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10 August 26 Press releases

Electric car running cost savings jump £180 in a year to almost £1,000

  • New data from Autotrader and Zapmap shows £180 year-on-year jump in annual electric vehicle (EV) fuel cost savings in July, following sustained petrol price hikes driven by the conflict in the Middle East.
  • Electrified cars took more than half of all new car enquiries on Autotrader in July, with electric cars taking 29.1% and Plug-in Hybrid cars taking 20.8%.
  • Octopus Electroverse joins ‘Electric Cars: The Facts’ campaign created by Autotrader, ChargeUK and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to promote user-friendly facts about electric vehicles (EVs), endorsed by the Department for Transport.

 

Autotrader, the UK’s biggest automotive marketplace, together with Zapmap, the UK’s leading charge point mapping and data service, share that potential fuel cost savings for running an electric vehicle (EV) are up £180 on 2025 levels at £960, for those who are able to charge at home.

The news comes as Autotrader, ChargeUK and the SMMT today release the quarterly update of the Electric Cars: The Facts campaign designed to combat misinformation surrounding EVs.

Updates to The Facts include:

  • There are now 46 new EVs with a recommended retail price (RRP) below £30,000, up from 38 in January.
  • More than one in five (21%) used EVs on Autotrader are now priced £15,000 and below, down from 26% in May. 43% are now £20,000 and below - up from 40% in January.
  • There are now 122,724 charging plugs available in the UK public network, up from 120,338 in May.
  • Zapmap report annual fuel cost savings have stayed at their highest since records began in November 2023, when comparing a typical 80/20 split of home/public charging to petrol prices with an annual saving of £960.

 

For the first time ever, electrified cars have taken one in every two new car enquiries on the Autotrader platform in July, with electric cars taking 29.1% and Plug-in Hybrid cars taking 20.8% of all enquiries sent to retailers. This milestone follows months of rising petrol prices driven by conflict in the Middle East which have driven sustained growth in electric interest on Autotrader. Since March, EVs have consistently taken at least one in five of all used car enquiries[1], up from around 16% previously, and in the new car market, electric has consistently been the most popular fuel type since April.

Whilst consumer interest in electric is growing, there are still barriers to further adoption. Sales are still behind official ZEV mandate targets, in 2028 more than half of all new car sales need to be electric, and pay per mile tax increases for EV drivers are looming.

Key spokesperson

Marc Palmer

Head of Strategy and Insights

CONNECT

Octopus Electroverse are today announced as new champions of cross-industry Facts initiative as part of the quarterly update. The campaign promotes a set of user-friendly, simplified facts that offer a data-backed view of the reality of owning and driving electric cars to dispel popular misconceptions.

Not long ago, charging away from home felt like a massive hurdle for drivers looking to switch. Today, public chargers are everywhere, technology is better than ever, and - when combined with home charging - saving nearly £1,000 a year on fuel makes electric the undeniable choice. The biggest barrier left isn't infrastructure or range, it's simply a lack of clear information. We’re proud to join 'Electric Cars: The Facts' to strip away the hassle, bust the outdated myths, and give drivers the data and confidence they need to go electric.

Matt Davies, Founder of Octopus Electroverse

Palmer continued: “It’s a busy time in the electric car market and we’re beginning to see sustained levels of growth in electric interest on Autotrader, both in the new and used sectors. In the used electric market, pricing is actually increasing on 2025 levels as demand remains robust and supply continues its recovery. It’s really encouraging to see running cost savings are maintaining the record levels we’ve seen since Springtime, almost a thousand pounds a year is a substantial saving for households to consider.”

“Our goal is to give car buyers The Facts so they can make the best choice for their own circumstances, and we’re thrilled to welcome Octopus Electroverse to join us in this endeavour. We recognise electric cars might not fit every buyer’s needs just yet, but we hope The Facts gives drivers the right information, and therefore confidence, to make the switch.”

New champions Octopus Electroverse join Lex Autolease, the AA, Fleet News, the Institute of the Motor Industry, Zapmap, the National Franchise Dealer Association, the British Vehicle Rental Leasing Association, Cox Automotive Europe and EVA England as supporters of The Facts initiative.

 


 

[1] In the 0-5 year age segment only. Autotrader analysis of the used electric market currently only includes 0-5 year old cars due to insufficient volume of data in older age cohorts. 

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