The costs of charging an electric car on the road in the UK are among the most expensive in Europe
For electric car drivers about to take their vehicle on a late August holiday across the Channel or those EV drivers returning home from the continent, charging costs will be a major talking point.
An analysis of European prices by The i Paper shows EV charging rates in the UK are one of the most expensive with the cost in Britain more than double that in Portugal.
Using official figures from the European Commission’s European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO), the data shows the UK is the fourth most expensive to charge an EV at a fast-charging stations across ten of mainland Europe’s most popular road trip designations.
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People driving through France and Spain before arriving in Portugal will be among those to feel the benefit of powering their vehicles back up more than most.
Analysing the charging rates for three of Britain’s most popular EVs – the nation’s biggest seller, the Tesla Model 3, the mid-range Hyundai Kona and VW’s lifestyle choice, the ID.3 Pro S – the results showed how much cheaper electric motoring can be across the English Channel.
Portugal offers the EU’s cheapest charging network, costing an average of €3.18 (£2.76) per 100 miles of charge in the Tesla, while the equivalent charge in the UK would cost more than double at €7.79 (6.75). The cost would be €7.11 (£6.16) in Spain, and €7.26 (£6.29) in France, according to the EAFO’s average pricing data.
Poland, Ireland and Sweden are also cheaper than the UK. Only Germany, Italy and the Netherlands charge more than the UK among the ten popular driving destinations, but all three can be cheaper if electric car owners sign up to membership schemes for EV charging companies while in each country.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, says: “As the UK has some of the highest electricity costs in Europe, EV drivers heading into the continent will be pleased to see that charging will often be cheaper compared to using the public network in the UK.”
There are several reasons behind the UK’s expensive EV charging, according to Vicky Edmonds, chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) England.
“The higher public charging prices in the UK are being driven by a number of factors, including high wholesale electricity prices, connection costs, and higher rates of VAT on public charging,” says Edmonds.
The Tesla Model 3 is the most popular EV in the UK and least expensive to charge across Europe
“None of these are easy to address quickly and we do need public charging to be more central to ongoing work on electricity market reform, grid connections work and to the energy regulator’s work on electricity network price controls.”
EV drivers in the UK pay 20 per cent VAT on electricity they use from public charging but some European countries offer tax subsidies to make charging cheaper.
Matt Adams, head of transport at the Renewable Energy Association, suggests one other reason why prices are higher in the UK is costs faced by companies that operate charging facilities.
He said: “Operators incur substantial costs related to electricity purchase, installation, maintenance, site leasing, network connectivity, and compliance with regulations such as contactless payment requirements. These operational and capital costs are then passed on to EV drivers through higher per-kWh or per-minute charging fees, as operators need to recover costs and often aim to make a profit.”
Another advantage of charging an EV across the Channel is that while there are a similar amount of rapid chargers per head of population in the EU as there is in the UK, the demand for them is far higher in Britain, so the prospect of queuing up for a charging station is far less likely in EU countries.
During 2024 just under two million EVs were sold across the EU’s 27 member states. In the UK alone there were almost 400,000 sales.
Another plus for British owners of EVs when they drive in the EU is the process of charging is almost identical.
“The network in the EU is very similar to use as the UK charging network,” says the EVA’s Edmonds. “Charge points are usually readily available and well signposted, and can be found using dedicated charging apps or maps.
“The cable connectors are the same. And many high-powered charge points are contactless, although it’s still worth signing up for a roaming app or card to make sure you are able to access charging as and when you need it.”