How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

Electric cars can cost hundreds of pounds less to charge per year compared to filling the same size car with petrol or diesel – at least for those who can charge at home.

How much it costs to charge an electric car depends on where you charge it. To put it plainly: if you have off-street parking and a home charger, you'll have access to the cheapest rates and you'll save a considerable amount of money compared to paying for petrol or diesel.

Read on to find out how much charging at home costs and how it varies depending on which car you own.

Best electric cars: discover the EVs that aced our in-depth lab tests

Charging at home to get cheaper

On 23 February 2024, Ofgem announced a new domestic unit price of 24.5p per kWh.

This new rate started from 1 April 2024 and, compared to the previous unit price, means an average decrease of £96 per year to run an electric car (or 0.1 pence per mile), when charging from home.

What it really costs to charge an electric car

The typical annual mileage is 7,050 miles according to our latest survey. These costs below use a price per unit of 28.62p per kWh, which was the standard unit cost of electricity from 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2024.

• 7p to 8p per mile (or £538 to £580 over a year) to run a dinky-sized city cars, such as the VW E-Up or a small hatchback like the Renault Zoe.
• 9p per mile (or £599 to £610 over a year) for medium and large cars, such as the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model 3 respectively. It's a similar amount for compact SUVs, such as the Hyundai Kona.
• 10p per mile (or £691 over a year) for medium large SUVs like the Audi e-tron.

As of 1 April 2024, the standard unit price of electricity will decreased to 24.5p per kWh, so those charging at home will see their costs decrease by an average of around £96 per year, or by 0.1p per mile.

But that's for people charging at home on a standard tariff. On such a rate, a typical large-size electric car (similar size to Tesla Model 3) would cost around 9.2p per mile.

To get the lowest costs available, there are special electric car/off-peak tariffs at home that you can take advantage of. If you charge during off-peak times when the cost of electricity is low, it would mean you're paying just 2.4p per mile. That's a colossal saving compared to all other fuel types and charge rates, and only free chargers will beat this.

Conversely, that cost could go up to 24p per mile when using regular public chargers, or 27p per mile if you're using the more expensive rapid/ultra-rapid chargers. That makes it more expensive than the same sized petrol or diesel car per mile.

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Which electric cars cost the least to charge?

In the same way that a petrol or diesel car can either be fuel efficient or a thirsty fuel drinker, there are differences in how efficiently electric cars use the power from their batteries.

Unlike traditional combustion cars, there is also some energy lost when charging an electric car. This is because it takes more electricity to charge a battery than a battery can hold. We refer to this as loss of charge, and some cars/batteries suffer more than others.

Our electricity consumption figures takes account of how much electricity a car uses when driving and incorporates loss of charge to create a more realistic idea of power use. 

You’ll find out running costs for every car tested since 2012, electric or otherwise, in our car reviews. Here, we’ve pulled out some of the most energy-efficient electric cars from our independent tests. We show you how much they cost to charge at home on a variable tariff, and give example costs of charging using the public infrastructure.

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Most efficient overall: Hyundai Ioniq 6 (2022-)

• Large car class
• Electricity consumption: 4.02 miles per kWh or 15.5kWh per 100km
• Performance: 229hp
• Battery capacity: 77.4kWh
• Required to fill battery to 100%: 86.3kWh

Running costs

How much it costs to run this version of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 based on charging location and rate. Diesel and petrol comparisons also shown.

At 61p per kWh you start paying more per mile than you would do for an equivalent diesel version of the same sized car.

Hyundai (and related brand Kia), are industry leaders when it comes to making efficient electric cars. The Ioniq 6 is only the third car we've ever tested to achieve more than 4 miles per kWh in our tough tests, but the first two cars (the VW e-Up (2014-2023) and Hyundai Ioniq Electric (2016-2022) respectively) both had very small batteries with a small capacity: both under 30kWh. Smaller batteries make cars lighter and more efficient, but a smaller kWh capacity naturally reduces the maximum single range, so while they were efficient, the range is not impressive by today's standards.

By comparison, the much newer Ioniq 6 has a large 77kWh battery which combined with the car's staggering efficiency gifts the owner a very usable mileage from a single charge. To put it in perspective, the class average is currently 3.1kWh, which makes the Ioniq 6 roughly 30% more efficient than the typical large electric car.

How many miles did the Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 do in our tough independent tests? And is it spacious and comfortable? Read our Hyundai Ioniq 6 (2022-) review to find out.

