Electric cars were hailed as the greener and cheaper way forward… but they actually cost MORE
Electric cars have been hailed as the greener and cheaper way forward… but they actually cost MORE to run than petrol cars
They were hailed as a cheaper – and greener – alternative to petrol cars.
But it has now emerged that electric cars could now cost more to run than their gas-guzzling counterparts – and could be riddled with potholes on Britain’s roads.
With electricity prices rising, charging cars at major public points can now cost nearly £50, often making them more expensive to run than a petrol alternative.
Oil giants BP and Shell – which oversee the UK’s largest charging networks – charge 79p and 85p per kWh respectively. In May 2022 you could charge at a rate of 44.55 pence per kWh.
Meanwhile, the price of petrol has dropped to around 144p a litre, meaning it costs £72 to fill up a typical car. As a result, the cost per kilometer for the electric VW ID.3 is 21.43p, compared to 13.03p for VW’s petrol equivalent, the Golf 1.5L, according to The Sun.
It has emerged that electric cars could now cost more to run than their gas-guzzling counterparts – and could be ridding Britain’s roads with potholes (File image)
With electricity prices rising, charging cars at major public points can now cost nearly £50, often making them more expensive to run than a petrol alternative (File image)
RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘When you charge at home the running costs are much cheaper. But that is only possible for those who have a driveway and can place a home charger on their house.’
He urged the government to reduce VAT on public chargers from 20 to 5 percent to match the rate charged on household electricity.
The sheer weight of electric vehicles can also cause more potholes, according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance. Due to their large batteries, electric vehicles are usually more than twice as heavy as average cars.
On Saturday, Mr Bean star Rowan Atkinson said in an interview that he feels ‘cheated’ into buying an e-car.
“When you begin to examine the facts, electric driving doesn’t quite seem to be the panacea for the environment it purports to be,” he wrote.