A snapshot analysis from charging industry body ChargeUK has shown that the cost of charging an EV on the public networks is now lower on average than petrol or diesel for the first time in over a year.
The analysis found that prices for charging on the public EV charging network rose 38% between 2021 and 2025.
However, with petrol prices surging in recent weeks in response to global conflict, and public EV charging remaining comparatively stable, the cost of fuelling a petrol or diesel car has surpassed charging an EV on the public network in most scenarios.
The analysis, based on RAC Fuel Watch and Zapmap Price Index figures, showed that when charging on a standard charger (such as on-street or in a local car park) at the national average cost of 54p per kWh, with typical efficiency, drivers can expect to pay around 15p per mile, compared with a current rate of 17p for a typical petrol car or 17.5p for diesel.
ChargeUK called on the Government to address the policy issues driving up charging prices, so that cheaper EV driving is locked in for the long term.
The association argued that while petrol prices are heavily influenced by global factors outside of the Government’s control, public EV charging prices are largely inflated by policy costs that the Government can address.
ChargeUK’s white paper ‘Delivering Affordable Charging For All’, published in September 2025, showed that at the start of the decade charging an EV was more affordable than fuelling a petrol or diesel car regardless of whether drivers charged at home or on the public network.
However, while home charging has remained low cost (as little as 2p per mile today), public EV charging has increased by 38% since 2021 – driven largely by policy changes, including standing charges.
In the November Budget, the Government committed to a review of the public cost of EV charging, which is now underway, and the charging industry hopes to see tangible outcomes from it.
This is running alongside the tax tribunal ruling that the 20% VAT on public EV charging should be 5%, equal to home charging. HMRC has applied to appeal this decision.
The analysis also showed that, based on current prices, EV drivers who are reliant on public charging would be likely to pay more than petrol and diesel again after the introduction of the Government’s 3p per mile eVED tax in 2028.
Vicky Read, chief executive at ChargeUK, said: “While this is not how we wanted to see the gap between public EV charging and petrol prices closed, it once again demonstrates the urgent need to make driving an EV more affordable for all.
“Following news that new electric cars are now cheaper than petrol, the cost of public charging is now the final hurdle for mass EV adoption.
“We need to see government take control of the situation to ensure the numbers stack up not just in a time of global crisis, but for the long term.
“The cost pressures currently pushing up public EV charging prices are largely within the government’s grasp, whereas the global pressures pushing up petrol and diesel prices are not.”
“By using the cost of charging review to address skyrocketing charge point standing charges, eliminating the VAT penalty on public charging and adding renewable electricity to its renewable transport credit scheme, government can help reduce public EV charging prices—saving money for millions of drivers, making an EV viable for millions more, doubling down on electrification and helping automakers meet their EV sales quotas just as interest in going electric grows.”
Ian Plummer, chief customer officer at Autotrader, added: “Cheaper running costs have long been a key incentive to make the switch to electric, and we’ve seen a significant uptick in consumers looking at EVs on our platform following recent petrol price hikes, so we know there’s growing awareness of just how much you can save.
“Our analysis also shows the average price of a new EV, including discounts and government grants, has fallen below petrol for the first time ever.
“With the upfront price often being the biggest barrier to electric adoption, this is a key milestone in the UK’s transition and should hopefully signal the growing affordability of electric cars.
“While there’s lots to be positive about, interest spikes and growing new-car affordability don’t mean the transition is sorted.
“If the government is serious about a fair and accessible transition, it should do all it can to make public charging as affordable as possible.”
Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO at Zapmap, said: “At Zapmap we’ve been tracking the cost of charging on the public network since November 2023, using typical use-case scenarios.
“This shows that the vast majority of drivers choosing electric will enjoy total cost of ownership savings.
“We’re now seeing that for EV drivers with a typical 80/20 split between home and public charging, the cost saving of charging their EV compared to fuelling a petrol or diesel car is at the highest level since May 2024.
“However, in the UK we still have the highest public charging costs in Europe, and we welcome all measures to tackle this to help progress the transition to sustainable transport.”
Simon Williams, head of policy at RAC, added: “While the dramatic increase in petrol and diesel prices due to the conflict in Iran has understandably sparked increased interest in going electric, it remains the case that public charging costs are higher than they need to be.
“Issues outside of operators’ control such as 20% VAT on public charging, compared to 5% at home, and high standing charges aren’t helping.
“We hope the government will seek to address these issues so more people can make the switch to electric driving and charge affordably away from home.”
Vicky Edmonds, chief Executive Officer of EVA England, said: “This will be welcome news for drivers considering the switch to electric, especially those relying on public charging.
“But it is a result of increased fuel prices rather than the fundamental drop in charging costs that we need to see for the EV transition to be stable in the longer term.
“A mix of issues still keep public charging unnecessarily high for drivers, from limited access to cheaper home charging for those without driveways to high energy costs for chargepoints and higher VAT.
“We need urgent action to tackle those issues and make sure the savings from EV driving stick.”
u
