Christmas in the UK usually means at least one big drive. Motorways full of brake lights, a boot full of presents and that familiar question at the services: “How much is this trip actually costing me?” With petrol prices and electricity tariffs shifting through 2025, it is a fair question – especially if you are deciding between an electric car and a petrol one for your big festive road trip.
In this guide, we break down the true cost of a typical Christmas journey in December 2025, using real UK prices for fuel and electricity. We will look at home charging, public rapid charging and petrol side by side, so you can see how the numbers really stack up when you are driving home for Christmas.
What Are We Comparing?
To keep things simple and realistic, let us imagine a classic UK Christmas round trip:
- Distance: 400 miles return (for example, Birmingham to Cornwall and back, or London to Newcastle and back).
- Car types: a typical family petrol hatchback versus a modern family EV.
- Driving mix: mostly motorway, some A-roads, winter temperatures and a fully-loaded car.
We will look at three main cost scenarios:
- Petrol car using average UK pump prices.
- EV charged mainly at home.
- EV using a mix of home charging and public ultra-rapid chargers along the route.
The Petrol Side: What Does 400 Miles Cost in December 2025?
According to UK government-backed data, petrol in mid-November 2025 averages around £1.35 per litre.:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} Separate analysis of UK vehicles shows an average real-world fuel economy of around 38.6 mpg, with petrol cars typically near 36 mpg.:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Using 36 mpg as a realistic figure for a loaded family car on winter motorways:
- 1 UK gallon = 4.546 litres.
- Fuel cost per mile ≈ (£1.35 × 4.546) ÷ 36 ≈ 17p per mile.
- 400-mile round trip × 17p ≈ £68.
So, for many families driving a petrol car this Christmas, a 400-mile round trip will sit somewhere in the £60–£70 bracket in fuel alone, before parking, tolls and snacks.
The EV Side: Understanding Cost per kWh and Miles per kWh
With an electric car, your “fuel” is measured in kWh rather than litres. Two things matter:
- The price you pay per kWh (at home or at public chargers).
- Your car’s efficiency, measured in miles per kWh.
Most modern EVs in the UK achieve around 3–4 miles per kWh in real-world driving.:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} In cold winter conditions with heating on, using 3 miles per kWh is a sensible assumption for a family-sized EV on a motorway trip.
On the price side:
- The October 2025 electricity price cap puts typical unit rates around 25–26p per kWh for domestic electricity.:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- The average public rapid and ultra-rapid charging price across the UK in October 2025 is about 76p per kWh.:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
- Some subscription deals now offer rapid charging from around 39p per kWh for members.
With those numbers, we can calculate how much your Christmas trip really costs.
Scenario 1: EV Charged Only at Home Before You Leave
Let us start with the most optimistic case. Imagine you have a driveway, you charge at home and your EV’s real-world winter range is around 300 miles – very much in line with new EVs on sale in 2025.:contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
If you can:
- Start with a full battery from home.
- Top up again at your destination on a home charger or granny cable.
Then effectively, the whole 400-mile journey is powered by home electricity.
At 3 miles per kWh and 25.7p per kWh:
- Cost per mile ≈ 25.7p ÷ 3 ≈ 8.6p per mile.
- 400 miles × 8.6p ≈ £34.
So, compared with the £68 petrol example, a home-charged EV could cut the “fuel” cost of your Christmas round trip roughly in half.
Scenario 2: EV with a Mix of Home and Public Rapid Charging
Not everyone can do the trip on home charging alone. A more typical EV Christmas journey might look like this:
- Start with a full battery from home (charged at home).
- Drive roughly 250 miles.
- Use a public rapid charger to add another 150 miles of range en route.
Using the same 3 miles per kWh assumption:
- Home-charged miles: 250 miles → about 83 kWh.
- Rapid-charged miles: 150 miles → about 50 kWh.
Costs with average PAYG rapid pricing
Using 25.7p per kWh at home and 76p per kWh for public rapid:
- Home portion: 83 kWh × 25.7p ≈ £21.
