Electric most popular fuel type as EV fuel cost savings highest since records began amid petrol price spike
Autotrader, the UK’s biggest automotive marketplace, together with Zapmap, the UK’s leading charge point mapping and data service, reveal today that potential fuel cost savings for running an electric vehicle (EV) has reached £960 in April, representing the highest savings since records began in November 2023.
The findings follow months of rising petrol prices which have driven spikes in EV interest on Autotrader. 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 electric vehicles.
Updates to The Facts include:
Autotrader’s latest figures show that the average price of a new EV has fallen below that of a petrol car, including discounts and government grants. This has now happened for two consecutive months with March’s price gap at £296 and April at £455. [1]
Other updates – 120,338 chargers for EV drivers
The Department for Transport has recently changed the way it reports on the number of charge points in the UK, switching from the number of charging devices - which can contain multiple individual EV chargers - to the number of individual chargers (also can be described as an electric vehicle supply equipment EVSE). This means the total has jumped to 120,338 in April.
Given the growing used electric market, the Facts now uses £15,000 as the headline price point for used EVs, where it previously showed the proportion of used EVs available from £20,000.
Autotrader also announces today that, for the first time ever, EVs were the most popular fuel type on its platform, with 29% of all new car enquiries – when a buyer contacts a retailer about a car – in April, up from 17% in April 2025. Petrol took 25% (down from 35% in 2025) and diesel was down at 7.8% (10.5% in 2025). Plug-in hybrids took 18% of all enquiries, up from 116,052 in January.
Vehicle leasing company Lex Autolease is 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.
The EV conversation has moved on. Choice has broadened, technology has matured, and more drivers are experiencing electric as part of normal life. From our perspective, financing one in eight electric vehicles on UK roads gives us a front row view of that progress. Supporting The Facts is about helping that momentum continue, by sharing clear, up to date information that reflects how electric vehicles are actually being used today.
Paul Hyne, Commercial Director at Lex Autolease
At Zapmap we’ve been tracking the cost of charging on the public network since November 2023. This shows that the vast majority of drivers choosing electric will enjoy total cost of ownership savings – even more so as the cost of new EVs continues to fall. We’re now seeing that for EV drivers with a typical 80/20 split between home and public charging, the cost saving of charging their EV compared to fuelling a petrol or diesel car is at the highest level since December 2023. Getting the facts on the reality of EVs and charging out into the market is critical to enable the next million drivers to make the switch to electric with confidence.
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zapmap
Now more than ever, it’s vital consumers understand the potential benefits of electric driving, with average running cost savings so high and upfront price reducing, it’s a great time to consider. We’re determined to ensure drivers have the right information to make informed choices that best suit their needs and we’re delighted Lex Autolease have joined our campaign. Whilst we know electric cars might not yet be right for all buyers just yet, we hope The Facts help provide confidence for those that are keen to make the switch.
New champions Lex Autolease join 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.
Notes to editors
[1] March EV avg price £42,217 vs EV avg price £41,922. Final April figures petrol £43,296 vs EV £42, 841. Previous figures reported were a mid-month snapshot.
About Autotrader
Autotrader Group plc is the UK’s biggest automotive marketplace and a leading digital platform for the automotive industry. Listed on the London Stock Exchange since March 2015, the company is a member of the FTSE 100 Index.
Autotrader’s purpose is Driving Change Together. Responsibly. The company uses advanced data science, artificial intelligence and scalable technology to improve how vehicles are bought and sold, while building stronger partnerships with its customers and the wider automotive ecosystem. Autotrader’s platform leverages significant amounts of proprietary data and machine learning models to power pricing, demand forecasting and personalised consumer experiences. These capabilities enable retailers and manufacturers to make better decisions, improve performance and respond to real-time market dynamics.
Autotrader is increasingly digitising the car buying journey, from search and discovery through to financing and purchase, enabling more of the buying journey to take place online. Alongside this, it is using its data and influence to support the transition to electric vehicles. This is all underpinned by a values-led culture that empowers its people to develop and perform, enabling continuous innovation across its platform and products
The Company also publishes a monthly used car Retail Price Index, based on the analysis of approximately 800,000 vehicles each day from across the automotive retail market. This dataset provides one of the most comprehensive views of the UK automotive market and is used by organisations including the Bank of England and the Office for National Statistics to inform economic indicators and government policy.
For more information, please visit www.plc.autotrader.co.uk
Media contact: bryony.mannix@autotrader.co.uk
About SMMT and the UK automotive industry
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is one of the largest and most influential trade associations, representing the automotive industry in the UK.
The automotive industry is a vital part of the UK economy, integral to growth, the delivery of net zero and the UK as a global trade hub. It contributes £93 billion turnover and £22 billion value added to the UK economy, and invests around £4 billion each year in R&D. It directly employs 198,000 people in manufacturing and some 813,000 across the wider automotive industry. The sector accounts for 12% of total UK exports of goods with more than 140 countries importing UK-produced vehicles, generating £115 billion of trade in total automotive imports and exports.
The UK manufactures almost every type of vehicle, from cars, to vans, taxis, trucks, buses and coaches, as well as specialist and off-highway vehicles, supported by more than 2,500 component providers and some of the world's most skilled engineers. In addition, the sector has vibrant aftermarket and remanufacturing industries. The automotive industry also supports jobs in other key sectors, including advertising, chemicals, finance, logistics and steel.
More detail on UK Automotive available in SMMT's Motor Industry Facts publication at www.smmt.co.uk/reports/smmt-motor-industry-facts/
Media contact: James Boley – jboley@smmt.co.uk / 07927 668565
ChargeUK is the voice of the EV charging industry. It represents over 40 companies operating more than two thirds of the UK’s public EV charging infrastructure. Our members have invested billions in car, van and HGV charging, installing over 119,000 EV chargers across the country. Together, we are publicly committed to installing thousands more by 2030, creating jobs, supporting economic growth and powering the UK’s switch to electric vehicles.
Media contact: Ian McKee press@chargeuk.org / +44 330 002 8220
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