I’m an EV owner – my urgent warning over shocking hidden cost…don’t get caught out

A DRIVER has issued an urgent warning over a shocking hidden cost of EV ownership.

Lee, also known as the MacMaster, took to his YouTube channel to urge other motorists not to buy electric cars amid the cost of living crisis.

Lee cited the price of charging up EVs as a major issue which many road users might not be aware of.

He claimed: "It's supposed to be cheaper to charge your electric car compared to petrol.

"I think we all know the answer to that.

"It's obviously a lot cheaper in a petrol or a diesel car.

"It isn't viable in my opinion."

Lee went to four different charging points near his home in Leeds, Yorkshire, to compare the prices at each of them to the cost of topping up a traditional car.

At each he found prices ranging between 30p and 70p per KwH which, when charging up by about 10% each time, worked out a cost of between £7 and £15 for the charge.

Given the 276-mile stated range of his Porsche Taycan, this worked out to roughly 27 miles of range per charge.

For comparison, a petrol-powered Porsche 911 does about 27 miles per gallon and has a 14-gallon tank, giving it an estimated range of 378 miles.

Based on the current average petrol price of 153.88p per litre, this means that 27 miles of range in a sporty 911 would only cost you around £6.92.

In more fuel-efficient motors this could even be far less.

The figures seem to bust the myth that EVs are cheaper to run than traditional cars, justifying their higher purchase prices.

Not only that but, according to the RAC, the average time to fill up a petrol tank is around 6 minutes, while Lee was spending that time just adding 10% charge.

He claimed: "If you put value on your time then [petrol and diesel] is a lot cheaper.

"Time is money.

"If you're thinking of buying an electric car, think again. Go and buy a petrol car, it will save you a lot of money and time as well."

Lower refueling costs have been a key part of the marketing around EVs in recent years.

For example, Citroen's website states: "As well as the environmental benefits of owning an electric vehicle (EV), there are also financial advantages. 

"The day-to-day costs in particular can be significantly lower than running a petrol or diesel equivalent.

"The main day-to-day savings when running an EV compared to a petrol or diesel car will come when topping up."

However, some experts are not quite convinced.

RAC EV spokesperson Simon Williams said: “For drivers to switch to electric cars en masse, it’s vital that the numbers stack up.

"In time, the list price of new electric models will come down but charging quickly has also got to be as affordable as possible.

“It continues to be the case that those who can charge at home or at work and who don’t use the public rapid charging network very often get fantastic value – even given the relatively high domestic energy prices right now.

"Sadly, the same can’t be said for people who either can’t charge at home or at work or who regularly make longer journeys beyond the range of their cars.

"There’s no question they have to pay far more, and in some cases, more than petrol or diesel drivers do to fill up on a mile-for-mile basis."

And there is more bad news for EV drivers, as new data found that they pay far more for insurance than petrol or diesel owners.

It comes after an economics professor claimed that electric cars will never catch on until three major problems are solved.

Meanwhile, a driver who made a 600-mile road trip in an EV said it zapped all the fun out of the journey.