Electric Car
Charging

You can charge your electric or plug in hybrid car at home using a home charging point, or you can use one of nearly 100,000 public chargers in over 30,000 locations.

In fact, there's now more charging points in the UK than petrol stations!

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

The cost will depend on what the 'pence per kWh' rate is on your home electricity tariff or the Arnold Clark Charge tariff, You can work out the cost to charge your EV to full by using a simple equation:

Useable battery capacity x electricity cost of your supplier
(in pence per kWh).

Battery capacity^

Pence per kWh

^Please note, estimated figures have been provided for comparative purposes only, rates will vary depending on electricity supplier, vehicle type, battery health, charger type, charging conditions, charging losses, electricity tariff and eligibility.

Here are some examples of charging costs:

Charging at home

Charging at home is the most cost‑effective and convenient way to charge an electric vehicle.

By using a home charger, you can take advantage of EV-friendly energy tariffs to dramatically reduce the cost of charging your vehicle.

Charging at work

Many employers install charging points at work that may be available to use, check the charging tariff and use the calculation above to see how much it could cost you to charge.

Chargers at work are typically fast chargers (up to 22kW) and take longer to charge than a rapid charger, but will allow you to plug in whilst you work.

Charging in public

The average rate to charge an electric car on a rapid/ultra-rapid charger on a public charging network is £0.80p / kWh. (Zapmap, Oct 2024)

For example, charging a VW ID.4 with a usable battery capacity of 52 kWh at a rate of £0.80, it could cost around £29 to charge from 10-80%.

By purchasing an electric car via Arnold Clark you can access preferential charging rates when charging on our UK-wide bookable charging network. Our current charging rate is £0.55p / kWh. (Oct 2024)

For example, charging a VW ID.4 with a usable battery capacity of 52 kWh at a rate of £0.55, it could cost around £20 to charge from 10-80%.

How much does it cost to home charge?

You could enjoy savings whilst charging at home!*
Check out the below estimated charging rates examples:

Brand new
MINI Cooper Electric E

£8.18**

Day charge

£2.56**

Night charge
(off-peak)

Brand new
BMW iX

£16.64**

Day charge

£5.21**

Night charge
(off-peak)

*Savings can be made if comparing Of Gem Energy Price Cap rate of £0.2450p kWh (October, 2024) in comparison to the average rapid/ultra-rapid charging cost of 80p/kWh (Zapmap, August 2024).

**Estimated day rates based on Of Gem Energy Price Cap rate of £0.2450p kWh (October, 2024). Estimated night rates based on Octopus night tariff rate of £0.07p / kWh (October 2024). Based on Mini Cooper Electric E with a 36.6 kWh useable battery capacity, charging from 0-100%. BMW iX figures based on a Brand New M Sport with a usable battery capacity of 76.6 kWh charging from 0-100%. Please note, figures have been provided for comparative purposes only, rates will vary depending on electricity supplier, vehicle type, charger type, charging conditions, charging losses, electricity tariff and eligibility.

Bumblebee EV - Easee One Home EV Charger mounted on underground parking wall

EV charger installers you can trust.

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Discover more

Purchase an electric car through Arnold Clark to gain exclusive access to our bookable UK-wide ultra-rapid charging network and enjoy preferential rates. Discover the latest developments to our network.

Learn more

Different types of chargers

There are three main types of chargers:

Slow chargers

Slow chargers use alternating current (AC) rather than direct current (DC), which is then converted to DC by the vehicle’s onboard charger.

Charging speed
Up to 3kW

Time to charge
Up to 24 hours**

Electricity source
Traditional three-pin socket

Fast chargers

Fast chargers use alternating current (AC) which is then converted by the vehicle to direct current (DC). This is the most common type of charger, typically utilised at home or at your destination.

Charging speed
7kW – 22kW

Time to charge
1-7 hours**

Electricity source
Home Wall Boxes and Public Charging Stations.

Rapid/Ultra-rapid chargers

Rapid chargers use direct current (DC) meaning it’s quicker to charge the vehicle. Majority of UK models will use a CCS connector type with a small selection using a CHADeMO connector for their rapid charging.

Charging speed
50kW - 350kW DC
(or 43kW AC)

Time to charge
18-60 minutes (10-80%)**

Electricity source
Public charging stations

**May vary depending on charger, vehicle type and the weather.

What chargers can my car use?

The universal charging connector type for Electric Vehicles is called ‘Type 2’. This connector is used when fast charging. A CCS (Combined Charging System) connector is used when rapid charging on the public network.

The cable for this will be attached to the charging unit, unlike a home charger which can use either a tethered unit, or the type 2 to type 2 cable that will come with the car.

Please note that most plug-in hybrid’s will only have the type 2 connector and not a CCS.

The Electric Hub

Learn everything about the world of electric from our Innovation Centre Geniuses. Including charging advice, driving tips, fun facts and more - view our education videos, handy guides and latest electric news!

Find out more

We're here to help!

Got any EV questions? Speak to the EV experts!

heretohelp@arnoldclark.com

Scotland: 0141 435 5633

England: 0178 555 9663

Electric Car Charging