Real-world figures for the 52 kWh (150hp): 4.0 mi/kWh, 52 kWh usable battery. A full charge costs about £4.62 on an 8p EV tariff, £15.21 on the price cap. Change the version, mileage and tariff below.
| Tariff | Off-peak | Per month | Per mile | Full charge |
|---|
Assumes 90% of home charging lands in the off-peak window. Standing charges and daytime household use aren't included. Rates checked 29 September 2026.
| Version | Usable | mi/kWh | Full charge, 8p | Full charge, cap | 0–100% on 7 kW | AC / DC max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 kWh (120hp) | 40 kWh | 4.0 | £3.56 | £11.70 | 6h 15m | 11 / 80 kW |
| 52 kWh (150hp) | 52 kWh | 4.0 | £4.62 | £15.21 | 8h 15m | 11 / 100 kW |
Top EV with private buyers in early 2026 — lots of first-time EV owners asking basic charging-cost questions.
Small battery: a full charge from empty costs under £4 on an EV tariff and takes ~7.5 h on 7 kW.
It has a heat pump as standard, so winter consumption typically rises 15–25% rather than the 30–40% you see on cars without one. The efficiency figure on this page is EV Database's real-world combined number, which sits between the official WLTP figure and a cold motorway run; it's the honest one to budget with.
On sale 2025–present. Home charging at 7 kW (11 kW AC on-board charger on this version) adds about 25 miles of range per hour. Public rapid charging peaks at 100 kW on the 52 kWh (150hp); at typical UK rapid-charger prices of 75–85p/kWh that works out at 21.8p per mile — roughly the same as petrol — so the whole saving with this car comes from charging at home on a tariff with a cheap window.
Charging 8,000 miles a year at home, the Renault 5 E-Tech needs about 6 kWh a night on average — 0h 45m of charging at 7 kW — so it fits comfortably inside a five- or six-hour window. Our pick is EDF GoElectric: about £17.07 a month for charging, £375 a year less than the price cap. EDF GoElectric is fractionally cheaper per kWh and works with any charger, but has a higher peak rate and exit fees. If you can't charge overnight, OVO Charge Anytime gives 14p at any time of day.
Run your own numbers, including public charging and your petrol comparison, in the EV charging cost calculator.
From empty, the 52 kWh (150hp) version needs about 58 kWh from the socket once charging losses are included. On Intelligent Octopus Go (8p) that is around £4.62; on the standard price cap it is around £15.21; at a 79p public rapid charger about £46.
Using EV Database's real-world figure of 4.0 mi/kWh: about 2.2p per mile on an 8p EV tariff, 7.3p on the price cap and 21.8p on public rapid chargers. A 42 mpg petrol car at £1.38 a litre costs about 14.9p per mile.
On a 7 kW home charger the 52 kWh battery goes from empty to full in roughly 8h 15m. Most nights you'll only be topping up 20–40%, which takes 2h 30m or so and fits inside any EV tariff window.
For an 8,000-mile-a-year driver charging at home, Utility Warehouse EV gives the lowest charging bill in our comparison, but it has conditions. EDF GoElectric is the best mainstream choice, costing about £17.07 a month for charging against £48 on the price cap.
Battery and efficiency data: EV Database (real-world). Charging power: manufacturer specifications. Last checked 29 September 2026.