Electric Car Cost Calculator UK ⚡
Thinking about going electric — or already driving an EV and want to know exactly what your journeys cost? Fuel Smarter's electric car calculator works out the precise cost of any journey based on your EV's real-world efficiency, your charging type, and how fast you drive. It even breaks down the route by road type — because EVs are significantly more efficient in town (thanks to regenerative braking) than on the motorway.
Calculate your EV journey cost — freeHow much does it cost to drive electric in the UK?
The answer depends heavily on where and how you charge. Home charging is by far the cheapest — but if you rely on public rapid chargers, the economics look very different.
The key insight: Home charging makes electric genuinely cheap — often 3-4x cheaper per mile than petrol. But relying on public rapid chargers narrows the gap significantly and can sometimes cost more than an efficient petrol car.
EV cost vs petrol — how do they compare?
Based on current UK fuel and energy prices (May 2026):
| Vehicle type | Cost per mile | Cost per 100 miles | Annual cost (12,000 miles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⚡ EV — home charging (Octopus Go) | ~2p | ~£2 | ~£240 |
| ⚡ EV — home charging (standard) | ~7p | ~£7 | ~£840 |
| ⚡ EV — mixed public/home | ~11p | ~£11 | ~£1,320 |
| ⛽ Petrol — 40 MPG | ~9p | ~£9 | ~£1,080 |
| ⛽ Petrol — 35 MPG | ~10p | ~£10 | ~£1,200 |
| 🛢️ Diesel — 50 MPG | ~9.5p | ~£9.50 | ~£1,140 |
| ⚡ EV — rapid charging only | ~21p | ~£21 | ~£2,520 |
Based on 24p/kWh home rate, 75p/kWh rapid rate, 156.8p/litre petrol, 188.8p/litre diesel. 3.5 miles/kWh EV efficiency assumed.
How speed affects EV efficiency
Speed has a significant impact on EV efficiency — but the relationship is different to petrol cars in some important ways:
Where EVs have an advantage — urban driving
In stop-start city driving, EVs recover energy through regenerative braking every time you slow down. This makes urban driving significantly more efficient for an EV than a petrol car. A petrol car wastes all that braking energy as heat — an EV puts it back in the battery.
Where EVs struggle — high motorway speeds
At speeds above 70mph, aerodynamic drag dominates — and this affects EVs just as much as petrol cars. Driving a Tesla Model 3 at 80mph instead of 70mph reduces range by around 15-20%. On a long motorway journey this can be the difference between needing a charge stop or not.
| Speed | EV efficiency vs 70mph | Impact on 200-mile journey |
|---|---|---|
| Urban (30mph avg) | ~15% better (regen) | Lower cost, shorter range needed |
| 60 mph | ~5% better | Slightly cheaper |
| 70 mph | Baseline | — |
| 80 mph | ~15% worse | Extra ~£2-3 on a 200-mile journey |
| 90 mph | ~25% worse | Extra ~£4-5, may need extra charge stop |
The cheapest way to charge your EV
🏠 Home charging on an EV tariff is by far the cheapest option.
Octopus Go offers off-peak electricity at around 7p/kWh between 11:30pm and 5:30am. At that rate, charging a 60kWh battery costs just £4.20 — enough for 200+ miles in most EVs. That's around 2p per mile.
If you can charge overnight at home, an EV is dramatically cheaper to run than any petrol or diesel car.
Public charging networks vary widely in price. As of May 2026:
| Network | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Octopus Energy (home) | 7-24p/kWh | Cheapest — requires home charger |
| Pod Point (home) | ~24p/kWh | Standard home rate |
| Tesla Supercharger | ~45-65p/kWh | Tesla vehicles only |
| Osprey / Gridserve | ~50-60p/kWh | Public rapid chargers |
| BP Pulse | ~55-70p/kWh | Varies by location |
| Motorway services | ~70-85p/kWh | Most expensive — convenience premium |