Autobayng News Team
Could you own an EV without a home charger?
One Polestar 2 driver put that question to the test, racking up thousands of miles and a charging bill of more than £1,000 over his first year of ownership. Here’s how it went.
In a viral TikTok clip, data-minded EV driver James G (@TechTokUK) shares some of the financials for his venture into the world of driving an electric vehicle.
James lives in a terraced home with no off-street parking, which is a scenario common across the U.K.’s urban and suburban neighborhoods. That meant relying entirely on public charging infrastructure for his Polestar 2. Over 12 months, he drove a total of 8,956 miles and spent £1,194.56 ($1613.15) on electricity from public chargers. That works out to roughly 13 pence ($0.18) per mile, according to his on-screen calculations.
On the surface, that may not sound bad. But as commenters were quick to point out, the comparison changes depending on what you’re comparing it to. According to Zap-Map, the U.K.’s leading EV charger locator and analytics platform, rapid DC charging currently costs about 74p ($1.00) per kWh, compared to 29p-35p per kWh for off-peak home charging. Those with a home charger, and especially those using low-cost overnight rates from providers like Octopus Energy or E.ON Next, can cut their charging costs by more than half.
In that light, James’s experience shows what many EV advocates acknowledge: Public charging is convenient in theory but can become financially inefficient if it’s your only option. Especially for EVs in the luxury or performance class, such as the Polestar 2, which boasts over 400 horsepower and a premium price tag, that cost gap can be substantial over time.
Cost, Convenience and Tradeoffs
The post, which has garnered thousands of views, became a digital town square for the EV ownership debate. Several commenters pushed back on the cost James shared, arguing that a hybrid vehicle with high fuel efficiency could do the same mileage for half the price. One user calculated that a 70 mpg hybrid could travel 8,900 miles for just £677 ($914), a figure confirmed with U.K. gasoline prices averaging £1.40 per liter ($7.16 per gallon).
Others pointed out that maintenance savings and EV-specific efficiencies should be factored into the equation. “You only need to replace the pollen filter. no oil,fuel, air or spark plugs. cheaper labour rate as well. Brake pads last longer using [regenerative braking] too,” one commenter noted. According to recent research, lifetime service costs for EVs are 40% lower than internal combustion engine vehicles, which could make up for higher fueling costs in some cases.
Still, not everyone was convinced. A number of comments expressed frustration with public charger reliability, long wait times, and cold-weather range reductions. “No range anxiety and no buying coffee on top [of] waiting for a charger to be free or wasting 30mins to charge,” one user wrote, echoing a common concern.
That sentiment aligns with recent U.K. studies, which found that substantial numbers of EV drivers have encountered broken or unavailable public chargers, with many citing cost inconsistency as a significant pain point.
The Home Charging Divide
What James’s video really reveals, however, is a widening class of EV haves and have-nots. Those with driveways and smart home chargers enjoy low-cost overnight electricity, seamless charging, and far less range anxiety. For renters or those in multi-unit housing, especially in dense urban areas, public charging remains the only option, and it’s not always affordable, available, or dependable.
Multiple U.K. watchdogs have flagged this infrastructure gap. A recent report from The Climate Change Committee warned that without massive investment in on-street and community chargers, many urban residents will remain “locked out” of the EV transition. The government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund, launched in 2023 with £381 million ($515 million) in funding, aims to address this. But the rollout has been uneven, and experts say the pace is too slow to meet 2030 EV adoption targets.
Even among advocates, there’s acknowledgment that public charging as a primary method still has limitations. DC fast charging speeds often degrade battery health over time, and prices fluctuate across networks like Instavolt, Osprey, and IONITY, each with its own fee structures, apps, and reliability issues.
It’s worth asking: Is £1,200 over 12 months for a car like the Polestar 2 truly unreasonable?
According to Nimble Fins, U.K. drivers spend on average about £1,051 per year to fuel a gas-powered car, and around £1,257 for a diesel vehicle, based on typical mileage and fuel prices in early 2025. Another estimate from Advanced‑Driving.co.uk puts the average cost of fuel for a family car closer to £1,435 per year, depending on mileage and fuel efficiency. For high-performance vehicles like the Mercedes‑AMG C43, real-world fuel economy can dip as low as 13-22 mpg, with most owners experiencing the lower end of that range.
While £1,194 isn’t negligible, it sits below or near the average annual fuel cost for U.K. gas-powered vehicles, around £1,051, per Nimble Fins, and slightly below the estimated £1,435 for typical family car use. When you compare James’s numbers to those for high-performance gas-powered cars like the Mercedes‑AMG C43, where fuel alone can cost around £1,800 per year, the EV cost begins to look more competitive.
InsideEVs reached out to James via direct message.
