If you are considering making the switch to an electric car, then you’ve probably got questions about the running cost. In this blog, we will explain how much it costs to charge an electric car at home, at public charge points, at rapid charge points, and the cost of installation of a home charging point.
How much does charging an electric car cost at home?
The amount it costs to charge your car depends on the rate of electricity use in your home, but in the UK, it should cost between 10 and 14 pence per kWh. Assuming a charging rate of 14 pence per kWh, this means that fully charging a 60-kWh electric car to get 200 miles of range will cost around £8.40.
Just as internal combustion engine cars have different tank sizes, electric vehicles have different maximum capacities for how much charge they can take, based on the size of their batteries. This means that an electric car with a larger battery will cost more to fully charge, but you will also get more miles from that one charge than you would in a vehicle with a smaller battery.
How much does charging an electric car cost at a public charge point?
More and more places in the UK are installing public charge points. The UK supermarket Tesco offers free electric vehicle charging while customers shop at many of their Tesco Extra and Superstore sites. These charging points use 7-kW fast chargers, meaning an hour’s charge should get you around 30 miles range. Tesco’s charge points are also powered by renewable energy.
Supermarkets aren’t the only places to provide free EV charging; many car parks, hotels, accommodation sites and attractions offer the service. Some workplaces also have EV charging points, but whether these are free or not is up to the employer’s discretion.
How much does charging an electric car cost at a rapid charging point?
Rapid charging points are usually found at motorway service stations and are the fastest way to charge an electric car. These rapid charging points can fully charge the battery of an electric car in as little as 20 minutes, using 43-50kW charging.
Some rapid charging points are free, but they usually cost money to use and are the more expensive way to charge your car. There isn’t a standard rate for these rapid chargers, and the amount will be set by the provider, but Pod Point’s rapid chargers cost around 25p per kWh to use, which is still much cheaper than filing an ICE vehicle with petrol or diesel for the same mile range.
How much does it cost to buy the equipment to charge an electric car at home?
If you want to charge your vehicle overnight at home, then you will need to have a home charging point installed. The average cost of an electric vehicle home charging point in the UK is around £1000, depending on the installer you choose. However, the government’s OLEV grant can give you £500 towards the installation, and the Energy Saving Trust offers additional grants to homeowners in Scotland.
Once you’ve had your charging point installed, you’ll need to purchase the relevant cables and sockets for your vehicle type. You can take a look at our range of EV charging cables and sockets by Degson.
