New research has found that £20 of electricity will take a vehicle further than the equivalent amount of petrol as drivers face expensive fuel costs amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The latest data shows that £20 of electricity can power an electric vehicle for up to 200 miles, while the same amount of petrol would only deliver around 120 miles.
The average UK motorist who spends £20 on an overnight charge at home on a char.gy tariff would get between seven and 10 days of driving in an electric car.
However, at the UK’s current price of petrol of 138.96p per litre, the same £20 at the pump would only last for an average of six days.
Almost two-thirds of drivers admitted that lower charging costs would persuade them to switch to an electric vehicle, according to a new report.
The data, from char.gy and YouGov’s “What Everyone Should Know About EVs” release, shows that this sentiment is as high as 78 per cent of those considering buying an EV in the near-term.
John Lewis, CEO of char.gy, said: “For many drivers considering the switch to electric, the key question is simple: will it cost less to run?
“Our analysis shows that even today, using public charging, £20 of electricity can power an EV significantly further than £20 of petrol.”
New research shows £20 of charging takes a vehicle further than £20 of petrol amid soaring fuel costs
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Drivers who can charge from home benefit even more than other motorists with special EV-friendly tariffs available when demand is lower and renewables are the dominant source.
This was highlighted by Mr Lewis, noting that affordable charging is “one of the biggest drivers of EV adoption”, especially as drivers continue to deal with the cost of living crisis.
Overnight tariffs can be one of the biggest incentives for motorists looking to switch, with prices around 39p/kWh when charging overnight.
The chargepoint operator said a growing number of customers are taking steps to use overnight charging to manage costs compared to those recharging during the day.
Char.gy operates more than 5,000 public EV charging points across the country
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CHAR.GY
“As policymakers consider new road pricing models, it will be crucial to protect the cost advantages that are already helping millions of drivers move away from petrol and diesel,” Mr Lewis added.
The expert argued that the Government should focus on a system that aids the transition to electric vehicles, rather than hampering uptake.
The company warned that the Government could “risk slowing adoption at a critical stage” by introducing rules that do not aid drivers in switching to cleaner vehicles.
Char.gy operates more than 5,000 public charging points across the UK, many of which are converted from existing infrastructure.
Char.gy is working in Brighton and Hove to install around 6,000 electric vehicle chargers
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CHAR.GYIt has also partnered with local authorities to accelerate the rollout of new community chargers near houses where driveways may not be as common.
Almost 1,600 new public chargers were installed across the country in February 2026, bringing the total to 118,321, according to data from Zapmap.
It estimates that there are more than 1.5 million chargers installed at homes and workplaces, as Government grants allow drivers to save hundreds of pounds.