 miles per gallon (MPG).
This means that, at the current average cost of unleaded petrol of 139p per litre, or £6.32 per gallon, the cost of fuelling the petrol C3 is 8.2p per mile.
Citroen C3 EV versus Citroen C3 1.2 petrol
| Fuel type | Cost per mile |
| Home charging (EV) | 1.5 to 5.5p |
| Public charging (EV) | 11.1 to17.0p |
| Petrol car | 8.2p |
Did you know?
If you cannot get a home chargepoint and it’s your first fully electric car on the Scheme, we’ll offer you a subscription to the bp pulse network and a Motability Go Charge
Here are some ways you can reduce the cost of charging on the go:
- Where possible, use the slower chargepoints in residential areas
- Try not to charge at peak times
- Get a subscription to an energy provider, which will help you find the best price for charging your EV and even some free chargepoints
- Ask a friend who lives nearby if you can use their home charging point
Interested in leasing a new EV on the Motability Scheme?
If you receive a qualifying mobility allowance you can use it to lease an EV on the Motability Scheme. The Scheme’s all-inclusive lease package means that when you lease an EV for the first time, you can get a home chargepoint.
We’ll arrange and cover the cost of the chargepoint and a standard installation. You’ll also get insurance, breakdown cover, servicing and maintenance included in the price you pay.
If you cannot get a home chargepoint and it’s your first fully electric car on the Scheme, we’ll offer you a subscription to the bp pulse network and a Motability Go Charge card.
Related articles
Electric cars available on the Motability Scheme
Electric Cars: Information and Driver’s Guide
Electric car charger basics: EV connector types and charging cables
