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It can be nearly 30% MORE expensive to charge an EV than fill up a petrol car – here’s how

CHARGING an electric vehicle can be nearly 30 per cent more expensive than filling up a petrol car, according to new research.

What Car? drove two electric cars and their petrol-powered equivalents in a long-distance journey from London to Leeds.

A new study found that charging an EV can be nearly 30 per cent more expensive than filling up a petrol car
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A new study found that charging an EV can be nearly 30 per cent more expensive than filling up a petrol car

The trip's aim was to compare costs, topping up at motorway services using Ionity rapid chargers.

The fully electric Peugeot e-208 went head to head with the petrol-powered 208 Puretech 130.

While the larger BMW i4 M50 electric motor was compared with the closely related 4 Series Gran Coupé M440i petrol.

All of the vehicles started with a full battery or tank of fuel and were plugged in or brimmed to find out how much the journey had cost on arrival.

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But the 200 mile journey revealed some startling results for EV users.

Research found that the cost of charging an electric car at motorway services can be up to 28% higher than filling up with petrol.

The e-208 and i4 worked out £9.07 (28.4%) and £5.64 (10.8%) more expensive than their petrol equivalents respectively.

And the study noted that the differences would actually be even bigger now.

At the time of the test petrol prices were close to an all-time high with What Car? paying a whopping £1.99 per litre.

On the other hand, the 69p/kWh rate to access the Ionity rapid chargers that were used has remained the same since 2020.

What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: “When deciding whether an electric car is right for you, it’s important to consider how you would charge it.

"Even with energy bills going through the roof, an electric car should cost significantly less to run than any petrol alternative if you can top it up at home overnight.

"However, as our test has shown, lower fuel bills are certainly not a given if you’re relying on the public network, due to the high prices of some companies."

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Huntingford added: “The Ionity units that we used are some of the most convenient due to their fast charging speeds and the fact that there are usually several at each location, reducing the chances of you having to queue, but unfortunately you pay through the nose for that convenience."

For each motor, the petrol and electric cars had the same driving mode selected.

Plus, they were all driven at the speed limit where conditions permitted, with their climate control systems set to a pleasant 21 degrees.

It’s worth noting that anyone who buys a new BMW electric car gets a 12-month subscription to BMW Charging, paying only 26p/kWh to use Ionity chargers.

The full 69p/kWh rate only kicks in from the second year.

Despite this test, EVs should cost significantly less to run than any petrol alternative when charging at home overnight compared to the public charging carried out in this test.

What Car? is the UK’s leading consumer motoring champion and new car buying platform.

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