How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
Charged at home, a used electric car costs between £5.51 and £11.91 of electricity per 100 miles depending on the model, against about £19.75 of fuel for a recent petrol car. The details model by model, and how each figure is worked out.
Three things to know before reading the figures
- These amounts apply to charging at home: it is the only electricity price for which an official source publishes an average.
- Real-world consumption is higher than the WLTP figure. The top of each range adds 25%, the gap measured on tens of thousands of cars; winter and motorway driving widen it further.
- Public charging prices are not given here. They vary too much from one operator to another, and no official source publishes an average.
The cost per 100 miles, model by model
From the bottom to the top of the range: the most efficient version under WLTP, then the least efficient in real-world use.
| Model | Years | WLTP (miles/kWh) | Electricity per 100 miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW i3 | 2013 – 2022 | 3.7 – 4.1 | £6.48 – £8.79 |
| BMW i4 | since 2021 | 2.8 – 4.1 | £6.40 – £11.91 |
| BMW iX3 | since 2020 | 3.2 – 3.4 | £7.84 – £10.32 |
| Citroën ë-Berlingo | since 2021 | 2.9 – 3.5 | £7.62 – £11.28 |
| Citroën ë-C4 | since 2020 | 3.7 – 4.2 | £6.23 – £8.90 |
| Dacia Spring | since 2021 | 4.3 – 4.6 | £5.72 – £7.68 |
| Fiat 500e | since 2020 | 4.2 – 4.8 | £5.51 – £7.89 |
| Fiat e-Doblò | since 2022 | 2.8 – 3.5 | £7.62 – £11.60 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | since 2021 | 3.3 – 4.0 | £6.61 – £10.11 |
| Hyundai Ioniq Electric | 2016 – 2022 | 4.5 | £5.85 – £7.31 |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | since 2018 | 3.7 – 4.3 | £6.06 – £8.79 |
| Kia e-Niro | 2018 – 2022 | 3.9 – 4.1 | £6.48 – £8.42 |
| Kia EV6 | since 2021 | 3.0 – 3.8 | £6.99 – £10.91 |
| Kia Soul EV | 2014 – 2019 | 4.0 – 4.0 | £6.61 – £8.31 |
| MG MG4 | since 2022 | 3.3 – 3.9 | £6.78 – £9.90 |
| Nissan Ariya | since 2022 | 3.1 – 3.5 | £7.45 – £10.54 |
| Nissan Leaf | 2010 – 2022 | 3.0 – 3.6 | £7.24 – £10.91 |
| Peugeot e-2008 | since 2019 | 3.9 – 4.1 | £6.44 – £8.42 |
| Peugeot e-208 | since 2019 | 3.9 – 4.4 | £5.93 – £8.52 |
| Peugeot e-308 | since 2023 | 4.0 – 4.2 | £6.31 – £8.21 |
| Renault Kangoo E-Tech | since 2021 | 3.1 – 3.2 | £8.13 – £10.70 |
| Renault Mégane E-Tech | since 2022 | 3.9 – 4.0 | £6.52 – £8.52 |
| Renault Twingo E-Tech | 2020 – 2024 | 3.9 | £6.78 – £8.47 |
| Renault Zoe | 2012 – 2024 | 3.5 – 3.6 | £7.33 – £9.48 |
| Tesla Model 3 | since 2019 | 3.7 – 4.7 | £5.59 – £8.84 |
| Tesla Model S | since 2012 | 3.3 – 3.6 | £7.41 – £9.90 |
| Tesla Model Y | since 2020 | 3.6 – 4.0 | £6.65 – £9.16 |
| Volkswagen e-Golf | 2014 – 2020 | 3.9 – 4.0 | £6.52 – £8.42 |
| Volkswagen ID.3 | since 2020 | 3.7 – 4.3 | £6.14 – £8.95 |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | since 2020 | 3.2 – 3.9 | £6.73 – £10.32 |
WLTP consumption not recorded, or only under the old NEDC cycle, which is not comparable: Citroën Ami, Citroën C-Zero. No figure rather than a guess.
How each figure is calculated
Consumption is the WLTP figure, taken from the manufacturer’s documents or, failing that, from the European registration database. It already includes charging losses: it is the energy drawn from the grid, not the energy that goes into the battery.
The electricity price is £0.2632 per kWh, the average unit rate under the Ofgem price cap.
Real-world use adds 25% to the top of the range: the average gap between the WLTP figure and the energy actually billed at the charger, measured on 58,000 electric cars tracked in the Netherlands.
Petrol is costed at 38.7 mpg (7.3 L/100 km), the average real-world consumption measured by the on-board meters of 7.7 million recent European cars, at the week’s average price of unleaded petrol published by the UK government (DESNZ): £1.681 a litre on 14 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
At home, between £5.51 and £11.91 per 100 miles depending on the model, under the Ofgem price cap. A full charge is worked out the same way: the battery capacity in kWh multiplied by the price per kWh, plus charging losses.
And at a public charger?
The price depends on the operator, the charger’s power and any subscription. No official source publishes an average, hence no figure here.
Why is the real-world cost higher than the WLTP figure?
The test cycle is driven at moderate speeds in mild temperatures. On the road, motorways, cold weather and heating push consumption up: by 15 to 25% on average according to the most recent measurements.
How much do you save compared with a petrol car?
With petrol at £1.681 a litre, a recent petrol car costs about £19.75 of fuel per 100 miles. Charged at home, an electric car costs between £5.51 and £11.91: the difference amounts to several pounds every 100 miles.
Sources: consumption from the manufacturer or the European registration database (EEA); electricity: Ofgem Energy Price Cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, direct debit, Great Britain average, no VAT (announced 26 August 2026); real-world gap: TNO 2025 and ICCT 2025; petrol: JRC 2025 and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) weekly road fuel prices. Checked on 21 September 2026.