The top 20 cheapest and quickest EVs to charge publicly in the UK

As EV adoption continues to grow worldwide, many consumers previously accustomed to gasoline vehicles are seeking zero-emission alternatives, educating themselves on the technologies and practices that coincide with driving an EV. A recent study from Leasing Options has detailed 20 of the cheapest and fastest EVs to charge in the UK.

Methodology

The study itself was published by Leasing Options out of the UK, using 50 EVs currently on the market compared to their estimated ranges and specific specs provided by Zap-Map‘s database.

To keep things kosher, Leasing Options used the same criteria throughout its study – Charge levels began at 20% and finished at 100%, a 50 kW rapid charger was used, and the connection fee was always £0. The cost per kWh was also locked at 30 pence.

Zap-Map’s database was also used to provide to all EV charge times and costs. Here are the results.

Cheapest EVs to charge publicly in the UK

After compiling charging data from the different EV models available in the UK, a top 20 list has been compiled, and you may find the results somewhat surprising. Keep in mind, there are a number of subjective factors that can make one EV better than another, but in terms of flat-out cost to charge publicly, here are your winners.

The Fiat 500 Hatchback, MINI Electric, and Honda e round out the top three as the cheapest EVs to charge in the UK. At £5.76 ($7.85) total to charge from 20-100%, the Fiat 500 bests second place by nearly two pounds.

That being said, we do want to point out that the Fiat 500 Hatch is the Action trim setup with a 24 kWh battery and 162.5 km (101 mi) real-world range. This small battery naturally requires less energy to charge, and thus claims the top spot. Not to take away from the Fiat 500 either! It makes for a wonderful city car in the UK.

The Mazda MX-30 is one of the newest EVs to debut on this list and sits in the number four spot. Its 190 km (118 mile) real-world range again showcases the pattern of smaller batteries (obviously) costing less to charge up.

Fastest EVs to charge

Moving to charge time itself, you’ll notice a direct correlation alongside the cheapest EVs to charge in the UK. In this sense, the results remain the same, again pointing out that smaller batteries require less energy to reach 100% (duh). Simultaneously, drivers of these EVs can expect to see the fastest charge times from UK public chargers as well.

At 24 minutes for a 20-100% charge, the Fiat 500 Hatch again claims the top spot, besting the MINI Electric by six whole minutes. Unlike the charging costs however, third place gets much more interesting. We see an eight-way tie between the following EVs, all charging up in 36 minutes:

Data table outlining the cheapest and fastest EVs to charge in the UK

As you can see, there are plenty of EV options available in the UK that will not only offer the cheapest prices to charge, but some of the fastest times to do so as well.

That being said, these perks do not come without sacrifice. The leaders on the list above are some of the smallest EVs on the market and/or deliver some of the shortest ranges on a single charge.

That fact should by no means deter you from considering one of them, especially as each person’s EV needs vary depending on their commute, average travel distance, access to chargers, etc. the list goes on.