Drivers facing ‘EV rip-off’ as rising prices mean electric cars can now be more expensive to run than petrol models

Public rapid and ultra-rapid charging can make electric cars more expensive to run per mile than petrol models, challenging the promise of cheaper motoring. Drivers in Scotland may be particularly affected because many cannot charge at home and rely on pricier public chargers.

Scotland has 13,064 public charge points, according to data from Zapmap: 9,623 slower chargers cost about 12–16p per mile, while 3,441 rapid or ultra-rapid chargers cost around 24p per mile. By comparison, a Ford Puma costs about 15p per mile to run on petrol, and a Nissan Qashqai or Kia Sportage about 17.6p. A Scottish household survey found that roughly 1.3 million homes, or 52 per cent, lack a private driveway or dedicated parking space; the Department for Transport says public charging prices have risen significantly since 2021.