Unsurprisingly, like petrol and diesel cars, the cost of charging an electric vehicle depends on the make, model and specifics of the vehicles. It also depends on how much you need to charge, whether you’re doing a full charge of your EV or just a top-up.

However the major benefit of EV is that electricity costs much less than petrol or diesel, which means the cost will also be less.

We’ve put together an EV charge calculator which you can use to see what it’ll cost to charge your electric vehicle, perfect if you’re debating whether or not to get a car or just want to try and get some budgeting done.

Choose a make and model from the list, or if you already know it, you can enter the battery size and range.

It can cost you less to charge your electric vehicle at home than it would do using a public charging station, especially if you’re on an EV tariff. These tariffs sometimes have off-peak hours, such as between 12am - 7am where the electricity kWh price drops and makes charging your electric vehicle very cost effective.

It’s important to compare the off-peak charging period with the charging time of your EV so that you have enough off-peak hours available to charge your electric car to full.

Not yet got a charger at home? We can help you get an EV charger installed at your home. If you live in a flat or rental accommodation, you can also benefit from an Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) grant that can reduce the upfront cost of an EV charger by up to £350.

The cost of using a public charger depends on the charge point network, the power rating and speed of charge as well as the location of the charge point. Some charge points are free, for example at supermarkets if you make a qualifying purchase, so it’s always good to check before you head out to one.

One of the more expensive options for public charging are rapid charge points that are typically found at motorway service stations. This is because they offer a faster charge (average charge time to 80% is around 20-40 minutes) and because of their convenient location when you’re making longer journeys.

When thinking about public chargers, it’s important to look at what sort of subscription or pay as you go services are available for them and which nearby chargers they can be used on. For example, some of the major public charging networks include:

• Polar.

• GeniePoint.

• Ecotricity.

• Shell Recharge.

• ChargeYourCar.

• E.ON Drive Comfort

• BP Pulse.

If you need help knowing which charging schemes relate to which charging points, then Zap-Map can help you with this.

As you’d expect, this varies between businesses. Some companies offer free charging to staff in the car park whilst others do expect you to pay. It’s important to check with your company what they offer.

More and more companies are installing electric vehicle charging facilities to enable their staff to charge at work, and one of the key drivers is employee demands, so let your company know if you want one.

Research carried out by choosemycar.com on the cheapest electric cars to drive, showed that the Hyundai Ioniq Electric was the cheapest EV to run, at a cost of approximately £3.75 per 100 miles. A couple of Teslas were just behind, followed by the Fiat 500e.

The Honda e also made it onto the list, despite having one of the lowest ranges of an EV on sale, with a cost per 100 miles of £4.08.