UK drivers have recently been warned that if they drive an electric vehicle they are like to spend considerably more on running costs, than if they had leased a petrol or diesel alternative.

Many car manufactures have claimed that their electric vehicles can run at as low as 1p a mile, however recent figures from the BBC have revealed that costs could actually be much higher.

This is partly due to a high purchase price and a high rate of depreciation for electric vehicles.

The Mitsubishi i-miev electric car and the Fiat 500 1.2 can be used to illustrate the overall difference in running cost. Excluding insurance, it would cost approximately £10,572 to run the electric car, whereas in the same period it would only cost £9,339 to run the Fiat.

Even with subsidies for electric car users, a driver may still end up paying more than they would if they owned a petrol car.

Electric vehicles have large outgoings because they have an electric car battery, which is extremely expensive and will eventually need to be replaced.

Jason King, an expert of second hand cars, said, “There is a fear of the replacement cost of the battery technology as time goes on. People have to be mindful of that.”

This has caused Mitsubishi and Nissan to offer drivers guarantees on their electric car batteries, based upon mileage, i.e. valid for up to the first 100,000 miles.

Drivers in London will also be exempt from congestion charges, saving an estimated £1,000 a year per car.

However, for drivers in the rest of the country there is still uncertainty as to how much the new electric vehicles will actually cost to run.

Related posts:

1. Reports suggest owning electric car battery is the only viable option
2. Early rental offers may help to boost popularity of electric cars
3. Electric hybrid vehicles gain luxury with the new Karma
4. Smart plans to test electric cars in various US locations
5. Resale value of electric vehicles make leasing a better option