How Much Does Charging an Electric Car Cost?

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 used in your home, but in the UK, generally the cost is between £0.10p and £0.14p per kWh. Assuming a charging rate of £0.14p 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, this is generally 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 likely 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?

Many places in the UK are now 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 most expensive way to charge your car. There isn’t a standard rate for these rapid chargers as the amount is set by the provider, but Pod Point’s rapid chargers, as present, cost around £0.25p per kWh to use, however this is still much cheaper than filling an internal combustion engine vehicle with either 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. EasbyEV has the perfect EV cable whatever your requirement, we offer Type 1 cables and Type 2 cables in various lengths and power ratings, all our EV cables come with a 2-year warranty and are quality tested in our factory prior to despatch.