Efficient city or small hatchback: Fiat 500e cabriolet (2020-) 

• Electricity consumption: 3.581 miles per kWh or 17.4kWh per 100km
• Performance: 118hp
• Battery capacity: 37.3kWh
• Required to fill battery to 100%: 42.9kWh

Running costs

How much it costs to run this version of the Fiat 500e based on charging location and rate. Diesel and petrol comparisons also shown.

Once you start paying 49p per kWh, you start paying more per mile than you would do for an equivalent petrol version of the same sized car.

The dinky 500e is an electric version of Fiat's iconic city car. The convertible version we've tested came with a 42kWh battery and a claim of 188 miles on a single charge. We found the car nippy and agile, but there is some compromise.

Get the full picture by reading our Fiat 500e convertible (2020-) review.

Efficient medium-size hatchback or saloon: Renault Megane E-Tech Electric (2022-) 

• Electricity consumption: 3.2 miles per kWh or 19.2kWh per 100km
• Performance: 218hp
• Battery capacity: 60kWh
• Required to fill battery to 100%: 70.4kWh

Running costs

How much it costs to run this version of the Renault Megane E-Tech based on charging location and rate. Diesel and petrol equivalents also shown.

Once you start paying 42p per kWh, you start paying more per mile than you would do for an equivalent diesel version of the same sized car.

This isn't just a Megane that's been converted to run on electricity. The Megane E-Tech Electric is the first vehicle to be built on Renault's newest electric-car platform (dubbed CMF-EV), and shares nothing with its petrol-powered sibling of the same name.

Straight out of the gate, it's the class leader in terms of efficiency. With the lowest pence-per-mile cost of all its competitors and a 200+ mile range from a single charge in our tough tests, it should be on the radar of anyone wanting an EV that keeps the daily running costs to a minimum.

Read more by heading to our Renault Megane E-Tech Electric (2022-) review.

Efficient compact/small SUV: Kia Niro EV (2022-)

• Electricity consumption: 3.465 miles per kWh or 17.9kWh per 100km
• Performance: 204hp
• Battery capacity: 64.8kWh
• Required to fill battery to 100%: 74kWh

Running costs

How much it costs to run this version of the Kia Niro EV based on charging location and rate. Diesel and petrol comparisons also shown.

Once you start paying 51p per kWh, you start paying more per mile than you would do for an equivalent diesel version of the same sized car.

Kia (and related brand Hyundai), are particularly good at making their electric cars efficient, which means more range per charge and lower running costs for you. But while this small family SUV has an impressive range, one drawback we found is the car's maximum DC charge rate of 80kW. Put simply, it means this car won't charge as quickly as some others at rapid charging stations (like you'd find at a motorway service station), but there is a silver lining - you don't need to shell out for the priciest 150kW+ chargers.

It's cheap to run and comes with a full five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, but is it practical enough to handle life as a family car? Find out by diving into our Kia Niro EV (2022-) review.

Efficient mid/large SUV: Skoda Enyaq Coupé iV vRS (2022-)

• Electricity consumption: 3.2 miles per kWh or 19.5kWh per 100km
• Performance: 299hp
• Battery capacity: 77kWh
• Required to fill battery to 100%: 88.2kWh

Running costs

How much it costs to run this version of the Skoda Enyaq Coupé iV VRS based on charging location and rate. Diesel and petrol comparisons also shown.

Once you start paying 56p per kWh, you start paying more per mile than you would do for an equivalent diesel version of the same sized car.

Lets start with a warning: the Enyaq Coupé iV VRs is a performance version of the also impressive Skoda Enyaq SUV. So if you drive aggressively, you're going to somewhat dent its energy efficiency and you'll increase how much it costs per mile. But drive sensibly (and this car is still spacious and comfortable enough to be a great family car option), and it turns into the most efficient medium/large SUV to date, with running costs slightly cheaper than the average medium-sized hatchback.

Efficient family SUV, performance car or both? Find out by reading our Skoda Enyaq Coupé iV vRS (2022-) review.

Least efficient electric car in our tests: Mercedes EQV (2020-) people carrier

• Electricity consumption: 2 miles per kWh or 30.9kWh per 100km
• Performance: 204hp
• Battery capacity: 90kWh
• Required to fill battery to 100%: 100.6kWh

Running costs

How much it costs to run this version of the Mercedes EQV based on charging location and rate. Diesel and petrol comparisons also shown.

