How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car?

Costs of charging specific cars

According to Department for Transport data used in a recent Next Green Car vehicle article, the top 3 selling vehicles of 2020 to date in the UK are:

1. Tesla Model 3
2. Nissan Leaf
3. Renault Zoe

According to the manufacturers of these vehicles, the costs to charge each fully at home is:

Tesla Model 3 – £9.60 (per charge) or £24.78 per month*

Nisan Leaf – £5.76 (per charge) or £21.15 per month*

Renault Zoe – £8.00 (per charge) or £20.14 per month*

*Per month cost equals the average number of miles per UK driver divided by real-life range of car multiplied by the cost of charge

To compare this to the most popular car in the UK at present, the Ford FIesta based on an average fuel price of £1.15 per litre, the monthly cost for fuel is £79.41 – between 3 and 4 times more expensive.

Where will you be charging your electric vehicle?

Charging your electric car is different from a traditional way of refuelling. No longer is the petrol station the only source of fuel. You’ve got it integrated into your daily life. Typically there will be three locations you can charge:

Charging Your Vehicle At Home

As we noted above, the average cost per charge depends on the vehicle you’re driving. However, you almost have to consider the efficiency of your charging point.

If you’re charging from a standard three-point plug, the average cost per full charge is between £5 and £10.

However, there are other factors to consider. With a dedicated vehicle charging point, your vehicle can be charged in fewer hours and you can programme your system to charge your vehicle outside of peak electricity hours.

Depending on your electricity tariff, this could lead to further savings.

Charging Your Car At Work

There are free charges to be had. Many employers are seeing the value of giving additional perks to their staff and the added benefits of going green and encouraging their employees to do the same. Therefore, schemes exist in workplaces across the UK where you can charge your vehicle for free OR at a heavily subsidised rate.

What’s better than cheaper fuel? Free fuel!

Charging at a charging station

It’s not just your employer that offers free charging. So do a number of public charging points for a variety of reasons.

However, with the good news comes the bad news….just like with standard fuel, there are places where it costs more to fuel your vehicle. 

According to what car, the average cost to charge your vehicle in full at a public fueling station slow charger is around £13.

While this is still substantially less than traditional fuel, the evidence clearly shows planning your charging for at home or work is much more economical.