The cost of charging an electric vehicle (EV) within 20 minutes during peak periods has fallen to its lowest this year, according to the AA.
Speaking at the Highways UK conference at the NEC, Birmingham yesterday (19 October), Edmund King OBE, president of the AA, revealed that, at 61p/kWh, charging an EV at an ultra-rapid charger during peak periods is now cheaper than running a petrol car.
According to the AA EV Charging Report, this decrease follows prices falling by 3p/kWh in September, the biggest decrease since June.
“Ultra-rapid charging can be cheaper by the mile than petrol and gives more food for thought to those who are considering making the swap from combustion cars to EVs,” said King.
However, the AA also revealed that peak and off-peak slow charging rates have increased for a second month following an increase from 50p/kWh in July to 54p/kWh in August.
AA EV Recharge Report, September 2023. Peak and Off-Peak rates:
According to King, the AA’s data shows that business and company car drivers are more likely to switch to EVS due to tax benefits
“These drivers tend to drive longer distances and will use the ultra-rapid network when out on the road. Any fears they may have before taking the keys will quickly disappear as they enjoy a growing charging network alongside low cost energy,” said King.
“Transparent and competitive pricing of charging at home and on the road is an essential part of encouraging private and business drivers to go electric.”
EVs second lowest transport emitter of GHG, new data shows
In further positive news for the EV industry, statistics released by the Department for Transport yesterday (19 October) revealed that electric vehicles (EVs) are the second lowest emitter of transport greenhouse gases (GHG).
At 29KgCO2e, the only mode of transport with lower GHG emissions than EVs are coaches at 22KgCo2e.
Commenting on the new statistics, Jack Cousens, the AA’s head of roads policy said: “Today’s government statistics illustrate how EVs will eventually transform the greenhouse gas profile of the private car in the near future. The only impediment to further improvement is the mix of electricity generation in the UK – more wind, solar and tidal power will make car journeys even greener.”
