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Gasoline cars can outperform electric vehicles in terms of cost on long-haul journeys, as public charges outweigh fuel prices
- A new Niro hybrid petrol costs more to fill up, but can double the range
- But electric vehicle drivers usually charge at home, which is much cheaper
- There are rising costs for public charges; 40% of the public does not have access to it at home
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Electric vehicles can be more expensive to fuel on public roads than their petrol and diesel equivalents as utility costs continue to rise.
Pricing structures at national charging networks mean the cost could be three times the cost of refueling fossil fuels on a mileage basis, given the longer range of petrol and diesel cars.
The Daily Mail found the new Kia Niro EV would cost £51.19 to charge from empty via the Osprey network for an estimated range of 450 miles.
The new Niro (mild) hybrid petrol variant would cost £64.70 to fill up at the current average UK petrol price of £1.54/litre. While that’s more than the electric vehicle (EV), it can more than double the range, making it cheaper mile-per-mile.
Electric vehicles may be more expensive to fill up on public roads than their petrol and diesel equivalents as utility costs continue to rise
Analysis by the Daily Mail found that the cost of filling the fuel tank of a mild-hybrid petrol Kia Niro (left) is £64.70, while the all-electric Niro EV costs £51.19 to charge with a public device. However, the petrol version can travel almost twice as far
Comparison of the electric VW ID.3 with the equivalent Golf 2.0 TDI 115 diesel gives a comparable result.
The latter’s published range of 888 miles is more than three times that of the ID.3 for less than twice the refill cost: £45.82 versus £79.92.
But the numbers don’t mean EVs are generally more expensive to drive, as most drivers mainly charge at home, which is usually much cheaper, and use roadside chargers only for top-ups on longer journeys.
EVs also have fewer moving parts, making them less likely to break down and cheaper to maintain.
But with an estimated 40 per cent of the public unable to access a driveway to conveniently charge at home, the rising cost of public charging will be a concern in Whitehall ahead of the ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030.
The Mail’s investigation comes after AutoTrader reported a drop in new EV filings amid the cost of living crisis.
They accounted for 19 percent of inquiries sent to dealers in November, up from 27 percent in June.
Pricing structures at national charging networks mean costs could be three times the cost of refueling with fossil fuels on a mileage basis, given the longer range of petrol and diesel cars (file image)
Ginny Buckley, founder and CEO of EV car website Electrifying.com, said a VW ID.3 would still be 47 to 88 percent cheaper to charge at home compared to fueling a petrol equivalent at a gas station.
She pointed out that destination chargers at supermarkets or public car parks are often cheaper than the ‘fast’ or ‘ultra-fast’ roadside units.
Ms Buckley added: ‘It’s with ultra-fast chargers that drivers will see the biggest difference; if the costs exceed 64 p/kWh, driving an average-sized petrol car becomes cheaper.
“However, most drivers will only use the most expensive chargers like this for ‘take me home’ top-ups rather than a full charge.”
Last year Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said battery vehicles will no longer be exempt from tax.
From 2025, zero emissions cars registered from April 2017 will pay the lowest rate of £10 in the first year and then move to the standard annual rate of £165.