Electric cars are more expensive to buy than their petrol counterparts, but are they actually cheaper to run? We explain all

One of the biggest appeals of electric cars – other than the inherent environmental benefits – are significantly reduced running costs. Over the last decade, there have been several reports stating EVs are ‘completely free to run’, and others saying that charging them ‘costs half the price of petrol’ – but is this really true?

Ultimately, whether the total cost of ownership (TCO) is lower for an electric car than its petrol or diesel equivalent comes down to a multitude of factors. Here, we’ll crunch the numbers and find out how expensive – or inexpensive – owning an electric car can be.

We’ve decided to use the Vauxhall Astra Electric and its petrol-powered sibling as an example, but all of what we’re about to go through applies for almost every EV on the market. Read on to see how much you could potentially save.

How much do electric cars cost?

It’d be a crime when talking about EVs to ignore the fact that they tend to cost a lot more than their petrol equivalents. Take the Vauxhall Astra Electric, for example which, starting at £39,795, costs roughly £10,000 more than a comparable petrol model.

Read more: drivingelectric

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