A new study has found that electric vehicle owners across the UK are facing rising running costs thanks to expensive public chargers.
According to the data from RAC Charge Watch, the typical cost of using a rapid charger has increased by a staggering 28 percent in the space of two years.
Rod Dennis, spokesperson for the RAC, highlighted that increasing costs for public charging do not accurately reflect the typical cost of energy, causing frustration for many.
He explained: “Drivers of electric vehicles might be frustrated that the cost to use rapid or ultra-rapid chargers remains stubbornly high, despite wholesale energy prices dropping.
“But they might also be surprised to learn that the actual cost of electricity they are using when they charge up makes up a relatively small part of the total price they have to pay due to the high charges levied on the networks for grid upgrades and connections.”
The RAC’s study found that using a rapid public charger typically costs electric vehicle owners 79.19p per kilowatt – an increase of about 17p since 2022.
As a result, motorists who wish to charge an EV with a 64kWh battery pack from 10 to 80 percent need to spend an average of £9 more compared to two years prior.
The increase is a sharp contrast to home charging, which replenishes the EV battery at a slower but much more affordable rate, thanks in part to the Ofgem domestic price cap.
Rod suggested that only having a price cap on domestic charging penalises motorists who do not own a driveway and therefore would struggle to fit a home charger.
He added: “Our figures highlight the huge gulf in prices between those paid by EV drivers to use public chargers, and those that homeowners with EVs pay at home.
“On the one hand, anyone who has an off-street parking space and a home charger installed can charge up for just a seventh of the price of using a lamppost or bollard charger off peak where these exist, and less than a tenth of the price of using a high-powered public charger.”
Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK, called on the Government to reform how companies offer public EV charging, which would help to lower rates and encourage more motorists to make the switch.
She advised: “We believe reforms are needed to help charge point operators offer public charging that is as affordable as possible.
“The sector has committed to spend £6 billion ahead of demand and profitability to deliver the charging infrastructure that the UK needs. With a public charger being installed every 25 minutes and the network expanding by 42 percent a year, we are on track to do this.”