Average EVs Cheaper

New electric cars in the UK are now cheaper on average than new petrol models, according to April 2026 pricing data from Auto Trader. (publicnow.com) Auto Trader said the average advertised price of a new electric vehicle after discounts was £42,620 in April, versus £43,405 for a petrol car, a £785 gap in favor of electric. Visits to its new-car platform were up 21% year over year after the arrival of new “26” registration plates. (publicnow.com) The company said this was not a single bargain model skewing the numbers. It described the shift as happening “across the retail market,” helped by government grants and sustained manufacturer discounting. (marketscreener.com) Discounts on new electric cars remained unusually high even after easing from 12.8% in March to 11.7% in April to date, according to Auto Trader figures reported across the UK motor trade press. Those discounts narrowed a price gap that had long kept battery cars above petrol rivals on sticker price. (am-online.com) That matters because the upfront price has been one of the main barriers to wider electric-car adoption, even when electricity and maintenance can cost less over time. JATO Dynamics said in a 2025 report that the UK gap between battery-electric and combustion models had already fallen from 51% to 18% over six years. (fleetnews.co.uk, jato.com) The price crossover is clearest in the UK retail market, not a sign that every electric model is now cheaper than its petrol equivalent. JATO’s broader research still says affordability differs sharply by region, with Chinese competition pushing prices down faster than in Europe and the United States. (jato.com, electrek.co) Fleet buyers are also dealing with a second problem: charging. On March 25, 2026, the UK government announced £1 billion in support for electric vans, trucks, and depot charging, including truck grants worth up to £81,000, van grants up to £5,000, and depot-charging support of up to £1 million. (gov.uk) Public charging costs remain a live dispute. On April 22, 2026, industry groups reacted after His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs moved to appeal a ruling that could have cut value-added tax on public charging from 20% to 5%, preserving a higher rate than home charging for now. (transportandenergy.com, electrive.com) So the headline changed first: in April 2026, the average new EV undercut the average new petrol car in the UK. The harder part now is whether charging access, tax policy, and fleet infrastructure catch up with the price tag. (publicnow.com, gov.uk, transportandenergy.com)