ELECTRIC vehicle (EV) owners in Ireland are paying a lot more to charge their cars than drivers in most other European countries.
According to a report by DoneDeal, the average annual cost of charging a Volkswagen in Ireland is approximately €1,132.
This is nearly 35% higher than in Spain, where the same vehicle would cost just €734 to charge over a year.
Drivers in the Netherlands and France also fare better, with yearly costs of €826 and €883, while British EV owners spend around €902.
Only Germany surpasses Ireland in charging costs, with an annual figure of €1,206.
The big difference is attributed to Ireland’s exceptionally high electricity prices.
Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that people in Ireland pay around 45 cents per kWh compared to just 11 cents in countries like Hungary and Bulgaria.
This is the highest in the EU.
Despite the higher electricity costs, EVs in Ireland still provide savings when compared to petrol cars.
DoneDeal estimates that EV drivers save approximately €768 a year on running costs.
But the savings are being eroded due to energy costs, with Paddy Comyn, Head of Automotive Content at DoneDeal, stating that Irish drivers are “paying a clear premium” for clean motoring because of the cost of electricity.
The report shows that the price gap for charging EVs across Europe is now much wider than for petrol.
While petrol prices differ by around €332 a year between the cheapest and most expensive countries, the gap in EV charging costs is around €472: nearly 50% higher.
This difference is also driven by network charges and grid limitations.
While electricity costs are disproportionately high in Ireland, public charging prices are more aligned with other EU countries.
ESB high-power chargers can cost up to 66 cents per kWh in Ireland, which is similar to public chargers in the Netherlands and Britain.
But as electricity rates climb, the cost advantage of EVs is at risk of diminishing.
Going forward the report recommends stronger investment in the national grid to support electric vehicles.
See More: EV, Electric Car, IEA, Irish Energy
