EV Fact: Electricity costs less per mile than petrol (but can you really afford it?)
The change is gonna come, affirms Iain Robertson, as he girds his loins for a motoring future linked inextricably to plugging-in to fuel-up, but readying for a sea change demands that we all contemplate the consequences very carefully indeed.
As a child of the 1950s, I am inescapably TV-savvy. To be frank, I enjoy viewing TV programmes in moderation. Yet, even having worked within the embryonic satellite-TV era of the mid-1980s, for Sky TV, I resisted the teasing impact of ‘hundreds’ of new channels for as long as I possibly could. When the analogue to digital switchover occurred in the UK (between 2007 and 2012), I realised that I would have little choice but to ‘embrace’ the alternative signal proposition.
In late-2009, I purchased my first digital television set. It replaced a Bang and Olufsen 26-incher that had provided sterling service for many years in my household. Mind you, with a new B&O costing from upwards of £3,500, a like for like replacement was definitely not on the cards. The somewhat larger but by no means largest flat-screen effort from Panasonic still cost me a whopping £1,100 but Currys sweetened the deal with a 15.0-inch LG set at zero cost that was perfect for the bedroom. Sky provided the necessary reception dish (and its associated on-costs).
By 2012, the price of that same Panasonic TV had slumped to less than £500, as digital saturation took effect. Only recently, I succeeded in reducing my monthly domestic IT costs to a more modest £35, a figure that had stretched into almost £1,200 annually at its peak. The fee includes my landline, online and TV costs (apart from the BBC Licence) but only because I have slashed the accessible channel array to less than 100, of which I view comfortably less than eight regularly…and, no, I do not wish to spend more on sport!
The potential parallel with the electric vehicle (EV) scene is more than flaming obvious to me. Our government ‘scared’ me into ‘going digital’, even though the actual shift was somewhat tardier than had been suggested. Now I tolerate fluctuating signal quality and both screen and radio ‘flickering’ (yes, through ‘fear’, I also bought into digital radio). Were I to engage with the EV thing right now, I am only too aware that it would cost me an arm and a leg. In fact, I might have to stop motoring, so steep are the associated costs. Perhaps an ‘alternative agenda’ is at play here?
However, the appeal of plugging-in and switching-on is a strong one. Electricity, especially off-peak, is really cheap. Therefore, it was interesting to receive some worldwide statistical research (from ‘comparethemarket.com’) on what it costs to ‘refuel’ a Tesla, which, unless you have been living like a troglodyte, you will be aware is an electrically powered motorcar. The following tables highlight how much it costs to fully recharge a Tesla Model S, which offers a potential range of around 350-miles.
Cheapest countries to charge:
- Turkey – £6.68
- Lithuania – £7.13
- Norway – £7.57
- Austria – £7.65
- Chile – £7.65
- Estonia – £7.73
- Sweden – £7.80
- Latvia – £8.55
- South Korea – £8.55
- New Zealand – £9.00
Most expensive countries to charge:
- Slovenia – £19.95
- Spain – £19.50
- Germany – £19.20
- Denmark – £18.15
- Japan – £17.77
- Portugal – £16.65
- Australia – £15.30
- Greece – £15.30
- Ireland – £14.25
- Hungary – £13.50
You will note that the UK appears in neither least, nor most costly lists, because it is 24th in a total of 36 nations surveyed where, at today’s rates, it would cost £13.27 to recharge the Tesla, which is the equivalent of 33p to drive 10 miles. To fill a 55-litres petrol tank in the average family car, at a rate of £1.24/litre, would cost £68.20, for a potential range, in a VW Passat averaging (generously) 50mpg, of around 600-miles, or almost 88p to drive 10 miles. In simple fuel costs, electricity creates a compelling ‘in favour’ argument…however, that is not the only consideration.
Were you to buy/own the car, the Passat would cost you outright around £32,000; the Tesla around £82,000. To lease either vehicle (non-ownership), which would provide an easier route to mobility, the Passat could be around £380/month, while the Tesla could cost around £760/month. Of course, these figures are based on market averages and both require a hefty deposit (up to £5,000 on the Tesla, £2,500 on the VW) on a ‘user-chooser’ contract; business deals can vary.
To be frank, I feel extremely uncomfortable in recommending an EV over a fossil-fuelled car. Much like the TV situation, list prices will level off, with higher popularity, as manufacturing costs should also reduce significantly. However, it is unlikely that a Tesla will halve in value, unless the potential end-user opts for the smaller Model 3 version, rather than the Model S. Yet, even the most affordable of EVs is going to demand some operational compromises and, at present, a price average of around £26,000 still carries a premium of 40% over the petrol alternative.
There exists another key consideration: recharge times. Take it for granted, the vast majority of EVs can be recharged from 0-80% at any one of several, often brand-dedicated public recharging sites but this process can take up to four hours. For a 100% full-charge, plugging into a domestic wallbox and allowing an 8-10 hours recharge time is nearer the mark. If you do not have a domestic driveway, forget it. Settling for shorter charges will introduce significant range anxiety and that is if you can even gain access to a charger that is not already in use.
While the depreciation costs of many current EVs have been exceedingly high, it is anticipated that some form of ‘normalisation’ with fossil-fuelled transport will occur. However, it is a tipping point that is also technology dependent. The values of early, low-range EVs will continue to plummet like stones, as new developments are produced and there are plenty yet to come. The bottom-line is that no matter how much you might wish to contribute to saving the planet, the costs remain prohibitive and, until we can rely on nuclear power stations, or alternative, sustainable energy, just passing the blame from pump to generator is just unviable.
