Gone are the days when all you could get on the market was a petrol car. As investors, engineers, and scientists are looking for more sustainable solutions to driving, new options are created for the end-user. This is why, today, you can choose between fully petrol, fully electric, and a hybrid vehicle.
What is most important for Irish vehicle buyers is the price. But you shouldn’t look only at the price of the vehicle itself. You have to account for the taxes, maintenance, fuel, and overall environmental impact. Hence, we came up with a head to head comparison of petrol vs the cost of charging an electric car in Ireland.
The Average Costs of Charging an Electric Car in Ireland
If you have an electric vehicle, you can choose to charge it in one of two ways. The first one is on a public charging station like a local gas station, and the second is using a home charger.
The latter is highly recommended because you will be able to get the most out of night rates.
Let’s say you are driving an average of 20 000 kilometres per year and you charge your EV at home. Day cost of charging an electric car in Ireland is 0.16€ per kWh, but at night this price drops to 0.08€.
On average an electric car consumes around 15 kWh for every 100 kilometres. Using the night rates, you can expect 1.2€ for 100 km. Which grows to 240€ for 20 000 km using the night rates and 440€ if you charge during the day.
The Average Costs of Driving a Petrol Car in Ireland
Using the same kilometre averages, let’s cover the costs of fuelling a petrol car. Currently, the price of diesel per litre is 1.49€ and unleaded 95 is 1.45€ per litre. Volkswagen Tiguan, the second most common car in Ireland uses around 9.5 litres per 100 kilometres in combined city and highway driving.
Using Tiguan as a reference, you will spend around 13.78€ for every 100km and that price will go up to 2755€ for 20 000 km.
Needless to say, it is cheaper to fuel an electric vehicle.
Final Thoughts on the Cost of Charging an Electric Vehicle in Ireland
The monthly cost of driving any vehicle is not just the fuel. You have to account for tax, maintenance, insurance, and even garage and parking expenses. But with all that combined, electric vehicles are still much cheaper in the long run than petrol cars.
The only real downside is their charging time which can easily be solved using the most out of night electricity rates. Not to mention that the Irish government provides many incentives and grants for electric vehicle owners.
Maybe the main part of having an EV and getting the most out of it is finding a great company to install a home charger. Luckily, you are already on our website. If you have any more questions or you need advice give us a call at 01-9029800, +353 21 243 0300, or contact us here.
