By Nick Carey
LONDON (Reuters) – Charging electric vehicles (EV) using public chargers on Britain’s streets can cost up to 1,515 pounds ($1,854.51) more annually than for those using a charger at home, according to an analysis of fees by pro-EV campaign group FairCharge.
The analysis showed that the average cost to charge an EV on a public network is now up to 1,838 pounds annually, compared with those who can pay as little as 323 pounds annually to charge at home using lower overnight tariffs.
FairCharge is campaigning for a change in how public charging is taxed in Britain to bring down costs for consumers and encourage investment in charging infrastructure.
Home chargers range in price from about $600 to over $1,000, not including installation, and are often subsidised by carmakers.
European and U.S. cities planning to phase out combustion engines over the next decade or so first need to plug a charging gap for tens of millions of residents who park their cars on the street.
Government figures show that around 40% of Britain’s 33 million cars park on the street, compared to around 40% of Americans do not live in single-family homes with garages.
Carmakers have argued that in return for the hundreds of billions of dollars the auto industry is spending on electrification, the European Union and countries like Britain should focus on building out charging infrastructure to encourage more people to buy EVs and give them the confidence they can find somewhere affordable to recharge.
In Britain a consumption tax of 20% is levied on public charging, while consumers at home pay a tax of just 5%.
The extra 15% tax has been dubbed the “pavement tax” by EV proponents, who argue that scrapping it will boost public support for the transition to zero-emission cars.
($1 = 0.8169 pounds)
(Reporting By Nick Carey; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
