Analysis: EVs are now nine times cheaper than petrol or diesel to drive in UK
Rising geopolitical tensions and attacks on oil infrastructure have caused UK petrol and diesel prices to surge, making electric vehicles up to nine times cheaper to operate. Analysis indicates that driving an EV on off-peak tariffs costs approximately 2.3p per mile, compared to over 20p for fossil-fuel vehicles. Despite plans for a future pay-per-mile tax, EVs remain significantly more cost-effective for drivers than traditional cars.
- ▪Diesel prices in the UK have increased by 38% since February to £1.96 per litre due to conflicts involving Iran, Russia, and the Middle East.
- ▪Driving an electric vehicle using an off-peak tariff costs an estimated 2.3p per mile, which is nine times cheaper than driving a diesel car.
- ▪Petrol vehicles currently account for 55% of cars on UK roads, while fully electric vehicles make up only 6% of the total fleet.
- ▪The UK government plans to introduce a pay-per-mile tax on EVs starting in April 2028, which will add 3p to the cost per mile.
- ▪EV drivers are now estimated to save approximately £1,200 annually in fuel costs compared to petrol car owners.
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| Original publisher | Carbon Brief |
| Canonical URL | https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-evs-are-now-nine-times-cheaper-than-petrol-or-diesel-to-drive-in-the-uk |
| Publication time | Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:23:37 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-28T10:06:07.618Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-28T10:06:07.618Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
| Excerpt source | publisher body |
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| Summary | WeSearch · cerebras-chat (WeSearch summarizer) |
| Summary source text | contentText |
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| Cluster | cIiX-PVwS8H0 · 1 stories |
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| Retrieval / RAG | May the content be exposed for third-party retrieval-augmented generation? | Not asserted |
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Home Energy Oil and gas Analysis: EVs are now nine times cheaper than petrol or diesel to drive in the UK 24.09.26 Oil and gas By: Molly Lempriere, Ho Woo Nam Petrol pumps at a petrol station, London. Credit: Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo Print article Share The latest surge in fossil-fuel prices means it is now up to nine times cheaper in the UK to drive an electric vehicle (EV) than a petrol or diesel car, shows Carbon Brief analysis. Since February, when the US first attacked Iran, the average price of diesel has increased by 38% to £1.96 a litre, according to Carbon Brief analysis of government figures. Following the attack on the Kapotnya oil refinery in Russia on 20 September and with tensions in the Middle East growing, this is expected to pass a record £2 a litre.
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