Electric vehicles (EVs) are set to see an increase in their running costs due to the end of free recharging on the motorway.
Ecotricity, the UK’s sole supplier of rapid-charging points at service stations, is introducing a £6 charging fee across the whole network for 30-minute charging sessions.
Levy was always set to come in
Stuart Brennan, spokesman for Ecotricity, said: “We were always planning to bring in charging for customers from the start, we made that very clear from the beginning.”
He added that the company has so far provided 30 million miles worth of free electricity to motorists, something which is no longer viable owing to the sheer number of plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles on the road.
The news will come as a blow to ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) company car drivers who rely upon the fast chargers when using the motorway network.
As frequent users, their “fuel” costs are set to soar dramatically in a move that could deter fleet buyers from investing in ULEVs.
Are Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV drivers to blame?
Some users of the fast chargers have been quick to blame drivers of the UK’s most popular plug-in vehicle for clogging fast charging points.
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV sold almost 20,000 models by the start of 2016 – many of which going to company car drivers.
Being solely reliant on the fast chargers for power, pure electric vehicle users have been complaining that since the Outlander PHEV is a hybrid, drivers of the Mitsubishi should not clog fast-charging ports.
