DRIVING an electric car is £720 MORE expensive than a petrol motor despite the rising cost of fuel.
Switching to the eco-friendly alternative can end up costing Brits more cash, a new study has found.
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A Europe-wide survey took a look at the rewards reaped from driving an electric vehicle – but the UK came out in the bottom two countries.
The research conducted by comparison site mone.co.uk found that motorists in Denmark could pocket £22,000 each year in savings.
The company calculated the average price of a new car plus 10,000 miles of travel in the petrol cars, the Sunday Mirror reported.
Danes could fork out around £21,938 for a new electric motor, while petrol vehicles would set them back approximately £43,975.
Whereas UK drivers have to stump up roughly £27,487 for an eco-friendly car and £26,767 for petrol, working out at a 2.7 per cent gap.
Motorists in Germany end up £693 worse off – although the price variation between electric and petrol cars is larger than for Brits at 2.77 per cent.
Last year, one in six new UK cars on the road were plug ins, marking a rise from 2020 when it was one in 10.
Head of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Mike Hawes said of the stats: “There’s a long way to go to reach net-zero.”
Experts earlier revealed the cheapest electric cars to run for Brits amid the soaring fuel prices.
Search queries for the differing costs per mile of electric cars up 300% – suggesting more Brits are considering a swap to electric motors.
Automotive experts at Leasing Options said the Hyundai IONIQ Electric has the lowest cost per mile at 6.3p.
While the Fiat 500 (Hatch) is the cheapest and fastest EV to charge away from home.
But be warned – there is a big difference in cost when charging some electric vehicles compared to others.
Change in cost after switching to electric in 1st year
- Denmark – Saving £22,036.26
- Norway – Saving £14,313.72
- Ireland – Saving £3,312.59
- France – Saving £2,779.45
- Iceland – Saving £2,564.69
- Switzerland – Saving £2,219.09
- The Netherlands – Saving £1,801.54
- Portugal – Saving £156.77
- UK – Spending another £720.44
- Germany – Spending another £692.79
Audi’s e-tron and Tesla’s Model S and X take the longest to charge and are the most expensive.
And there is a massive £17.24 difference between charging an Audi e-tron and a Fiat 500 at the services.
In a bid to encourage drivers in the UK to opt for electric, the country is set to adopt a tap-and-go network of charging points.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told The Sun the points will be contactless so consumers can easily top up from every lamp post.
He said: “I want it to be a convenience thing, especially if you don’t have a driveway.
“You’ll be able to charge if you go to the shops, or on route to your destination — and pay by using your phone or your credit card.”
His plan is to have around 300,000 charging points by the end of the decade.
The scheme will be backed by £1.6billion in Government funds.
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