Once you start paying 32p per kWh, you start paying more per mile than you would do for an equivalent diesel version of the same sized car – meaning even those who can charge from home and are paying 27.35p per kWh will not save much money compared to petrol and diesel MPV equivalents.

The Mercedes-Benz EQV is the least efficient electric car we’ve tested to date. It may have been able to travel 200 miles on a single charge in our tests, but that’s thanks to its massive 90kWh battery. We've seen more efficient electric cars with the same size battery travel nearly 100 miles further on a single charge.

Looking for a luxury all-electric people carrier? Mercedes-Benz EQV (2020-) review.

Where can I charge my electric car for free?

Yes, you really can charge your electric car for free. Various businesses and attractions offer free charging, as well as retail parks and regular car parks. The catch is that it’s typically for paying customers of that business, and in some places, parking restrictions/fees may still apply.

Zap-Map is one of the most useful resources to today's electric car driver. Its app and website has mapped over 95% of the available chargers in the UK (no one has 100%).

You can use the filters on the Zap-Map website to look for charge points and filter by network, plug types, whether you can pay by bank card and more. You can also filter by free charging points (go to the 'Payment' filter, then select 'free to use'). 

The public charging infrastructure is complicated and could feel overwhelming at first. We'll help you get to grips with it – find out what you need to know in our guide on how to use electric car charging points.

Why can charging an electric car be more expensive than petrol, diesel or hybrids?

With very few exceptions, it should always be cheaper to charge your electric car at home. But if you're using charging points away from home, you could end up paying up more than any other car type.

Those using rapid and ultra-rapid chargers (the fastest way to get electricity into your car) are particularly at risk from paying more than their fossil fuel counterparts.

As an example, our lab tests show that medium-sized electric hatchbacks like the VW ID.3 use an average of 3.167 miles per kWh in our tests. That means a car this size will use 2,226.1kWh over 7,050 miles – the average annual mileage from our latest survey.

If you were to pay 41p per kWh that would mean you’re paying 12.9p per mile. That’s slightly more expensive than the equivalent-sized diesel car.

Unfortunately, public charging continues to become more expensive. AC chargers typically cost 50p per kWh and above. Rapid DC chargers cost as much as 85p per kWh. Meaning that the owner of a typical medium-sized electric car will pay more to charge their car using a public charger compared to fueling the same sized car with diesel.  

If you don't want to pay more per mile for electricity than you would for petrol or diesel, use our information below.

Small hatchbacks and coupés

Average running costs for small cars (similar size to the Renault Zoe). Based on the class average of 3.325mi/kWh as recorded in Which? tests.

Looking at fuel costs alone:

• At 48p per kWh you'll start paying more per mile than a petrol owner.

Medium hatchbacks and coupés

Average running costs for medium-sized hatchbacks and coupés (similar size to the VW ID.3 hatchback). Based on the class average of 3.167mi/kWh as recorded in Which? tests.

Looking at fuel costs alone:

• At 41p per kWh, you'll start paying more per mile than a diesel owner.
• At 52p per kWh you'll start paying more per mile than a petrol owner.

Large hatchbacks, saloons and coupés

Average running costs for large cars (similar size to the Tesla Model 3 hatchback). Based on the class average of 3.134mi/kWh as recorded in Which? tests.

Looking at fuel costs alone:

• At 47p per kWh, you'll start paying more per mile than a diesel owner.
• At 61p per kWh you'll start paying more per mile than a petrol owner.

*The large car class has a number of petrol-powered performance and luxury performance cars, which reduces the average fuel efficiency. 

Compact/small SUVs

Average running costs for smaller SUVs and crossovers (similar size to the Hyundai Kona). Based on an average of 3.098mi/kWh as recorded in Which? tests.

Looking at fuel costs alone:

• At 46p per kWh, you'll start paying more per mile than a diesel owner.
• At 51p per kWh you'll start paying more per mile than a petrol owner.

Medium/large SUVs

Average running costs for smaller SUVs and crossovers (similar size to the Audi eTron SUV). Based on an average of 2.782mi/kWh as recorded in Which? tests.

Looking at fuel costs alone:

• At 49p per kWh, you'll start paying more per mile than a diesel owner.
• At 51p per kWh you'll start paying more per mile than a petrol owner.

Tables updated November 2023. Petrol rate is 150.25p per litre, diesel rate is 157.42p per litre, taken from RAC's Fuel Watch. Per year figures based on driving 7,050 miles – the average annual mileage consumers told us they drive in the latest Which? car survey.

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