April saw a 7p/kWh drop in peak time on-street slow charging, with off-peak residential rates falling by a penny in a month, according to the latest AA EV Recharge Report.
While making conversion to an EV are now even more attractive, the AA warned there is “fear” that April’s equalisation of the standard Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rate for EVs with petrol and diesel cars may put off buyers.
April also saw the introduction of electric cars paying vehicle excise duty (VED), even if they were previously registered and paying £0 a year.
The move by the Treasury is seen as a necessary option to ensure that all car users make a contribution towards the upkeep of the road network. But the AA said it was “concerned that matching EV VED rates to petrol cars may hamper the adoption of used electric cars”. It has called on a discounted car tax rate for EVs, to help bolster used EV sales.
When compared to the maximum at-home charging cost – the Ofgem cap – the difference with peak kerbside charging costs is around 2p-a-mile less than a month ago, which is 6.10p v 13.11p a mile now compared to 5.65p v 14.69p in March.
This is partly due to the cost of domestic charging on the Ofgem energy price cap increasing by 2p/kWh. The cost of charging to 80% of battery capacity now comes in at just over £10. But filling 80% of a tank of fuel would cost more than £40.
Most EV drivers with the ability to charge from home using a dedicated domestic charger for their vehicle at considerably lower rates, often as low as 5p/kWh if they charge overnight – minimising the costs.
While pump prices continued to slowly fall over the same period, EV charging offered competitive rates when charging away from home, with off-peak ultra-rapid charging being a penny a mile less than petrol – 10.62 p/mile compared to 11.77 p/mile.
AA EV Recharge Report, April 2025. Flat rates;
| Charge Type | Speed | Apr Ave (p/kWh) | Mar Ave (p/kWh) | Difference (p/kWh) | Cost to add 80% charge | Pence per mile (p/mile) |
| Domestic | Up to 7kW | 27 | 25 | 2 | £10.80 | 6.10 |
| Slow | Up to 8kW | 50 | 50 | 0 | £20.00 | 11.30 |
| Fast | 8-49kW | 60 | 60 | 0 | £24.00 | 13.56 |
| Rapid | 50-149kW | 74 | 74 | 0 | £29.60 | 16.72 |
| Ultra-rapid | +150kW | 78 | 78 | 0 | £31.20 | 17.63 |
| PETROL | 134.60 ppl | 135.60 ppl | -1.00 ppl | £43.07 | 11.77 | |
AA EV Recharge Report, April 2025. Peak and Off-Peak rates;
| Charge Type | Speed | Apr Ave (p/kWh) | Mar Ave (p/kWh) | Difference (p/kWh) | Cost to add 80% charge | Pence per mile (p/mile) |
| Slow Off-Peak | Up to 8kW | 43 | 44 | -1 | £17.20 | 9.72 |
| Slow Peak | Up to 8kW | 58 | 65 | -7 | £23.20 | 13.11 |
| Fast Off-Peak | 8-49kW | 54 | 54 | 0 | £21.60 | 12.20 |
| Fast Peak | 8-49kW | 85 | 85 | 0 | £34.00 | 19.21 |
| Rapid Off-Peak | 50-149kW | 54 | 54 | 0 | £21.60 | 12.20 |
| Rapid Peak | 50-149kW | 85 | 85 | 0 | £34.00 | 19.21 |
| Ultra-rapid Off-Peak | +150kW | 47 | 47 | 0 | £18.80 | 10.62 |
| Ultra-rapid Peak | +150kW | 65 | 65 | 0 | £26.00 | 14.69 |
| PETROL | 134.60 ppl | 135.60 ppl | -1.00 ppl | £43.07 | 11.77 | |
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said:
“For the second month running, on-street residential charging has fallen meaning drivers can recharge for less closer to their home. This is important for those without any dedicated off-street parking, as it allows everyone to join the move to electrification.
“Unfortunately for EV drivers, the introduction of VED means that the days of free car tax are over. Harsh still, was the decision to retrospectively charge all EV owners with the same rate as those driving combustion cars.
“The danger with this decision is that it removes a key incentive for people looking to buy a used car. An annual tax saving of around £200 was not to be sniffed at, yet the unique move to hit owners in this way means people may stick with what they’ve always chosen. The AA agrees that all drivers should pay something towards road maintenance, but a fairer solution would be to offer a discounted EV rate until EVs saturated more of the UK Car Parc.”
Image from Shutterstock
