Electric Van Cost Per Mile: Home vs Public Charging

On HMRC’s workings for the rates from 1 September 2026, an electric vehicle costs 6.8p a mile charged at home and 15.0p a mile on public chargers. Charge 70% at home and 30% in public and it averages 9.3p. Those are company car figures. A van will usually use more energy per mile.

How do you work out electric cost per mile?

You work out electric cost per mile by dividing the price of a kilowatt hour (kWh) by the miles you get from each one. The formula is:

Pence per mile = pence per kWh / miles per kWh

HMRC publishes the numbers behind its advisory electric rates (advisory fuel rates guidance, rates from 1 September 2026):

• 3.59 miles per kWh
• 24.47p per kWh for charging at home
• 54.00p per kWh for public charging, taken from the Zapmap index for chargers under 50 kW

Divide 24.47 by 3.59 and you get 6.8p a mile at home. Divide 54.00 by 3.59 and you get 15.0p a mile in public. HMRC rounds these to 7p and 15p for the advisory rates.

The 3.59 miles per kWh is a company-car figure. Your own vehicle’s miles per kWh, from the dashboard or your charging records, is what belongs in the formula for your fleet.

What is the electric cost per mile if you charge at home and in public?

Your cost per mile sits between 6.8p and 15.0p, depending on how much you charge where. The table blends HMRC’s two rates at five home and public splits, all at 3.59 miles per kWh.

Share of miles charged at home	Share charged in public	Cost per mile
100%	0%	6.8p
80%	20%	8.5p
70%	30%	9.3p
50%	50%	10.9p
0%	100%	15.0p

Source: HMRC advisory fuel rates, electric workings from 1 September 2026. The 70% row is the split our fleet cost index uses.

The difference between the top and bottom rows is 8.2p a mile. On 20,000 miles that is £1,640 a year, and the split is in your hands. Depot or home charging with a good tariff is where the cost advantage is built. Fleets that depend on public rapid chargers pay for the convenience.

How does that compare with a diesel van?

At the 70% home split, electric costs about 9.3p a mile against 25.2p for a diesel van doing 36 mpg. The diesel figure uses the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) average of 199.22p a litre for the week of 26 October 2026, from its weekly road fuel prices.

On 20,000 miles, that is about £1,860 of electricity against £5,040 of diesel, and energy is only part of what a vehicle costs. Purchase price, financing, charger installation and the rest sit outside this comparison. For those, use the whole-fleet method in how to calculate fleet cost per mile.

Compare using your own vehicles’ figures, because a van that uses more energy per mile narrows the gap. Our diesel cost per mile article has the matching diesel table.

Why will a van cost more per mile than the HMRC figure?

A van will usually cost more per mile than the HMRC figure because it is heavier and has a bigger frontal area than the average car. HMRC’s 3.59 miles per kWh is an average for cars. Vans carry loads, push more air, and need more energy to move each mile.

We do not have a published average for electric vans to give you, and we will not make one up. Use your own numbers instead. The table shows what the home and public cost per mile does as miles per kWh changes. These are the sums, not forecasts:

If your van does	Home charging (24.47p per kWh)	Public charging (54.00p per kWh)
2.5 miles per kWh	9.8p	21.6p
3.0 miles per kWh	8.2p	18.0p
3.59 miles per kWh (HMRC)	6.8p	15.0p
4.0 miles per kWh	6.1p	13.5p

Find your own row from the charging records of vans you already run, or from a trial van. If you have no data yet, work with a range and update it when you do.

Does speed change electric cost per mile?

Yes. Energy use rises with speed because air resistance rises steeply with speed, and that applies to an electric van as it does to a diesel one. A van at motorway speeds uses more kWh for each mile than the same van at a steadier pace, so it needs more charge for the same journey.

We have not quoted an electric speed figure here, because we have not found a primary source with one for vans that we can stand behind. The Department for Transport’s published fuel curves cover diesel and petrol vehicles, and the saving there is 14.5% for a diesel van at 60 mph against 68 mph. For electric vans, the sound route is to compare the miles per kWh your own vans record at different speeds. We cover speed limiters on electric vehicles separately in speed limiters and electric vehicles.

Where can you see the live figure?

The live comparison is on our fleet cost index, which updates every Tuesday. It sets diesel, petrol and electric van cost per mile side by side, using the DESNZ fuel prices and HMRC’s electric rates. HMRC’s electric rates are reviewed each quarter, and the next change is 1 December 2026. See advisory fuel rates for the history.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average electric car cost per mile in the UK?

On HMRC’s workings from 1 September 2026 it is 6.8p a mile charged at home and 15.0p a mile on public chargers, at 3.59 miles per kWh. A blend of 70% home and 30% public averages 9.3p. Your own figure depends on your tariff and your vehicle.

How much does an electric van cost per mile?

Use the formula pence per kWh divided by miles per kWh with your van’s own figures. HMRC’s company car numbers give 6.8p at home and 15.0p in public, and a van will usually use more energy per mile than that car average, so expect a higher figure.

Is electric cheaper than diesel per mile?

On energy alone, at HMRC’s rates and a 70% home split, yes: about 9.3p against 25.2p for a diesel van at 36 mpg and 199.22p a litre (DESNZ, week of 26 October 2026). Vehicle price, finance and chargers are separate costs.

Where do the 24.47p and 54.00p per kWh figures come from?

They are HMRC’s published workings for the advisory electric rates from 1 September 2026. The public figure is taken from the Zapmap index for chargers under 50 kW. Check both against your own tariff and charger costs.

Does driving faster use more electricity per mile?

Yes. Air resistance rises steeply with speed, so an electric van uses more energy per mile at motorway speeds. We have not published a percentage because we have no primary source for electric vans. Your own vans’ records will tell you.

Cut your fleet’s fuel bill

Your number is your van’s miles per kWh and where you charge it. Put it next to this week’s diesel and petrol figures on the fleet cost index, which also has a fleet calculator for a mixed fleet.

Most fleets still run diesel and petrol vans, and the speed cap saving there is measured. The Department for Transport’s fuel consumption curves (TAG data book v2.03, May 2026, source) show a diesel van uses 14.5% less fuel per mile at 60 mph than at 68 mph. The saving for your fleet depends on the share of your miles driven above the cap.

AutoKontrol has made speed limiters in Britain since 1985, for vans, cars, HGVs and buses, installed nationwide: we come to you. To have your own saving worked out, book a free consultation or get a quote.