Cheapest Electric Cars to Run in the UK (2026)
An electric car's running cost depends on two things: how efficient it is (miles per kWh) and what you pay for electricity. The second matters more than the car. The same EV costs around £1.88 per 100 miles on a cheap overnight tariff and about £18.75 on a public rapid charger.
How we worked these out: efficiency figures come from carwow and What Car? efficiency rankings (we've used the lower of the two where they differ). Costs include roughly 10% energy lost while charging. Real-world efficiency is lower in winter, often by 20-30% in cold weather, so allow extra from November to March.
Electric car running costs, ranked
Cost per 100 miles by how you charge: overnight tariff (~7.5p/kWh), home at the price cap (26.32p/kWh) or public rapid (~75p/kWh).
| Car | Type | Efficiency | Overnight tariff | Home (price cap) | Public rapid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes CLA Electric | Saloon | ~5.0 mi/kWh | ~£1.65 | ~£5.79 | ~£16.50 |
| Tesla Model 3 | Saloon | ~4.8 mi/kWh | ~£1.72 | ~£6.03 | ~£17.19 |
| Dacia Spring | Small hatch | ~4.6 mi/kWh | ~£1.79 | ~£6.29 | ~£17.93 |
| Peugeot e-208 | Small hatch | ~4.4 mi/kWh | ~£1.88 | ~£6.58 | ~£18.75 |
| Fiat 500e | Small hatch | ~4.5 mi/kWh | ~£1.83 | ~£6.43 | ~£18.33 |
| MINI Electric | Small hatch | ~4.4 mi/kWh | ~£1.88 | ~£6.58 | ~£18.75 |
| Tesla Model Y | SUV | ~4.4 mi/kWh | ~£1.88 | ~£6.58 | ~£18.75 |
| Vauxhall Corsa Electric | Small hatch | ~4.4 mi/kWh | ~£1.88 | ~£6.58 | ~£18.75 |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | Small SUV | ~4.2 mi/kWh | ~£1.96 | ~£6.89 | ~£19.64 |
| Renault 5 | Small hatch | ~4.1 mi/kWh | ~£2.01 | ~£7.06 | ~£20.12 |
Home rate is the Ofgem price cap electricity unit rate from October 2026 (26.32p/kWh); your own tariff may differ. Overnight rate is typical of EV-specific tariffs such as Octopus Go. Rapid charging prices vary by network from about 45p to 85p/kWh.
What this means in practice
EV vs petrol and hybrid
At the price cap rate, an average efficient EV costs about £6.58 per 100 miles to charge at home. A real-world 60 MPG hybrid costs around £13.19, and a 38 MPG petrol car about £20.83. On an overnight EV tariff the EV drops to around £1.88.
Public charging changes the picture. At around 75p/kWh, rapid charging costs about £17 per 100 miles, more than a hybrid (about £13) though still less than petrol (about £21). EVs are cheapest when most of your charging happens at home, so check you can charge off-street before you buy.
Energy prices may rise in January 2027, as analysts have forecast. Ofgem sets the new cap in November, so home charging costs may change. Read our EV charging costs guide for tariffs and network prices, or compare with the cheapest hybrids to run.
Work out your own cost
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