EV enquiries surge as fuel costs rise

Enquiries for our dedicated electric vehicle offers have rocketed by around 630% compared with this time last year as drivers look for ways to cut motoring costs amid soaring fuel prices.

The increase comes as diesel prices climb to 199.33p per litre, while petrol now costs 174.23p per litre, according to latest figures from the RAC. 

By comparison, a typical 55-litre tank of petrol is costing drivers on average around £96 to fill, while charging an EV for the same distance on our EV Optimise costs around £10, saving approximately £86. This is equivalent to 2p per mile on electricity vs 18p per mile with petrol.

The number of customers adopting our EV Optimise charging solution is also more than five times higher than a year ago (up 430%), with customers choosing our dedicated EV Saver tariff also up over 10% over the same 12-month period.

Roz Brennan, Smart Solutions Director of our Customer Business, said: “With fuel prices nearing the £2-a-litre, we’ve seen a huge spike in interest from drivers looking to make the switch to electric vehicles, particularly in the past few weeks.

“The fact that our EV Optimise enquiries have increased by more than 630% year-on-year is a clear reflection of the rising cost of diesel and petrol and shows that motorists are absolutely looking to reduce their everyday running costs as much as possible.

“Driving an electric vehicle with EV Optimise can cost as little as 2p per mile, and a clear choice between nearly £100 or £10 for the same distance on an average tank of petrol v EV charging – there’s no doubt that EVs are significantly cheaper making switching more attractive than ever.

“As more people weigh up the cost of motoring, we're here to help make the transition to electric as simple and affordable as possible.”
To help customers get the most from electric vehicle ownership, we offer a range of products and services including our EV Saver tariff, which provides discounted overnight electricity rates for EV drivers, and EV Optimise, which automatically schedules charging when there is less demand on the grid and electricity is cheaper. 

Both are designed to help drivers maximise the savings from switching to electric, offering smart charging from just 8p/kWh with EV Optimise and 8.5p/kWh with EV Saver.

We also offer home EV chargers with nationwide installation, with eligible customers purchasing an EV charger bundle able to access charging rates from as little as 6p/kWh.