Electric vehicle (EV) drivers are set to encounter varying costs per mile driven, with some facing charges as high as 18p per mile, despite Chancellor Rachel Reeves proposing a new 3p per mile road pricing plan. The latest AA Recharge Report from September reveals that charging an EV at home using a standard domestic tariff costs an average of 5.88p per mile.
However, for EV owners without access to off-road parking, the cheapest public charging option—using slow chargers with speeds up to 8kW—costs around 11.3p per mile, nearly double the expense of home charging.
The expenses rise further for those relying on fast public chargers (ranging from 9kW to 49kW), averaging 13.79p per mile. The most costly option is ultra-rapid chargers—150kW and over—commonly found at motorway services, with prices nearing 18p per mile.
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In September, Silviya Barrett, director of policy and campaigns at the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT), advocated for EV drivers to contribute fairly to vehicle taxation via a straightforward charge based on regular odometer readings. Following this, Labour’s Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced plans to introduce a 3p per mile charge for EV motorists, starting Wednesday.
Barrett acknowledged the potential for opposition, stating: “We fully appreciate that such a change would be perceived as difficult and criticised by the opposition and by certain representative groups. However, our research demonstrated the general public supports such a move.”
Auto Express editor Paul Barker called the idea of road pricing “controversial” but highlighted the need for new revenue sources as fuel duty income declines due to the rise of electric vehicles. “Every electric car sold is one fewer that’s visiting petrol stations and pumping money into Treasury coffers,” Barker explained.
The Transport Select Committee has recommended that a per-mile road pricing system be introduced by the end of the decade, calling it “one of the best fiscal changes” to address shifting automotive tax revenues in the transition to electric vehicles.