Going green can be an expensive business depending on where you live as electric car costs are getting higher.
Ireland is number seven in Europe's top ten for the most costly places to charge an electric vehicle (EV) based on the average cost of driving 100 kilometres, or the distance from Limerick city to Cork city.
Denmark is by far the most expensive at €8.11, with The Netherlands the cheapest at just 80c, while in Ireland drivers pay €4.87, research from the price comparison site Switcher.ie found.
A raft of incentives has encouraged strong EV take-up in Ireland, including grants to buy a new electric car, tax breaks for company car drivers and toll road discounts.
The growing popularity of EVs is undoubted, with 15,678 new electric vehicles registered last year - a rise of 81% on 2021. This increase saw EVs accounting for more than 40% of the new car market.
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However, drivers should be aware that charging costs vary even more than garage pump prices, so motorists are advised to check their options as keenly as they would look at petrol and diesel prices to find the best value when filling up.
The AA's Paddy Comyn said: "Seventh is not bad but prices do vary, so it's a crucial message to get out to people who are buying EVs. So, if you buy one and don't change your tariff at home, for example, and you're paying 43c per kWh, your costs are going to be high.
"There are tariffs that will give you a night rate for charging your car, tariffs that allow you to have free Sundays or free Saturdays, so maybe you might charge your car once a week - so check.
"At the other end of the scale, when you're out on the public roads and doing longer distances, prices can vary as well.'
Mr Comyn also advised motorists to drive smoothly and not to race, to save your battery's charge - similar to the tactics used to gain more mileage from a tank of fuel.
"The faster you want to drive your car, the more expensive it's going to be," he said.
Switcher.ie boss Eoin Clarke said: "As consumers are hit with spiralling inflation, it's no surprise that EV sales continue to skyrocket - at over 70% cheaper than diesel or petrol vehicles to run, they could save you a serious amount in fuel costs.
"The price of electricity fluctuates hugely across Europe and can depend on things like the use of renewables in a country's energy mix, and the amount of levies and subsidies available.
"If you're thinking of buying an EV in Ireland, you could get a purchase grant up to €5,000 and a €600 grant to install a home charger, as well as cheap tax, VRT relief and toll reductions. Do your research before splashing out on a new car, and take advantage of all the incentives on the table.
"You could also save big by switching your energy supplier. Shop around for a supplier who offers tariffs designed for electric car drivers with discounts for charging your car at a time when energy is cheaper, as well as exclusive products and deals."
On-the-road chargers can cost as much as 73c per kWh, which is the same cost as filling your car with petrol or diesel. But if you are charging from solar panels on the roof of your house, you would be paying zero apart from the initial cost of fitting the panels.
Mr Comyn added: "It's greater complexity than we had before. There was a difference between the cheapest and the most expensive but not a massive difference, 10c or 15c a litre.
"But someone could be paying three-and-a-half times the price to charge their car than their next-door neighbour just on a domestic charger if you just bought the car and just plugged it in at 5pm.
"If your neighbour went for a different rate, charged the car at nighttime, they would be paying far less."
The cheapest places in the continent to run an electric vehicle are mostly in central and southeastern Europe, with the exception of the Netherlands, which has generous government energy allowances.
The most affordable new electric car in Ireland is the Fiat 500, followed by the Nissan Leaf, according to Carzone.ie. The most expensive countries to charge electric vehicles tend to have a higher EV market share of new car sales and more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, with the exception of Cyprus and Czechia.
Range is often a concern, and unsurprisingly the cars with the longest ranges tend to be the most expensive to run.
The Tesla Model 3 Long Range has the best range at 538km - enough to easily travel the length of the country from Belfast to Cork. The Mercedes EQS 450+ or the Hyundai IONIQ 6 Long Range AWD will "give you peace of mind on long trips", according to Carzone.
TOP TEN MOST EXPENSIVE TO CHARGE AVERAGE COST/100KM:
1 Denmark €8.11
2 Belgium €6
3 Germany €5.83
4 Italy €5.54
5 Spain €5.46
6 Czechia €5.44
7 Ireland €4.87
8 Cyprus €4.64
9 Sweden €4.49
10 Romania €4.20
TOP TEN LEAST EXPENSIVE TO CHARGEAVERAGE COST/100KM:
1 Netherlands €0.80
2 Kosovo €1.09
3 Georgia €1.33
4 Serbia €1.44
5 Turkey €1.54
6 Bosnia and Herzegovina €1.58
7 North Macedonia €1.67
8 Albania €1.67
9 Hungary €1.69
10 Montenegro €1.71
