Electric cars, explained
Running costs, tax rules and where things are heading – facts and example figures, with no brands recommended.
Running costs: home vs public charging
Cost per mile = electricity price per kWh ÷ miles per kWh. Charging at home on a cheap overnight time-of-use rate is usually far cheaper per mile than public rapid charging. Prices vary widely, so the calculator uses example rates you should replace with your own.
EV charging cost calculator
Example defaults: a 7p/kWh overnight rate and 79p/kWh public rapid charging are illustrations, not real tariffs. For reference, the price-cap average electricity unit rate for October–December 2026 is 26.32p/kWh.
Assumptions: charging losses (often several per cent) are ignored, so real costs will be a little higher. Efficiency falls in cold weather and at motorway speeds. Insurance, servicing, tax and depreciation aren't included.
Top 5 electric car brands and models in the UK
The figures below are new battery-electric (BEV) car registrations, reported by the sources named. Registration volumes are facts about past sales, not a measure of quality and not a recommendation. Overall, BEVs took 26.16% of all new cars registered in the UK from January to September 2026 (454,947 of 1,739,271), and 28.3% in September 2026 alone (SMMT).
Brands – January to September 2026
| Rank | Brand | BEV regs | Share of BEV regs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla | 48,883 | 10.4% (stated) |
| 2 | Kia | 32,497 | 6.9% (calc.) |
| 3 | BYD | 32,394 | 6.9% (calc.) |
| 4 | Volkswagen | 25,357 | 5.4% (calc.) |
| 5 | Not published in the source report | ||
Source: New AutoMotive (DVLA-based registration data), Jan–Sep 2026, as reported by WhichEV, 6 October 2026; see also New AutoMotive EV market data. "Regs" = registrations; "calc." = calculated by us. Shares are of BEV registrations, not all cars. Tesla's 10.4% is the share as stated. The others are calculated by us from New AutoMotive's published year-to-date BEV total of 469,298. The source named only the top four brands. New AutoMotive's totals differ slightly from SMMT's (454,947) because of different data methods. Checked 12 October 2026.
Models – September 2026
| Rank | Model | Brand | Regs | Share of BEV regs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Model 3 | Tesla | 9,929 | 10.0% (calc.) |
| 2 | Model Y | Tesla | 5,946 | 6.0% (calc.) |
| 3 | Sealion 7 | BYD | 3,191 | 3.2% (calc.) |
| 4 | Seal | BYD | 3,184 | 3.2% (calc.) |
| 5 | EV3 | Kia | 3,026 | 3.1% (calc.) |
Source: SMMT – electric vehicle registrations, top 10 BEV models, September 2026 (released October 2026). SMMT publishes this model list for the month only, not year to date. Shares are calculated by us from SMMT's published September BEV total of 99,201 (shares of BEV registrations, not all cars). Checked 12 October 2026.
Vehicle tax (VED)
- Since 1 April 2025, electric cars pay vehicle tax. For 2026/27, a zero-emission car registered from April 2017 pays the standard rate of £200 a year, and new zero-emission cars pay a £10 first-year rate.
- Expensive car supplement: an extra £440 a year in years 2 to 6 for cars with a list price over £40,000. From April 2026 the threshold for zero-emission cars is £50,000.
Company cars and salary sacrifice
Company cars are taxed as a benefit in kind (BIK): a percentage of the list price is added to your taxable income. Zero-emission rates are:
| Tax year | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | 2029/30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-emission car BIK | 3% | 4% | 5% | 7% | 9% |
Through salary sacrifice, you give up some gross salary in exchange for a car. Because cars with emissions of 75g/km or less are excluded from the less favourable salary-sacrifice tax rules, you pay BIK at these low rates instead of tax on the salary given up. Sacrificing salary can affect other things linked to your pay, such as mortgage affordability, some benefits and pension contributions. Example: a car with a £40,000 list price at 4% gives a £1,600 taxable benefit in 2026/27, costing a basic-rate taxpayer £320 and a higher-rate taxpayer £640 in tax for the year.
Battery health basics
- All lithium-ion batteries slowly lose capacity with age and use (degradation), which reduces range.
- Frequent rapid charging, very high or low states of charge left for long periods, and extreme heat tend to speed it up. Many owners routinely charge to around 80% for daily use, as manufacturers often suggest.
- Check the manufacturer's battery warranty (length, mileage and the capacity threshold it guarantees). On a used car, ask for a battery state-of-health report.
Why the future points to solar, storage and EVs
Put the pieces together – rooftop solar, a home battery and an EV – and a household can generate some of its own electricity by day, store it, top up on cheap overnight rates, and use far less at expensive peak times. An EV's battery is usually much larger than a home battery.
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-home (V2H) let a compatible car and charger send power back to your home or the grid at peak times, with you paid or credited for it. It needs a bidirectional charger, a compatible car and a suitable tariff, and it's still at an early stage in the UK.
The ZEV mandate timeline
- 2030: the end of sales of new cars powered only by petrol or diesel, with 80% of each manufacturer's new car sales required to be zero-emission.
- 2030–2035: new full hybrids and plug-in hybrids can still be sold.
- 2035: 100% of new cars and vans must be zero-emission.
- The targets rise year by year in between, with compliance flexibilities confirmed in April 2025. Small-volume manufacturers are exempt from the 2030 phase-out but must meet 2035.
Used petrol, diesel and hybrid cars can still be bought, sold and driven after these dates.
Sources (checked 12 October 2026): GOV.UK – Vehicle tax rate tables; GOV.UK – Company car tax appropriate percentages (Budget 2025 Annex A); GOV.UK/HMRC – Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), draft legislation (13 Jul 2026); GOV.UK – eVED consultation response (13 Jul 2026); GOV.UK – Salary sacrifice for employers (optional remuneration arrangements); GOV.UK – Phasing out sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030: government response (April 2025); Ofgem – Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026).