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.

Those who can't charge from home will have to rely on public charging points, which cost more. Community charging is also an option – this is where people can rent their charger to EV owners via services like Co-Charger or JustCharge – see our guide on how to use electric car charging points.

The fastest way to charge an electric car is to use a public rapid or ultra-rapid charging point, but that's also the most expensive way to keep your electric vehicle running. You could easily end up paying more per mile than a petrol or diesel car when using these chargers. 

However, some public charge points are free to use and we can show you how to find them.

Keep reading to find out all you need to know about how much it costs to charge an electric car. Plus, we reveal the cheapest (and the most expensive) electric cars to run.

Interested in selling your current model? Read our guide on how to how to sell a car

What it really costs to charge an electric car: a quick guide

Based on our independent tests, here's a rough idea of how much you're likely to pay per mile and the costs over a year if you can charge from home.

The typical annual mileage is 8,100 miles according to our latest survey and these costs use a price per unit of 33.2p per kWh, which will be the average unit cost of electricity from April 2023 in line with the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG). It's due to be revised again for July 2023.

• 9.5p to 10.1p per mile (or £770 to £821 over a year) to run a dinky-sized city cars, such as the VW E-Up or a small hatchback like the Renault Zoe.
• 10.1p to 13.3p per mile (or £815 to £1,076 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.
• 11.1p to 15.1p per mile (or £896 to £1,222 over a year) for medium large SUVs like the Audi e-tron.

But that's for people charging at home on a standard tariff. On such a rate, a typical large-size electric car (such as Tesla Model 3) would cost around 10.8p 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 3.9p 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 16.3p per mile when using public chargers, or 25.7p per mile if you're using the most 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.

All of our expert electric car reviews tell you what a car costs to run for a year, so you can compare prices and make sure you don't get caught out.

Most efficient overall: Hyundai Kona Electric (2018-) compact/small SUV

• Electricity consumption: 3.7 miles per kWh or 16.7kWh per 100km
• Performance: 204hp
• Battery capacity: 64kWh
• Required to fill battery to 100%: 72.8kWh

Running costs

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

Once you start paying 58p 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 particularly good at making their electric cars efficient, which means more range per charge and lower running costs. The Kona was among the first electric small SUV crossovers to grace dealerships, we re-tested it in 2020 following an update to the model. In our tests, we found the updated version is even more efficient than the original, with a phenomenally low consumption rate of just 16.7kWh/100km – this makes it the most efficient electric car you can currently buy new. 

It might have been among the first of its kind, but how is it holding up against current competition? Find out by diving into our Hyundai Kona electric (2018-) review.

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

• Electricity consumption: 3.6 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 50p per kWh, you start paying more per mile than you would do for an equivalent diesel 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.

Most 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 43p 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.

Most efficient large hatchback or saloon: Tesla Model 3 (2019-) 

• Electricity consumption: 3.7 miles per kWh or 16.8kWh per 100km
• Performance: 325hp
• Battery capacity: 60kWh
• Required to fill battery to 100%: 70.5kWh

Running costs

How much it costs to run this version of the Tesla Model 3 based on charging location and rate. Diesel and petrol equivalents also shown.

Once you start paying 59p per kWh, you start paying more per mile than you would do for an equivalent diesel version of the same sized car.

We've tested several versions of Tesla's Model 3, but the Standard trim, which replaced the discontinued Standard Plus model, is currently the most efficient large electric hatchback you can buy new according to our tests. This despite it taking 70.5kWh to fill the 60kWh battery – and our efficiency figures are based on the former (the amount of power it takes to fill the battery).

Our test car had Tesla's lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery in it. This battery comes with caveats, including that Tesla recommends you fully charge to 100% at least once per week, park with sentry mode disabled when possible and charge it to 100% at your earliest convenience if left parked for a week – but it also comes with a 305-mile claimed range.

Tempted by Tesla? We'd highly recommend reading our Tesla Model 3 review before spending your money.

Most 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 57p per kWh, you start paying more per mile than you would do for an equivalent petrol 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 33p per kWh, you start paying more per mile than you would do for an equivalent petrol version of the same sized car – meaning only those on an off-peak tariff will save 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 3.1 miles per kWh in our tests. That means a car this size will use 2614.6kWh over 8,100 miles – the average annual mileage from our latest survey.

If you were to pay 42p per kWh or more to charge it – and many rapid or ultra-rapid points currently charge more than 60p per kWh – you’d pay 13.6p per mile, or £1,098.13 over a year. That’s the same fuel cost as an equivalent-sized diesel car.

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 an average of 3.325mi/kWh as recorded in Which? tests.

Looking at fuelling costs alone:

• At 47p 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 an average of 3.098mi/kWh as recorded in Which? tests.

Looking at fuelling costs alone:

• At 42p per kWh, you'll start paying more per mile than a diesel owner.
• At 50p 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 an average of 3.076mi/kWh as recorded in Which? tests.

Looking at fuelling costs alone:

• At 42p per kWh, you'll start paying more per mile than a diesel owner.
• At 50p 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 worsens 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 3.097mi/kWh as recorded in Which? tests.

Looking at fuelling costs alone:

• At 48p per kWh, you'll start paying more per mile than a diesel owner.
• At 50p 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 2.739mi/kWh as recorded in Which? tests.

Looking at fuelling costs alone:

• At 51p per kWh, you'll start paying more per mile than a diesel owner.
• At 48p per kWh you'll start paying more per mile than a petrol owner.

Tables updated March 2023. Petrol rate is 147.56p per litre, diesel rate is 166.92p per litre, taken from RAC's Fuel Watch. Per year figures based on driving 8,100 miles – the average annual mileage consumers told us they drive in the latest Which? car survey.

Use the results of our independent lab and road tests to help you choose your next car – see our expert pick of the best electric cars.

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