Tax free
For drivers of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), that's purely electric cars rather than plug-in hybrids, road tax is absolutely free. Even if you have a plug- in hybrid car your road tax will be less than a petrol or diesel car.
3 ways to save with an electric car...
Reduced maintenance costs
With no internal combustion engine, fully electric vehicles have significantly fewer moving parts inside, like a clutch system. They also see less brake wear as a result of regenerative braking systems, so you'll find that they cost much less to maintain.
Save with solar
It's not just electric car costs you can cut, you can make sustainable changes to your whole home. With solar panels you generate your own electricity so by installing a solar system, along with a home charger, you could be charging your car for free.
No congestion charge
For fully electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles the congestion charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge is totally free. Because they have no tailpipe emissions electric cars are eligible for the cleaner vehicle discount in London. So, you'll be saving and doing your bit for the environment.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
Whilst the initial spend on an electric car is still more expensive than a petrol or diesel car, the cost of running them is significantly lower, with the average petrol and diesel cost over £1.63 per litre1; more than the average cost of electricity at 34p/kWh2. Plus, if you get your energy from E.ON Next you can rest assured that you're powering your car with 100% renewable electricity.
EV vs Petrol - Compare the costs
It costs £12.00 to drive 100 miles in an electric car
The average electricity cost in the UK is 34p per kWh.1
It costs £18 to drive 100 miles in an average petrol car
The average cost of petrol is £1.631
An electric car costs £6 less than the average petrol car for every 100 miles
3 cost benefits of driving an EV
Re-sale demand
Between July and September 2021, 83,000 ultra-low emission vehicles were registered in the UK.2 The increased demand for EV’s is keeping the re-sale value high, meaning more money in your pocket when you sell.
Government incentives
You may find that you're eligible for grants and incentives that aim to make home chargers more affordable and you could even help your workplace to benefit with workplace charging incentives and company car tax relief for EV's.
The cost of public charging...
The cost of charging on the road can vary, based on the speed of the charger. As an example, you could charge a Nissan Ariya Evolve 87kWh Auto with a 50kW charger in an hour for just £23.3
There are also still many free EV chargers available across the UK. This is a great incentive to switch to electric. Most of them can be found in supermarket car parks, so you can charge whilst you do your weekly shop. You can locate public charge points on the E.ON Drive map.
Public charging speeds explained
Fast
Fast chargers are the most common public chargers found in supermarkets and public car parks. They usually give you a charging power of 7kW or 22kW.
Slow
Slow chargers will give you a charging power of 3kW.
Rapid
Rapid chargers will give you a charging power of 50kW.
What are the benefits of driving an electric car?
Environmental
Electric vehicles don't have a tailpipe releasing carbon exhaust fumes into the air, so by driving an EV you're helping to reduce air pollution and combat climate change.
Experience
Electric cars offer a quieter, smoother ride. You can use a home charger and they're automatic too so you can just put your foot down and enjoy your surroundings.
Economic
Although the initial purchase price of electric vehicles is high, the running costs are much lower than petrol or diesel cars.1 The electric car tax benefits reduce costs too.
What's the battery capacity of an electric vehicle?
All you need to know before you get an EV
Our guide to electric vehicle charging
The legal stuff
1. Average price of unleaded petrol £1.63 per litre. Average price of low sulphur diesel £1.80 per litre. Prices correct as of 26 September 2022. According to figures available on: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/weekly-road-fuel-prices
2. The average price of electricity is based on the October 2022 price cap at 34.04p per KWh.
3. The public charging price is based on charging a Nissan Ariya Evolve 87kWh Auto with a 50kW charger starting with 20% battery and filling to 80% (80% is recommended by manufacturers for rapid charging.)
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