- Rapid portion: 50 kWh × 76p ≈ £38.
- Total ≈ £59 for the 400-mile round trip.
That is still slightly cheaper than the £68 petrol example, even when a big chunk of the journey uses higher-priced rapid charging.
Costs with a rapid charging subscription
If you use a membership deal at around 39p per kWh for rapid charging:
- Home portion: still around £21.
- Rapid portion: 50 kWh × 39p ≈ £19.50.
- Total ≈ £41 for the same 400 miles.
In that case, the EV is clearly cheaper than petrol, even if you rely heavily on public rapid chargers on a busy Christmas motorway run.
But What About Winter Range Loss?
EVs do lose some range in cold weather because the battery and cabin heating use more energy. Testing across Europe suggests a typical winter reduction of around 15–25% compared to mild weather.:contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
We have already factored this in by using a conservative 3 miles per kWh for our calculations, rather than the 3.5–4 miles per kWh many cars achieve in milder conditions. In practice, your costs might be slightly better than the examples here, especially if you:
- Pre-condition the car while plugged in.
- Use heated seats instead of blasting the cabin heater.
- Drive smoothly and keep motorway speeds reasonable.
The Non-Financial Bits: Experience Matters Too
Pure cost is only part of the story. On a Christmas getaway, convenience, comfort and predictability matter as well.
With a petrol car:
- You can refuel almost anywhere, but prices vary and queues at services can be long.
- Fuel costs are transparent at the pump but can rise quickly with longer journeys.
- There is no app-based visibility of which forecourts are busy.
With an EV using ONEEV:
- Real-time charger availability helps you avoid turning up to a full or faulty charger.
- Secure in-app payments keep you away from exposed card readers and unfamiliar payment screens.
- Transparent pricing lets you choose the best-value chargers along your route.
- Access to thousands of chargers across the UK gives you flexibility if traffic or weather forces a route change.
That combination of visibility, security and cost control is what turns an EV from “interesting theory” into a very practical Christmas road-trip companion.
How ONEEV Fits Into Your Christmas Travel Plan
ONEEV is designed around real-world journeys like this. Before you set off, you can:
- Plan your charging stops using live availability and power ratings.
- Filter for ultra-rapid hubs to minimise time off the road.
- See clear tariffs so there are no surprises when you plug in.
During the trip, you simply plug in, start the session in the app and pay securely in-app using Apple Pay, Google Pay or your stored card – no worrying about whether a card reader has frozen in the cold.
You can learn more about how ONEEV supports EV drivers across the UK on our main site at oneevgroup.com and on our app information pages.
So, Who Wins: EV or Petrol for Christmas 2025?
With today’s prices, an honest summary looks like this:
- Petrol: Simple to understand, around £70 for a 400-mile Christmas return trip.
- EV (home charging only): Around £30 for the same distance.
- EV (home + PAYG rapid): Around £55, slightly cheaper than petrol.
- EV (home + membership rapid): Around £40, clearly cheaper than petrol.
In other words, if you have access to home charging – and especially if you combine it with smart use of public rapid networks – an EV is already highly competitive for Christmas 2025. When you add in quieter cabins, smoother acceleration and the ability to plan your stops through ONEEV, the electric option looks very compelling for those long festive journeys.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an EV genuinely cheaper than petrol for a Christmas road trip?
In many cases, yes. With home charging an EV can cost roughly half as much as a petrol car for a 400-mile trip. Even with public rapid charging, the total cost can still be similar or lower, especially with subscription tariffs.
What if I cannot charge at home?
Relying entirely on public rapid chargers narrows the gap, but EVs can still be competitive thanks to falling rapid charging prices and subscription deals. ONEEV helps by showing you prices and availability in real time.
How much range should my EV have for a 400-mile Christmas journey?
A modern EV with around 250–300 miles of real-world winter range is ideal. With one well-planned rapid stop using ONEEV, a 400-mile round trip is straightforward.
