How Much Does it Cost to Recharge an Electric Car With Solar Power?
These days we are all a little more conscious of our impact on the environment and our carbon footprint. That’s why more and more people are opting for electric vehicles instead of their traditional petrol or diesel car counterparts.
Still a relatively new invention, although the electric car is gaining in popularity, many people still have some unresolved questions about how they work.
Let’s take a look at a couple of those questions. For instance, can you run an electric car on solar power? If so, how much does it cost to recharge an electric car?
Electric vehicles obviously run on electricity – that goes without saying.
It follows, then, that electric vehicles can be powered by solar energy.
Is it worth investing in an electric car?
One of the main benefits of owning an electric car is that they are cheaper to run.
Electricity costs less than petrol or diesel and in general electric cars require less maintenance than an internal combustion engine (ICE).
So how much does it cost to recharge an electric car?
When figuring out electricity costs to recharge your vehicle, instead of thinking about pence per litre you should consider pence per kilowatt hour (kWh). A kWh refers to a person using 1,000 watts of electricity in 1 hour.
When using an electric vehicle the size of the tank becomes a measurement of capacity, representing how many kWh of energy it can store. The larger the capacity to store energy, the bigger the tank will be.
Currently the Tesla model has the largest battery size available, and the Tesla Supercharger Network provides charging points across the UK, which are usually free for Tesla owners.
Additionally, there are various incentives, grants, and government schemes which may benefit you, such as the Vehicle Excise Duty and the exemption from Fuel Duty.
You can charge an electric car in various ways and in different settings for varying needs.
The cost of doing so varies on the method you use and the location.
Charging at home
How much does it cost to recharge an electric car from home?
The most convenient and cost-effective way to charge your vehicle is to fully charge your electric car at home. You can charge your car overnight, thereby ensuring that you have enough energy to keep you going throughout the following day.
You could reduce the amount you pay by selecting an energy tariff designed specifically for EV drivers.
Energy prices vary and can fluctuate, but according to OfGem, the average domestic electricity rate in the UK is about 28p per kWh. If you travel 8000 miles per year in your electric car, that could equate to 2800 kWh of additional electricity on your utility bill.
If you want to find out more about how solar energy could be the best method for charging your electric vehicle, get in touch with our friendly team of experts today.
Charging at Work
How much does it cost to recharge an electric car from your workplace?
The answer to that question can vary, and it greatly depends on your employer’s attitude towards green issues.
These days many employers are keen to do their bit for the environment and so are installing workplace charging points.
Usually they offer free access throughout the day as an incentive to staff, while other organisations may set a fixed tariff for charging at work.
There may be some places that choose to operate on a time-based tariff.
Public Charge Points
More and more public charging points are springing up across the country, thanks to the UK government’s pledge to provide £500 million over the next few years to support the roll-out of a network for electric vehicles.
The government aims to install so many rapid charging stations that EV drivers will never be further than 30 miles from one.
So how much does it cost to recharge an electric car at a public charge point?
The costs of public charge points vary depending on the charge point network and the location of the charge points, and many local authorities offer pay per session on-street chargers.
There are different types of public charging stations where you can charge your car. Some are located in supermarkets with slightly slower charging time (Pod Point chargers), or in car parks, or for more rapid charging, at motorway service stations.
Pod Point rapid chargers cost 23p/kWh at Lidl and 24p/kWh at Tesco, which comes to about £6-7 for 30 minutes of charging, or 100 miles of range in the car.
The rapid charging points at motorway service stations cost about £6.50 for a 30 minute, or 90 mile, charge (based on 50kW charge, receiving 3.5 miles per kWh).
The Tesla model s 100d is the largest electric car battery on the market at present (the 100 in the name refers to how many kWhs it can store). To charge this vehicle at 24 pence per kWh at a Tesco chargepoint, it would cost £0.24 x 100. That is just £24.00 to charge the battery to full, offering roughly 335 miles of range.
These days there exist several smartphone apps designed to help you locate the nearest charging station. With these apps you can see where the stations are, how much it costs to charge your car or whether they’re free.
These apps are normally free to download.
As well as smartphone apps, radio frequency identification (RFID) electric car charging cards are provided by many UK public EV charging networks. They can be used with some older public chargepoints, while newer stations are compatible with smartphone apps.
Recharging your car with solar power
There is, of course, an alternative option to all of the aforementioned ones. If you want to go that step further to do your bit for the environment, then recharging your electric vehicle using solar energy is a fantastic idea.
So how much does it cost to recharge an electric car with solar power?
That depends on the size of the tank you’re using and your needs. If you want to get a personalised quote, then get in touch with us here at Project Solar and we’ll be happy to help you kickstart your solar powered journey.
