Fast-charging electric cars in the UK almost catch up with petrol cars

According to a survey by RAC Ltd., a British car service company, due to the high energy prices in the UK, the cost of using public charging stations to quickly charge electric vehicles is almost the same as that of gasoline vehicles.

The British Broadcasting Corporation reported on September 26 that the RAC survey showed that since May, the cost of using public charging stations to charge electric vehicles in the UK has risen by 42%, reaching an average of 63.29 pence per kWh (about 4.74 yuan) . This kind of public charging pile is usually a fast charging mode, pay as you go.

For those electric vehicle owners who do not have private charging stations at home and can only use public charging facilities, it costs 18p (about 1.35 yuan) for electricity for every mile (about 1.6 kilometers) driven. Based on the current oil prices in the UK and the average travel distance of 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) per gallon of gasoline, the fuel consumption per mile of fuel vehicles is only 1 penny (about 0.07 yuan) more expensive than electric vehicles.

Charging at home is cheaper, but costs are rising rapidly. A medium-sized car now costs an average of 9p (about 0.67 yuan) in electricity per mile. Most electric car owners in the UK choose to charge at home at night.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said the cost of charging an electric car at home was still lower than the cost of petrol or diesel, but the figures showed that "the gap is narrowing due to significant increases in electricity costs".

Since late February, Western countries have imposed multiple rounds of severe sanctions on Russia, including restricting or prohibiting the import of Russian energy. However, the sanctions have also led to soaring prices and living expenses in European countries that rely on Russian energy.

The British government has recently introduced measures related to energy subsidies. It is expected that companies will enjoy a 50% discount on wholesale energy prices this winter. Williams said the measures could lead to lower prices for public chargers in the coming weeks, but electric car owners fear they will still raise prices once the discounts on wholesale electricity prices end after winter. The RAC is calling on the government to reduce the VAT rate on public chargers from 20 per cent to 5 per cent, on par with the rate applicable to charging at home.