EV vs petrol: cost per mile in 2026
A smart home tariff puts an EV at around 2p/mile compared to 15p/mile for a typical petrol car and 14p/mile for diesel. Public rapid charging closes the gap but is still cheaper than fuel for most cars.
Baseline fuel cost per mile
EV cost per mile by car
Calculated from real-world Wh/mile efficiency at two reference rates: 7p/kWh (smart home off-peak) and 79p/kWh (typical public rapid PAYG).
| Car | Real-world Wh/mile | Home smart | Public rapid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiat 500e | 245Wh/mi | 1.7p/mi | 19.4p/mi |
| Mini Cooper Electric | 250Wh/mi | 1.8p/mi | 19.8p/mi |
| Peugeot e-208 | 260Wh/mi | 1.8p/mi | 20.5p/mi |
| Tesla Model Y | 265Wh/mi | 1.9p/mi | 20.9p/mi |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | 270Wh/mi | 1.9p/mi | 21.3p/mi |
| MG 4 | 270Wh/mi | 1.9p/mi | 21.3p/mi |
| Tesla Model 3 | 270Wh/mi | 1.9p/mi | 21.3p/mi |
| Volvo EX30 | 270Wh/mi | 1.9p/mi | 21.3p/mi |
| Vauxhall Mokka Electric | 275Wh/mi | 1.9p/mi | 21.7p/mi |
| Kia EV6 | 280Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.1p/mi |
| Renault Megane E-Tech | 285Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.5p/mi |
| Cupra Born | 290Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.9p/mi |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 290Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.9p/mi |
| Polestar 2 | 290Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.9p/mi |
| Volkswagen ID.3 | 290Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.9p/mi |
| BMW i4 | 295Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 23.3p/mi |
| Nissan Leaf | 295Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 23.3p/mi |
| Tesla Model Y | 295Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 23.3p/mi |
| Audi Q4 e-tron | 305Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 24.1p/mi |
| BMW iX1 | 305Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 24.1p/mi |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | 305Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 24.1p/mi |
| Skoda Enyaq | 305Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 24.1p/mi |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 305Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 24.1p/mi |
| Tesla Model Y | 315Wh/mi | 2.2p/mi | 24.9p/mi |
| Toyota bZ4X | 315Wh/mi | 2.2p/mi | 24.9p/mi |
| Mercedes-Benz EQA | 320Wh/mi | 2.2p/mi | 25.3p/mi |
| Porsche Taycan | 340Wh/mi | 2.4p/mi | 26.9p/mi |
Fuel prices from GOV.UK weekly road fuel prices (representative, w/c 29 June 2026). EV efficiencies from independent road tests.
What the breakeven looks like
Even on the most expensive UK rapid network at 92p/kWh, a typical 300Wh/mile EV costs around 28p/mile — within striking distance of petrol. Charge at home most of the time and the average comes down dramatically. Most owners do 80%+ of charging at home and use public rapids for occasional long trips.