Charging an electric vehicle (EV) now almost costs as much as petrol per mile on soaring energy prices, prompting concerns drivers may be put off from buying them.
EV owners who use “rapid” public charging points have seen the charging cost surge by 42% since May to an average of 63.3p per kWh, according to the RAC.
Charging cars at home is cheaper due to the way electricity is taxed, with the RAC pushing for VAT to be slashed to 5% from 20% - the same level it is in homes – for public chargers.
The hike in prices equals roughly 18p per mile of electricity, which is just 1p less than a mile of petrol for a car that drives at an average of 40 miles to the gallon, the RAC added.
It is approximately 9p a mile for average-sized cars when charging at homes, with the BBC urging EV owners to charge their vehicles at home overnight – when electricity is cheaper.
"For those that have already made the switch to an electric car or are thinking of doing so, it remains the case that charging away from home costs less than refuelling a petrol or diesel car, but these figures show that the gap is narrowing as a result of the enormous increases in the cost of electricity," Simon Williams, RAC spokesman, commented.
William said the wholesale energy price cap for businesses, which will slash their bills by about half this winter, “should lead to some price reductions by charge point operators in the coming weeks."
The Department for Transport, meanwhile, insisted EVs continued to "offer opportunities for savings against their petrol and diesel counterparts, with lower overall running costs thanks to cheaper charging, lower maintenance costs and tax incentives."