Electric cars were hailed as the greener and cheaper way forward… but they actually cost MORE

They were hailed as a cheaper – and greener – alternative to petrol-run cars.

But it has now emerged that electric cars can now cost more to run than their gas-guzzling counterparts – and could plague Britain’s roads with potholes.

With rising electricity prices, recharging cars at major public points can now cost almost £50 – often making them more expensive to run than a petrol alternative.

Oil giants BP and Shell – which oversee the UK’s biggest recharging networks – charge 79p and 85p per kWh respectively. In May 2022 you could recharge at a rate of 44.55p per kWh.

Meanwhile, the price of petrol has dropped to around 144p a litre, meaning it costs £72 to fill up a typical car. As a result, the cost per mile for the electric VW ID.3 is 21.43p compared to 13.03p for VW’s petrol equivalent the Golf 1.5L, according to The Sun.

With rising electricity prices, recharging cars at major public points can now cost almost £50 – often making them more expensive to run than a petrol alternative (File image)

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘When charging at home, the running costs are far cheaper. But that is only possible for those who have a driveway and can install a home charger on their house.’ 

He urged the Government to reduce VAT on public chargers from 20 to five per cent to match the rate levied on domestic electricity.

The vast weight of electric vehicles may also cause more potholes, according to the road-building association the Asphalt Industry Alliance. Due to their large batteries, electric vehicles are usually more than twice as heavy as average cars.

On Saturday, Mr Bean star Rowan Atkinson said in an interview that he feels ‘duped’ having bought an e-car.

‘When you start to drill into the facts, electric motoring doesn’t seem to be quite the environmental panacea it is claimed to be,’ he wrote.