Divide Over Off-Street Charging

A huge divide has opened up in electric vehicle ownership, with new research showing that the difference between the haves and have-nots when it comes to private charging is worth thousands of pounds.

The team at EV experts electrifying.com discovered that drivers without access to off-street charging spend £88 more per month, or £1,056 more annually, to charge their electric vehicles than those who have a driveway. 

Over the previous year, when the gap was just under £80 per month, this represents an increase of 10%.

According to reports, one-third of drivers lack access to off-street parking, and with the 2030 petrol and diesel ban drawing near, it is obvious that something needs to be done to narrow this enormous gap.

Despite the rising cost of electricity, drivers who have the convenience of home charging have access to cheaper nighttime tariffs and can save thousands of dollars compared to those who rely on the public network.

The higher 20% VAT rate on public charging stations as well as the installation and maintenance costs are two factors contributing to this.

If you were able to use a home charging set-up, the cost of charging a Volkswagen ID.3 for 10k kilometres per year would be £15 per month.

However, individuals who have no choice but to use public chargers would incur a far higher monthly cost of £103 based on a public charge point at a rate of 70p per kWh, which is typical for a DC quick charger located at a gas station or grocery store. 

“As a country, we need to do better when it comes to the levelling up of electric car ownership. Car buyers are embracing the electric revolution, with battery electric vehicles now boasting 16.2% of the market share,” said Ginny Buckley, CEO of Electrifying.com

“But electric car ownership should not be a privilege for the more affluent, we need to ensure that the right infrastructure is in place – and at the right price – so that we can bring everyone along on the electric journey.”