EV charging costs highlighted in new study
A lack of regulation and information leads to wide price variations for vehicle charging
Electric vehicle (EV) drivers can pay more than four times as much for the same amount of electricity.
Results from a study carried out by What Car? has highlighted the dramatic variations.
Charging a BMW iX3, with an 80kWh battery, from 10%-80% could cost between £9.32 and £40.66. This is a result of the different tariffs and charges offered across the UK charging network.
Home benefits
BP’s Pulse 7.4kW pay-as-you-go tariff was the cheapest found, costing £9.32 for the iX3. This cost of £0.18 per kWh.
Other providers were found to offer cheaper kWh rates. However, they often required a subscription fee or one-off payment. Over the long-term they can work out cheaper.
Charging up at home is still the cheapest option, with the 10-80% boost for the iX3’s batteries costing £7.25.
Counting the cost
Source London Flexi (7.4kW) delivered the most expensive charge in the study – £40.66 . It was roughly four times more expensive despite providing the same 7.4kW charging speed as BP Pulse.
Available to London residents in Camden, Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster, the fee includes a £10 one-off charge and £0.073 per minute tariff. The 80% charge also required two ‘trips’ to the charger, which automatically stopped charging after four hours.
Outside London, Ionity’s rapid 350kW network proved most expensive, with a £0.69 per kWh fee to use its rapid chargers. The 80% charge only takes 35 minutes, compared with more than seven hours using a slower 7.4kW charger.
Changing landscapes
As we previously reported, the government has launched a consultation on public charging points. As part of this, it is investigating different providers, their charges, speeds and quality of maintenance.
“Unlike petrol and diesel prices, which are relatively stable across the country, tariffs for the UK’s public charging network can vary wildly due to different electricity and subscription fees”, says What Car? editor Steve Huntingford. “Our research highlights the importance of doing your research before you leave home to find the most cost-effective way to make your journey.”
Among the key points in the consultation is a proposal that charge point operators have to be more open. They need to make pricing, location and power output data information clear and readily available to the public.
The Government believes this is essential for ensuring costs are fair. It also improves competition and increases public confidence. This, in turn, will encourage a faster take up of EVs.
Cost of charging a BMW iX3 (80kWh), according to What Car?’s study:
| Network and tariff | Monthly fee (£) | Fee per charge (£) | Cost per kWh (£/kWh) | Total 10-80% charge cost (£) |
| Source London Flexi (7.4kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.073 per min |
40.66 |
| Source London Flexi (22kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.13 per min |
38.79 |
| Ionity (350kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.69 per min |
35.74 |
| Source London PAYG (7.4kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.084 per min |
35.28 |
| Source London Full (7.4kW) |
4.00 |
0.00 |
0.05 per min |
25.00 |
| Source London PAYG (22kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.157 per min |
22.18 |
| BP Pulse subscription (150kW) |
7.85 |
0.00 |
0.27 per min |
21.84 |
| BP Pulse PAYG (150kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.42 per mi |
21.76 |
| BP Pulse PAYG contactless (150kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.42 per min |
21.76 |
| Shell Recharge (43kW, 50kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.39 per min |
20.20 |
| ESB subscription London (50kW) |
4.99 |
0.00 |
0.28 per min |
19.49 |
| Source London Full (22kW) |
4.00 |
0.00 |
0.109 per min |
19.40 |
| Osprey (22kW to 50kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.36 per min |
18.65 |
| Instavolt (50kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.35 per min |
18.13 |
| Geniepoint London (43kW, 50kW) |
0.00 |
1.80 |
0.30 per min |
17.34 |
| Char.gy PAYG (7kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.33 per min |
17.09 |
| Ubitricity SmartCable Membership (7.4kW) |
7.99 |
0.19 |
0.16 per min |
16.57 |
| Geniepoint Rapid (43kW, 50kW) |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.30 per min |
16.54 |
| ESB contactless London (50kW) |
0.00 |
0.50 |
0.30 per min |
16.04 |
| Geniepoint (7kW, 22kW) |
0.00 |
0.50 |
0.30 per min |
16.04 |
| BP Pulse subscription (50kW) |
7.85 |
0.00 |
0.15 per min |
15.62 |
| BP Pulse PAYG contactless (50kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.3per min |
15.54 |
| Ecotricity (43kW, 50kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.3per min |
15.54 |
| ESB PAYG London (50kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.30 per min |
15.54 |
| BP Pulse subscription (7kW) |
7.85 |
0.00 |
0.12 per min |
14.07 |
| BP Pulse PAYG (50kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.25 per min |
12.95 |
| Ubitricity PAYG (7.4kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.24 per min |
12.43 |
| Pod Point (43kW, 50kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.23 per min |
11.91 |
| BP Pulse PAYG (7.4kW) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.18 per min |
9.32 |
