Demand is outpacing the cost of EV charging, and so has the price

According to the RAC, roadside charging for electric cars (EV) has gone up 58% since May. However, fossil-fuelled vehicles are now more affordable for long distances.

According to the group, drivers who use public chargers pay as much as 21p per mile for electricity while petrol and diesel users are charged 17p and 20p respectively.

It also stated that it could be more costly for an EV driver than for petrol or diesel drivers to recharge their batteries quickly over a longer trip.

RAC says charging EVs at home is cheaper than buying a car. Drivers pay less than half of the cost for powering their cars with home plug-in points.

Despite higher charging costs after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the demand for EVs has grown quickly in recent years.

National Grid’s system operating wing, (ESO), anticipates that there will be 37.4mln EVs on UK roads by 2050. This is an increase of less than 1mln currently.

According to Zap Map data, 660,000 battery-electric vehicles were registered in the UK as of December 2022. This is 40% more than 206,000 in 2020.

In 2022, EVs outsold diesel for the first-ever time. They account for a fifth to the UK’s new cars.

According to the system operator, 30% of UK’s energy needs were met by road transport in 2020. This sector is expected to grow along with EV sales.

ESO recommended that it is important to understand driver trends in order to maintain energy supply.

“Will they plug-in frequently to top-up the charge (grazing),?” it asks. It asks, “Or will they plug in less often and top-up from near empty (guzzle),” it states.

It stated that plugging in more often could provide flexibility benefits to the energy system. Time-of-use tariffs are an incentive for drivers to plug in when it is cheaper and greener.