How much does it cost to charge an electric car or van?
Charging a 60 kWh battery from empty costs about £15.79 at home on the Ofgem price cap (26.32p a kWh, 1 October to 31 December 2026) and £47.40 on a public rapid charger (79p a kWh). Per mile, an electric van costs 10.1p on depot electricity against 25.2p for a 36 mpg diesel van.
Sources: Ofgem, DESNZ, Zapmap, HMRC, DfT. Diesel: DESNZ week of 26 October 2026.
EV charging cost calculator
Per charge, per mile and per year, for one vehicle or a fleet, with where you charge.
Every mile at motorway speed uses more of the battery. A lower top speed cuts charging cost and keeps range for the work.
Talk to us about your fleetStanding charges are not included. Depot price is ex VAT (reclaimable for most businesses); home price includes VAT at 0% (zero-rated until 30 June 2027); public prices include 20% VAT. Charging losses are 0% by default because there is no UK government figure; enter your own if you have one.
How much does a full charge cost?
Battery size in kWh times the price per kWh, from empty to full with no charging losses.
| Battery | Home charger (26.32p) | Depot or workplace (24.51p) | Public slow or fast (54p) | Public rapid or ultra-rapid (79p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 kWh | £10.53 | £9.80 | £21.60 | £31.60 |
| 60 kWh | £15.79 | £14.71 | £32.40 | £47.40 |
| 75 kWh | £19.74 | £18.38 | £40.50 | £59.25 |
| 100 kWh | £26.32 | £24.51 | £54.00 | £79.00 |
How much does an electric vehicle cost per mile to charge?
| Where you charge | Price | Electric car | Electric van |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home charger | 26.32p a kWh | 7.3p | 10.8p |
| Depot or workplace | 24.51p a kWh | 6.8p | 10.1p |
| Public slow or fast | 54p a kWh | 15.0p | 22.2p |
| Public rapid or ultra-rapid | 79p a kWh | 22.0p | 32.5p |
| Diesel van, 36 mpg | 199.2p a litre | - | 25.2p |
Where you charge matters more than anything else. An electric van charged at the depot costs less than half as much per mile as a diesel van; one that relies on rapid chargers costs more than the diesel. See the weekly comparison on the Fleet Cost Index, and whether the higher purchase price pays back on the electric van break-even calculator.
Does speed affect electric van charging cost?
Yes. An electric van pushes the same air as a diesel one, and air resistance rises with the square of speed, so the energy it uses per mile climbs on the motorway and the range falls. For diesel vans the Department for Transport's curves put the difference at 14.5% less fuel per mile at 60 mph than at 68 mph; DfT does not publish a speed curve for electric vans, so we don't quote one. What it means for a fleet is the same: a lower top speed leaves more of every charge for the work. AutoKontrol speed limiters work on electric vans as well as diesel.
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Questions people ask
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
A full charge of a 60 kWh battery costs about £15.79 at home on the Ofgem price cap (26.32p a kWh, 1 October to 31 December 2026) and about £47.40 on a public rapid charger (79p a kWh, Zapmap, September 2026). Multiply your battery size in kWh by the price per kWh.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?
On the Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 electricity costs 26.32p a kWh with no VAT, because domestic electricity is zero-rated from 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027. At HMRC's 3.59 miles per kWh, that is about 7.3p a mile. Many EV tariffs charge less overnight.
How much does public EV charging cost?
Zapmap's Price Index for September 2026 put pay-as-you-go public charging at 54p a kWh on slow and fast chargers and 79p a kWh on rapid and ultra-rapid chargers, including VAT. Public charging is always charged at 20% VAT.
How much does it cost to run an electric van per mile?
At the Department for Transport's average of 2.43 miles per kWh for electric vans, about 10.1p a mile on depot electricity (24.51p a kWh), 10.8p at home and 32.5p on rapid chargers. A diesel van at 36 mpg cost 25.2p a mile in fuel in the week of 26 October 2026.
Does driving speed affect electric van range?
Yes. Air resistance rises with the square of speed for an electric van just as for a diesel one, so energy use per mile and charging cost climb on the motorway and range falls. A lower top speed keeps more of the battery for the miles you need.
Are charging losses included?
Not by default. Some energy is lost between the meter and the battery, and there is no UK government figure for it. Set your own figure in the calculator if you know it from your chargers or telematics.
Sources and method
- Home, Ofgem price cap (GB average, 1 October to 31 December 2026, 0% VAT). 26.32p a kWh, standing charge 54.83p a day (not included in per-mile cost). Domestic electricity is zero-rated for VAT from 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027 (usually 5%); Budget 2026 extended it from 31 March 2027.
- Depot or workplace, DESNZ average non-domestic price, April to June 2026 (incl. Climate Change Levy, excl. VAT). 24.51p a kWh. A VAT-registered business can usually reclaim VAT, so it is compared ex VAT
- Zapmap Price Index, September 2026. Pay as you go, 54p a kWh slow and fast, 79p a kWh rapid and ultra-rapid, incl. 20% VAT
- Electric car: HMRC advisory electric rate workings (weighted by company car sales). 3.59 miles per kWh
- Electric van: DfT TAG data book v2.03, average electric LGV, 2026 (Tables A1.3.8 and A1.3.10). 0.2557 kWh per km, 2.43 miles per kWh
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Weekly road fuel prices. Diesel comparison, week of 26 October 2026
Work it out in the calculator above.
DfT's fuel curves show a diesel van at 60 mph uses 14.5% less fuel per mile than at 68 mph.
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