{"id":7045,"date":"2020-08-16T12:07:19","date_gmt":"2020-08-16T10:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=7045"},"modified":"2020-08-16T12:07:19","modified_gmt":"2020-08-16T10:07:19","slug":"electric-car-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/08\/16\/electric-car-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How much does it cost to charge an electric car? Running costs explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Owning an electric car, in this day and age, is becoming increasingly easy to justify. Aside from ever-expanding model line-ups, longer ranges, widening infrastructure and impressive performance figures, there are countless benefits \u2013 such as environmental brownie points, tax grants, and exemption from certain charges and fees. More to the point, owning an electric car can also serve up exceptionally low running costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make no mistake: choose an electric car wisely and it will potentially be less costly to run than a conventional petrol or diesel car. You\u2019ll also never need to visit a petrol station for refuelling again, either, scrapping yet another motoring-related annoyance in the process. Want to find out just how much you could save? Read on to find out\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

How to calculate running costs for an electric vehicle (EV)<\/span><\/h2>\n

The capacity of an electric car\u2019s battery is expressed in kilowatt hours (kWh), which is a measure of the energy storage available in the cells. A Tesla Model S<\/a> packs a 100kWh battery, for example, whereas the latest Nissan Leaf<\/a> comes with a 40kWh battery in standard form. So, to calculate how much it costs to charge your car, simply look at the cost of electricity (either your home supply or at a public charging point) and do the maths.<\/span><\/p>\n

In simple terms, the maths is: Size of battery (kWh) <\/strong>x Electricity cost of your supplier (pence per kilowatt hour) <\/strong>= Cost to charge an electric car from absolutely empty to full.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before. In this handy explainer, we’ll show you how to crunch the numbers yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"CAR<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s consider a 100kWh Tesla Model S<\/a>. A typical public rapid charging point in the UK might cost around 30p per kWh, so the total outlay is 100 x 30p = \u00a330 <\/strong>if you were to theoretically charge from completely empty to full.<\/span><\/p>\n

Switch to a cheaper home supply, which could cost 12p per kWh on a good-value overnight tariff, and the maths works out at a more palatable 100 x 12p = \u00a312<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

That might appear a major saving compared to the cost of a \u00a360-odd tank of fuel for a conventional petrol or diesel car. A Model S might go some 250 miles on a single charge, that said, whereas the alternatives will typically travel far further on a single tank. A diesel car might rack up some 500 miles between refuelling stops; for the Tesla to do the same, it would have to be charged twice \u2013 bumping the outlay to \u00a360 on a public charger or \u00a324 on a home charger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consequently, to produce meaningful running cost figures, you need to factor in both an EV\u2019s range and how you\u2019re going to charge it. Rely primarily on less expensive charging solutions, though, and you could stand to rack up some significant savings.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best electric cars you can buy<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The cheapest electric cars to run<\/span><\/h2>\n
choosemycar.com<\/a>\u00a0carried out research on the cheapest electric cars to buy and drive with the results below. Almost all the cars are for sale now, apart from those with the *.<\/span><\/div>\n
At \u00a33.75, the Hyundai Ioniq was the cheapest EV to run, though it was quickly followed by two Teslas; the standard Model 3 winning out over the Long Range variant. Despite having one of the lowest ranges of any EV currenty on sale, the Honda E still makes it into the list, with a cost per mile of \u00a34.8.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
You can view the research in full here:\u00a0https:\/\/choosemycar.com\/ev-miles<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nVehicle<\/span><\/td>\nCost to Fully Charge<\/span><\/td>\nCost per 100 Miles<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/span><\/td>\nHyundai IONIQ Electric<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n\u00a35.81<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a33.75<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/span><\/td>\nTesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a37.19<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a33.78<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/span><\/td>\nTesla Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a310.78<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a33.85<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/span><\/td>\nFiat 500e*<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a36.04<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a33.89<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/span><\/td>\nHyundai Kona Electric<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n\u00a39.70<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a33.96<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/span><\/td>\nTesla Model 3 Long Range Performance<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a310.78<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a33.99<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/span><\/td>\nMercedes-Benz EQA*<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a38.62<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a34.01<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/span><\/td>\nRenault Zoe ZE50 R110<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a37.86<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a34.03<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/span><\/td>\nVolkswagen ID.3 Pure*<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a36.90<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a34.06<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/span><\/td>\nHonda e*<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a35.10<\/span><\/td>\n\u00a34.08<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Real-world case studies: how much does it cost to charge an electric car?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Just like conventionally powered vehicles, electric cars come in different shapes, sizes and specifications \u2013\u00a0and will therefore have varying costs. For this article, we\u2019ve studied the running costs of a cheap and cheerful Renault Zoe EV<\/a> run by our sister site Parkers as a long-term test car.<\/span><\/p>\n

Researchers on Parkers have compared it to the other vehicles on its long-term test fleet, so you can get a better idea of just how much it costs in the real world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Renault<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget you\u2019ll need to add the initial cost of a home-charging point to these prices. Go for a basic budget charger and, inclusive of the OLEV grant from the government, it\u2019ll set you back around \u00a3200 fitted \u2013 whereas a more powerful charger will cost around \u00a31000. Some manufacturers bundle charger installations with new EV purchases, that said, which will help keep costs down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Electric car battery tech explained: costs, capacity and longevity<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Running costs of a Renault Zoe EV<\/span><\/h2>\n

