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Is driving electric now more expensive than petrol or diesel?

Concerns are growing about the affordability of electric vehicles in the UK, as new research shows that the cost of using public chargers can be significantly higher than that of petrol or diesel cars

Dimitris Mavrokefalidis

23/09/2024 5:00 AM

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‘Government must ensure EV charging is convenient and inexpensive’

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Britain’s public charging network is facing criticism for high costs, making electric vehicle (EV) driving potentially twice as expensive as using petrol or diesel cars.

The UK now has over 12,500 rapid and ultra-rapid charging stations, a 40% increase from last year.

Data shared with The Times shows that these chargers cost an average of 80p per kilowatt hour (kWh), which makes it difficult for people without access to cheaper home charging options to switch to EVs.

According to the report, even those using slower public chargers pay more per mile than petrol and diesel drivers.