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 13p/mile for diesel. Public rapid charging closes the gap but is still cheaper than fuel for most cars.
Baseline fuel cost per mile
Petrol (45 mpg)
14.6p/mile
at 145p/litre
Diesel (55 mpg)
12.6p/mile
at 152p/litre
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 | 260Wh/mi | 1.8p/mi | 20.5p/mi |
| Mini Cooper Electric | 265Wh/mi | 1.9p/mi | 20.9p/mi |
| Peugeot e-208 | 275Wh/mi | 1.9p/mi | 21.7p/mi |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | 280Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.1p/mi |
| MG 4 | 280Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.1p/mi |
| Volvo EX30 | 280Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.1p/mi |
| Tesla Model 3 | 285Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.5p/mi |
| Vauxhall Mokka Electric | 285Wh/mi | 2.0p/mi | 22.5p/mi |
| BMW i4 | 295Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 23.3p/mi |
| Renault Megane E-Tech | 295Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 23.3p/mi |
| Kia EV6 | 300Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 23.7p/mi |
| Cupra Born | 305Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 24.1p/mi |
| Polestar 2 | 305Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 24.1p/mi |
| Volkswagen ID.3 | 305Wh/mi | 2.1p/mi | 24.1p/mi |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 310Wh/mi | 2.2p/mi | 24.5p/mi |
| Nissan Leaf | 310Wh/mi | 2.2p/mi | 24.5p/mi |
| Tesla Model Y | 310Wh/mi | 2.2p/mi | 24.5p/mi |
| Audi Q4 e-tron | 320Wh/mi | 2.2p/mi | 25.3p/mi |
| BMW iX1 | 320Wh/mi | 2.2p/mi | 25.3p/mi |
| Skoda Enyaq | 320Wh/mi | 2.2p/mi | 25.3p/mi |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | 325Wh/mi | 2.3p/mi | 25.7p/mi |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 325Wh/mi | 2.3p/mi | 25.7p/mi |
| Toyota bZ4X | 330Wh/mi | 2.3p/mi | 26.1p/mi |
| Mercedes-Benz EQA | 335Wh/mi | 2.3p/mi | 26.5p/mi |
| Porsche Taycan | 340Wh/mi | 2.4p/mi | 26.9p/mi |
Fuel prices from RAC Fuel Watch (representative April 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.