The cost of the Zoe over three months are as follows. We used our colleagues\u2019 66-mile round-trip journey to work and back as a benchmark, and studied the real-world costs of rival long-term fleet cars for comparison. Before we get into these figures, it\u2019s important to note that these cars are driven by different people with different driving styles, and also that the Leaf\u2019s figures were attained during the winter months; don\u2019t forget that colder weather usually means less efficient batteries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Renault Zoe cost per mile: <\/strong>6.1p
\n<\/strong>Renault Zoe commute cost: <\/strong>\u00a34.03<\/span><\/p>\n

Compare this with the Parkers\u2019 Nissan Leaf long-term test car.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nissan Leaf cost per mile: <\/strong>4p
\n<\/strong>Nissan Leaf commute cost (est.)<\/strong> \u00a32.64<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Nissan
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve also compared the same 66-mile journey to the similarly-sized VW Golf GTE plug-in hybrid:<\/span><\/p>\n

VW Golf GTE cost per mile: <\/strong>11.5p
\n<\/strong>VW Golf GTE commute cost: <\/strong>\u00a37.66<\/span><\/p>\n

Compared to the Parkers\u2019 Toyota C-HR<\/a> hybrid (a non plug-in hybrid), you\u2019ll find the following running costs:<\/span><\/p>\n

Toyota C-HR hybrid cost per mile: <\/strong>13.4p
\n<\/strong>Toyota C-HR hybrid commute cost: <\/strong>\u00a38.84<\/span><\/p>\n

The above suggests that when it comes to hybrids, an electric car is around 50 per cent cheaper. But interestingly, when comparing the running costs of a diesel or petrol car, you\u2019ll find less of a difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Toyota<\/span><\/p>\n

Parkers\u2019 Citroen C3<\/a> is a supermini just like the Zoe, but it\u2019s powered by a 100bhp 1.6-litre diesel. Here\u2019s how it compares:<\/span><\/p>\n

Citroen C3 BlueHDi 100 cost per mile: <\/strong>10.6p
\n<\/strong>Citroen C3 BlueHDi 100 commute cost: <\/strong>\u00a37.00<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Parkers\u2019 Suzuki Swift<\/a> \u2013 which is powered by an efficient 90bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine \u2013 produces the following costs:<\/span><\/p>\n

Suzuki Swift 1.2 Dualjet 4×4 cost per mile: <\/strong>8.7p
\n<\/strong>Suzuki Swift 1.2 Dualjet 4×4 commute cost:<\/strong> \u00a35.74<\/span><\/p>\n

Which proved least expensive? Hybrid, electric, petrol or diesel?<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a victory for the Zoe, in terms of charging costs versus fuel costs. And just to make the advantage clear, multiply those commuting costs by five for a typical working week, and then that by four to get an estimate of the monthly difference, and so forth. On paper, based on fuel costs alone, it\u2019s the electric car that has a clear advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is more real-world than a science lab test, and we\u2019ve taken the figures of different drivers for different cars \u2013 but the trends are obvious. Don\u2019t forget that our running costs only take into account the daily commuting we\u2019ve done; add in extra miles done at weekends and in the evenings, and you\u2019d be saving even more money. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Nissan<\/span><\/p>\n

What about public charging of electric cars?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Right now, the Parkers\u2019 Renault Zoe only needs to be charged at home each night time owing to its current usage. The cost of charging its battery will appear on your monthly electricity bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Home charging is generally cheaper than public charging, so the savings could be even more significant. However, when you consider 80% of electric car owners charge at home \u2013 according to BP Chargemaster \u2013 this is the most common scenario for the majority of EV motorists.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Nissan<\/span><\/p>\n

How much cheaper is an electric car per month?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Of course, there are other factors at play that you must take into account when working out the costs and potential savings of electric motoring; depreciation will play a significant factor in your monthly costs, for starters, if you\u2019re buying your EV outright \u2013 or, alternatively, you will have to account for monthly leasing or PCP costs. Servicing, however, will often be far less expensive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get a handle on those key costs as well and you\u2019ll be able to find out exactly what kind of savings might be possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Would I save money with an electric car?<\/span><\/h2>\n

We\u2019d recommend looking at how much you\u2019d potentially use your EV \u2013 and then calculate how much you\u2019d need to charge up at home versus on the open road. The likelihood is that an electric car will save you hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of pounds a year compared to keeping a conventional diesel or petrol car going \u2013 but don\u2019t forget about depreciation and servicing, in any case…<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Curtis Moldrich<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

CUT COTS OF THE FLEET WITH OUR AUDIT PROGRAM<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The audit is a key tool to know the overall status and provide the analysis, the assessment, the advice, the suggestions and the actions to take in order to cut costs and increase the efficiency and efficacy of the fleet. We propose the following fleet management audit.<\/p>\n

FLEET MANAGEMENT AUDIT<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Owning an electric car, in this day and age, is becoming increasingly easy to justify. Aside from ever-expanding model line-ups, longer ranges, widening infrastructure and impressive performance figures, there are countless benefits \u2013 such as environmental brownie points, tax grants, and exemption from certain charges and fees. More to the point, owning an electric car…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7046,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[19,7],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7045"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7045"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7045\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7047,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7045\/revisions\/7047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}