Petrol drivers in 'average' cars face £1,353 charges before the end of December, according to a new analysis. Today - Tuesday June 9 - is the day petrol drivers have spent more than EVs on fuel, marking a significant milestone in the cost comparison between combustion and electric vehicles.
Petrol drivers spend a year's worth of EV charging costs on fuel before summer
It has been warned that petrol drivers spend a year's worth of EV charging costs on fuel before summer. The average petrol motorist reached the annual running cost of an EV on June 9, almost a month earlier than last year, when the milestone fell on July 3. It estimated that the average petrol driver will spend £1,353 on fuel this year.
That is compared with £592 for an electric vehicle owner charging at home. Thom Groot, chief executive and co-founder of The Electric Car Scheme, said: "The economics of switching to electric keep moving in one direction, and 2026 has accelerated the trend.
"Petrol drivers are now spending the equivalent of a full year of EV running costs before we hit summer, which means everything they pay at the pump from June 9 onwards is, in real terms, a surcharge for choosing a combustion engine."
"That isn't a marginal saving over petrol, it's a different category of household expense entirely," he added.
EU and UK car industries urge tariff adjustments
It comes amid reports the European Union and UK car industries are urging the European Commission to adjust the Brexit trade deal and suspend, for a second time, tariffs on imports of electric vehicles. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said: “Battery supply chains are still not ready to meet these stringent requirements, which were based on assumptions that have not materialised despite major investment.”
He added: “The UK and EU must now find a pragmatic solution that avoids self-defeating tariffs on the very vehicles consumers are being urged to buy, while safeguarding investment in domestic battery capabilities.”
A spokesperson for the European Commission said: “Discussions on these and related topics can take place within the framework of ongoing EU-UK negotiations”, adding that it was “in constant contact with stakeholders” in the EV sector “to assess their preparedness to meet the rules of origin.”
