The rising fuel prices are one of the main reasons why so many people turn to electric cars. Simply, when you pay 60 to 80 pounds for a fuel tank of fuel, it is easy to understand why you want to save on your fuel bill. Electric cars are the logical solution, and yes, owning an EV can save you hundreds of pounds per year. However, the price of charging an electric vehicle is something not a lot of people know about. Of course, electricity is not free, but prospective EV owners are still unsure what to expect. Today, we will talk about the prices of charging give you a rough estimate of how much it costs to charge an average electric car from empty to full.
The first thing you need to know is the battery capacity. Think of it as the size of your car’s tank but for an electric vehicle. Cheaper electric vehicles come with batteries with 25 to 50-kWh, and upscale models like Tesla Model S have big 100-kWh battery packs. The best way to come up with a real-life figure is to multiply the kWh by the price of one kilowatt of electricity from your supplier. If your charge your car at home, the cost of 1 kWh electricity is 12p at the moment, and if you use the public charger, that price is around 30 p.
So, the calculation is pretty straightforward. The economy electric vehicles with small capacity batteries are very economical to charge, and regardless of the location, you will pay 5 to 7 pounds to charge fully. Even the big Tesla Model S with its 100-kWh battery will cost you 12 pounds if you charge it at home and around 30 pounds for a full charge somewhere else.
Although the prices for fully charged batteries are close to ten times less than a full tank of petrol or diesel, you have to calculate the number of charging per week or month, insurance, cost of home charger, and other variables in order to have a complete picture. In most cases, owning an electric vehicle will save you a significant amount of money if you drive moderately. However, if you need to charge your car every night, the electricity bill might be like your petrol bill.
Recent surveys show that over 80% of EV owners in the UK charge their cars at home. Not only that this is cheaper, but it is also far more convenient, especially knowing that charging a car takes time. The average cost of a home charging system is 450 pounds with the government OLEV grant. For high power home chargers, you will need to pay more, but the 3.7 to 7 kW per hour charging power is enough for most users. However, if you are looking for fast charging or charging Tesla’s big battery pack, a home charger might not be enough since it will not provide enough power, or the charging process would last too long.
