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Explainer - the 2p per mile claim

On various pages across our website, we make a claim that EVs can cost as little as 2p per mile to drive. This is the maths behind our claim.

  • Intelligent Octopus Go - EV Saver offers off-peak electricity rates of 6p per kWh for home charging.
  • A broad data set of EV models shows consumption values spanning roughly 0.24–0.87 kWh/mile, with many modern EVs clustered at the lower end of that range (~0.24–0.30 kWh/mile). Here's the source we've used for that.
  • For the purposes of this illustration, we have used an efficiency of 0.33 kWh per mile (equivalent to around 3 miles per kWh), which reflects real-world mixed driving and allows for variation in vehicle type, driving style and temperature.
  • Cost per mile ≈ (Electricity price per kWh) × (kWh per mile)
  •  So taking the above tariff and efficiency figures:
    •  6p/kWh × ~0.33 kWh/mile ≈ 1.98p per mile (rounded to 2p)

Actual charging costs will vary depending on the vehicle, tariff, charging behaviour and external conditions, which is why the figure is described as “as little as” 2p per mile.