Which Countries Are The Cheapest For EV Charging?

For insurers and brokers it’s handy to know which countries are relatively cheap when it comes to electric car ownership, because it indicates where growth in the market might occur. They all need insurance, as well as regular charging of course and so those costs need to be well below petrol/diesel to tempt buyers. Luckily Vehicle Contracts UK has done some research and found that coutnries using gas or coal fired power stations often deliver the cheapest per kilowatt electricity for greener cars. Amazing.

The Ukraine capital city Kiev has the most reasonable EV charging prices at just £2.10 for a full charge. The number of electric vehicles bought in the country doubled over the past year with 43,882 electric vehicles now on the road there, showing an increasing trend.

With Norway leading the way having more plug-in vehicles per capita than any other country, it is interesting to see how their charging cost of £4.26 remains one of the cheapest charging points. In Norway the charging is free, you just pay for the parking, which for EVs is half the usual parking fee. You also get free road tolls, reduced ferry costs and your electric car is free from purchase tax and VAT. One big reason why EVs sell so well in Norway is that petrol/diesel vehicles attract taxation rates of 45% on top of the RRP, plus ferry and road tolls, parking costs etc.

The 10 cheapest cities to charge an EV:

1. Kiev – Ukraine (£2.10) (gas power generation)

2. Moscow – Russia (£2.76) (gas power generation)

3. Minsk – Belarus (£3.36) (gas power generation)

4. Skopje – Macedonia (£3.96) (coal and gas power generation)

5. Belgrade – Serbia (£4.08)

6. Oslo – Norway (£4.26)

7. Sarajevo – Bosnia & Herzegovina (£4.62)

8. Chisinau – Moldova (£4.68)

9. Tirana – Albania (£4.80)

10. Podgorica – Montenegro (£5.22)

Berlin is the most expensive European city to charge an EV

The German capital has one of the priciest EV charging costs of any European capital, with a full charge setting you back £15.90.

The 10 most expensive cities to charge an EV:

1. Berlin – Germany (£15.90)

2. Copenhagen – Denmark (£14.98)

3. Brussels – Belgium (£13.56)

4. Dublin – Ireland (£12.78)

5. London – UK (£11.28)

6. Vienna – Austria (£10.32)

7. Bern – Switzerland (£9.84)

8. Amsterdam – Netherlands (£8.16)

9. Helsinki – Finland (£8.04)

10. Sofia – Bulgaria (£6.00)

Vehicle Contracts analysed fuel costs, EV charging rates, parking charges, repair costs and insurance premiums creating an index of 43 cities to uncover which European capital is the priciest and cheapest place to own a car.

Robert Harris, Director at Vehicle Contracts says: ‘We are facing ever fluctuating fuel prices in the UK, and with the news that by 2030 petrol and diesel vehicles will cease to be manufactured, there has been an increase in interest in electric vehicles. More charging points are being installed across Europe to help with accessibility and to meet the growing demand with more EVs on the road, which is a positive step in the right direction in terms of environmental factors such as reduced CO2 emissions.’