Two things decide what an EV actually costs you to drive: how efficient the car is (its real-world miles per kWh, not the optimistic WLTP figure) and what you pay for your electricity. The table below uses real-world efficiency figures for twelve popular models, priced at three rates already used elsewhere on this site — our Cost & Savings hub has the full calculator if you want to plug in your own tariff and mileage.
Cost per mile, at three charging rates
Sorted from most to least efficient. "Off-peak home" assumes a cheap overnight tariff like Intelligent Octopus Go (around 8p/kWh); "standard home rate" uses the Ofgem price cap single-rate figure (around 26.11p/kWh); "public rapid/ultra-rapid" uses a typical motorway or town rapid charger price (around 77p/kWh).
| Model | Real-world efficiency | Off-peak home | Standard home rate | Public rapid/ultra-rapid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Ioniq 6 (RWD) | 4.7 mi/kWh | 1.7p | 5.6p | 16.4p |
| Tesla Model 3 (RWD) | 4.6 mi/kWh | 1.7p | 5.7p | 16.7p |
| Dacia Spring | 4.2 mi/kWh | 1.9p | 6.2p | 18.3p |
| Renault 5 E-Tech | 4.2 mi/kWh | 1.9p | 6.2p | 18.3p |
| Tesla Model Y (RWD) | 4.0 mi/kWh | 2.0p | 6.5p | 19.3p |
| Volkswagen ID.3 | 4.0 mi/kWh | 2.0p | 6.5p | 19.3p |
| MG4 | 3.9 mi/kWh | 2.1p | 6.7p | 19.7p |
| Kia EV6 (Standard Range, RWD) | 3.9 mi/kWh | 2.1p | 6.7p | 19.7p |
| BMW i4 eDrive40 | 3.7 mi/kWh | 2.2p | 7.1p | 20.8p |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 (AWD) | 3.5 mi/kWh | 2.3p | 7.5p | 22.0p |
| Tesla Model X | 3.1 mi/kWh | 2.6p | 8.4p | 24.8p |
| Audi Q8 e-tron | 3.0 mi/kWh | 2.7p | 8.7p | 25.7p |
Figures are rounded and based on typical real-world (not WLTP) efficiency — your own result will vary with weather, driving style, tyres, and load. See our driving an EV economically guide for how much difference habits alone can make, and our real-world range guide for why the official figures tend to be optimistic.
How that compares with petrol
As of October 2026, the RAC puts the UK average price of petrol at around 174.9p a litre (diesel has just passed £2 a litre for the first time). A petrol car averaging 40 miles per gallon — a reasonable real-world figure for a typical family car — works out at roughly 20p a mile in fuel alone.
Charge at home on a cheap overnight rate and every single EV in the table above costs under a tenth of that. Even charging exclusively on the most expensive public rapid chargers, most EVs still come out roughly level with or cheaper than a 40mpg petrol car — and that's before accounting for an EV's lower servicing costs and (for now) lower company car tax under the Benefit-in-Kind rules.
Electricity rates and petrol prices both move — these are snapshot figures, and the gap narrows if you charge mostly in public or widens further if you can charge at home overnight. Use the Cost & Savings calculator to work out your own numbers with your actual tariff, mileage, and charging mix.