Electric vehicle drivers in Britain are facing potential costs of nearly 18p per mile to power their cars, despite Chancellor Rachel Reeves introducing a new 3p per mile road tax this week.
The Real Cost of Charging Your EV
According to the latest AA Recharge Report for September, the situation varies dramatically depending on where drivers can plug in. The average cost per mile to charge an EV using a domestic tariff stands at 5.88p, making home charging the most affordable option.
However, for the significant number of drivers without off-road parking facilities, the financial picture becomes much bleaker. Using public slow chargers offering speeds of up to 8kW costs 11.3p per mile - almost double the home charging rate.
The costs escalate further for those relying on faster public charging points. EV owners using 'fast' chargers (9kW to 49kW) face an average cost of 13.79p per mile.
Most expensive of all are ultra-rapid chargers - the 150kW-plus devices typically found at motorway service stations - which come in at 17.63p per mile, nearly 18p.
The New Road Tax Reality
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to introduce a new 3p per mile charge for EV motorists starting Wednesday, representing the government's first major move to ensure electric vehicle drivers contribute to road taxation.
The policy comes after sustained pressure from transport groups. In a letter to the Chancellor last September, CBT director of policy and campaigns Silviya Barrett argued that EV drivers should fairly contribute towards vehicle taxation and called for a simple charge based on regular odometer readings.
Barrett acknowledged that such a change would be perceived as difficult and likely criticised by opposition groups, but added that their research demonstrated general public support for the move.
Why EV Taxation Is Becoming Inevitable
Paul Barker, editor of automotive magazine Auto Express, noted that while introducing road pricing would be controversial, the government had little choice given the shrinking tax revenues from traditional fuel duty.
He explained: Every electric car sold is one fewer that's visiting petrol stations and pumping money into Treasury coffers. With petrol cars expected to remain on roads for many years, the switch to electric is taking ever-increasing chunks out of fuel duty revenues.
The Transport Select Committee has already recommended that per mile road pricing would be one of the best fiscal changes and must be introduced by the end of the decade, signalling that this week's announcement may be just the beginning of broader road pricing reforms.
