Public EV charging by UK businesses more than trebles

The use of public electric vehicle (EV) chargers by UK fleets more than trebled in a year, according to new research from Allstar.

In a new report, which analyses millions of transactions throughout the Allstar fuel card network, it found that there was a 264% increase, from March 2023 to March 2024, in UK customers using the public network.

The second edition of Allstar’s AllCosts report also recorded a 113% increase electric business drivers plugging in at home.

The cost of home charging has stayed level, according to the report. Allstar says that, despite the volatility in energy prices over the last few years, home energy costs have stabilised.

The average tariff remained the same as the previous three months at an average of 28p per kWh – which is what consumers would expect to pay as an average domestic energy user based on the OFGEM price cap at the time.

During the first quarter of the year – from January to March - the highest recorded cost was 50p per kWh and the lowest was 5p.

Using public chargers, however, has become more expensive, with drivers paying to recharge on the road on average 82p per kWh, an increase of 12p from the previous quarter of October to December 2023.

The highest recorded cost was £1.06, while the lowest was 54p, with figures based on what was paid for real-world charges, not the average price of each provider.

While there have been some unit cost increases from previously lower price providers, says Allstar, 82p is similar to what many premium, high speed charge point operators have been charging for some time, so drivers are increasingly opting for premium charging to get back on the road quicker.

Ashley Tate, MD of Allstar Chargepass UK, said: “The AllCosts report paints an interesting picture of the needs and wants of business drivers across the UK.

“Despite some having the perception that there are not enough chargers around the region, or a lack of accessibility, public charger use is up more than twice as much as the same time 12 months ago.

“We know that EV adoption has slowed in some areas, but businesses continue to turn to electric vehicles for their fleet operations.”

He added: “It is also important to look at the type of charging that the report represents, with recharging being significantly cheaper to do at home.

“But for those that are out and about and need to plug in, it seems that drivers and their businesses are happy to pay more if charging speeds are faster and downtime is minimised.”

A steady outlook for fuel

According to the report, the price of petrol and diesel is slowly falling, with petrol prices at the pump down 7.26p to an average 143.34p and diesel down 6.1p to 158.5p.

After a rise over the first part of the winter, diesel prices have returned to levels seen in summer 2023.

The price of Brent Crude oil has been steadily falling since early 2022; as supply and demand balance each other out, the forecast is for stability throughout the rest of 2024 and maybe even 2025.

Businesses leading the way for electrification

The report highlights how corporate fleets are at the forefront of electrification and are using far more public charging and home charging than any other business size; a third (36%) of drivers now have a card for charging in public, while 21% also charge at home.

Paul Holland, managing director for UK/ANZ fleet at Corpay, including UK brand Allstar, said: “It is positive to see the price of both petrol and diesel falling, and this should continue into 2025. 

“Interestingly, despite a generally low cost, there was quite a significant disparity between the lowest and highest prices for diesel that equate to more than £15 for filling up a 70-litre tank.

“This demonstrates that even when things are looking better it is still important to shop around to ensure drivers are accessing the best prices and reducing the costs for their businesses.”