Public BEV Chargers Costing U.K. Owners Twice as Much as Running ICE Cars

Latest market research suggests running a battery-electric vehicle in the U.K. costs the consumer twice as much as driving an internal-combustion-engine-powered vehicle.

And the costs charged by electricity providers could be seen as open to "profiteering" on a captive audience of BEV owners unable to charge their vehicles at home, such as urban high-rise apartment dwellers with no access to domestic charging capabilities.

Data compiled by ZapMap, a pro-BEV organization tracking the roll-out of the nation’s public charging infrastructure, suggests that operating a BEV can cost more than 24p (31¢) compared to just 12.5p (16.6¢) for the motorist driving a diesel-powered car or 14.5p (19.3¢) for one with a gasoline engine.

That’s because data from ZapMap shows it costs 80p ($1.06) per kilowatt hour to charge an BEV using a rapid or ultra-rapid device on the roadside.

For those motorists aiming to aid the longevity of their BEV’s battery pack, even using slower public chargers will still see them having to pay more than 16.4p (21.8¢) per mile.

BEV owners have been hit by a 5% hike in rapid roadside chargers’ prices in the past year while wholesale electricity prices have fallen by 30%.

As it happens, the rise in public charging costs is linked to a current drop in service station pump prices, presenting a major challenge to BEV take-up in the U.K.

The Times newspaper reports that a trip from London to Penzance in Cornwall would cost £148 ($197) in a BEV using rapid chargers compared with £77 ($102.5) in a diesel car and £89 ($118.5) using gasoline.

Charging at home is one-third of the price of the average public rapid charger, helped by the supply being subject to just 5% purchase tax versus 20% at the public charger.

Commenting on the recent slowdown in BEV sales in the U.K., Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT), tells The Times: “It’s tough out there. Levels of demand are much, much softer.”