How much does it cost to run an electric car?

2632 Views 12 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Dean Hamer, Jun 8, 2014

Dean Hamer

Discussion Starter · Jun 7, 2014 (Edited)

Hi, this is just a quick thread for any newbie or prospective EV owners for a rough idea how much it costs to run an electric car.

I picked up my Leaf on the 14th of Feb and I have taken a meter reading off my EV charging station to keep a track of how much the car costs to run.

I have been running the car for just short of four months, in this period I have covered 5220 miles. My daily commute is just short of 50 miles a day with the majority of my commute being at high speed keeping up with traffic on the motorway (not ideal to maximize the range of an EV) but still it does the job with ease, leaving me with a minimum of 30% battery at the end of the day.

My meter on my charge station displays that I have used 1540kWh since picking up the car. This translates to 3.39 miles/per kWh. This calculation does not include ~8 rapid charges and 1 public charge I have used (but this did not cost me anyway).

My current electricity tariff is 12.50p per kWh. For me to travel 5220 miles it has cost me £192.50 in electricity. Alot less than what my previous VW diesel would have cost me £783. If this continues until the first year anniversary I'm projecting I would be saving just short of £1800 in fuel cost alone, not even including the £0.00 road tax and reduced servicing costs that come with EV's.

These savings could be increased even further if I switched to economy 7 or invested in a PV system, which I may think about in the coming months.

I certainly have enjoyed driving pure electric for the past 4 months, and unless my circumstances change drastically I will never return to an ICE car.

Bring on the future!

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Alexander Sims

· #2 · Jun 7, 2014

Nice one Dean.
Just a note that I think your calculation about energy per mile usage is slightly out! I think you divided it the wrong way around. My roadster generally uses around 250Wh per mile, not 3.3kWhrs!

Great to put some figures down. I have economy 7 and charge off peak all the time, that means for a full charge it costs me about £5 and I get 200 miles per charge driving normally.

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AndyG

· #3 · Jun 7, 2014

Can anyone with a battery lease option explain their costings.
With the best guess that I have come up with its seem that running a Zoe would not be any cheaper than a Cleo.

Mathes
1200 miles per month lease £95 = 8p per mile (if you do exactly 1200 miles)
Electricity 4 miles per Kwh = 3p per mile
Total 11p per mile to run a Zoe

My daughters Cloe diesel at 60 MPG (average in 2 years driving)
£5.80 per gallon / 60 = 10p per mile
Total 10p per mile for a Cleo

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Alexander Sims

· #4 · Jun 7, 2014

AndyG said:
Can anyone with a battery lease option explain their costings.
With the best guess that I have come up with its seem that running a Zoe would not be any cheaper than a Cleo.

Mathes
1200 miles per month lease £95 = 8p per mile (if you do exactly 1200 miles)
Electricity 4 miles per Kwh = 3p per mile
Total 11p per mile to run a Zoe

My daughters Cloe diesel at 60 MPG (average in 2 years driving)
£5.80 per gallon / 60 = 10p per mile
Total 10p per mile for a Cleo

Yes that does seem to sound about right I think regarding battery lease EVs. The big difference compared to other EVs is the initial cost with the Zoe, so you don't have to put 25k down, just 15k... The manufacturer has to make their money somehow though and so the ongoing cost is higher...

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Paul

· #5 · Jun 7, 2014

To (roughly) work out my cost I combined the car PCP and battery lease as if they are one thing (car cost) and then I use the "regular" methods for running cost. This is because the PCP and battery lease are fixed, and will continue until I swap it in/hand it back.

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Dean Hamer

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 7, 2014 (Edited)

Sorry 3.39miles/per kWh....not 3.39kWh per mile !! Ha

i.e 290Wh per mile

edited

The Leaf is quite a big car with high speeds really effecting efficiency. I would hope to get under 250Wh per mile if I drove at a conservative speed. But essentially drive it like any other normal car due to the range being more than adequate for what I need day to day.

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Peter Waller

· #7 · Jun 7, 2014

Nice. Now get that solar installed and enjoy smugness to the full . It's worth every penny to tell people the power of the sun....

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Dean Hamer

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 7, 2014

Peter Waller said:
Nice. Now get that solar installed and enjoy smugness to the full . It's worth every penny to tell people the power of the sun....

Yeah, the problem is we are thinking about moving in the next year or so. But I will be putting up some PV on the next house.

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AndyG

· #9 · Jun 7, 2014 (Edited)

Alexander Sims said:
Yes that does seem to sound about right I think regarding battery lease EVs. The big difference compared to other EVs is the initial cost with the Zoe, so you don't have to put 25k down, just 15k... The manufacturer has to make their money somehow though and so the ongoing cost is higher...

The problem I have is, if I go for the car it will end up being driven by one of my daughters after I have finished with it. We brought the Cleo at 2 years old (I got 75 MPG) and ran it for three years and it is now my oldest daughters car. If I do the same with a Zoe I would still be paying for the battery or my youngest would be in five years time. I think she would not take that on...

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Paul

· #10 · Jun 7, 2014

Maybe ex-demo LEAF (UK made) would be an option soon, if not already?

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jonnobris

· #11 · Jun 7, 2014

AndyG said:
Can anyone with a battery lease option explain their costings.
With the best guess that I have come up with its seem that running a Zoe would not be any cheaper than a Cleo.

Mathes
1200 miles per month lease £95 = 8p per mile (if you do exactly 1200 miles)
Electricity 4 miles per Kwh = 3p per mile
Total 11p per mile to run a Zoe

My daughters Cloe diesel at 60 MPG (average in 2 years driving)
£5.80 per gallon / 60 = 10p per mile
Total 10p per mile for a Cleo

I, like Paul, looked at the car PCP and Batt Lease as one figure. I have no intention in keeping the car at the end of the PCP and for me the overall saving over the 3 yrs for Flex as opposed non flex worked out at about £700 or nearly the cost of the electricity for the 3 yrs!

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EV Rider

· #12 · Jun 7, 2014

Any Zoe drivers care to chip in on the insurance thing re the battery cover issue here,cos I'm getting frustrated when Renault's in house insurance don't cover the Zoe!?

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Dean Hamer

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jun 8, 2014

I've just come across this video on YouTube.

I think this explains why I don't have the best efficiency for my motorway commute in the LEAF

Aero Comparo! Tesla Model S vs Volt, Prius, Leaf,…:

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