Electric cars vs public transport: which is cheaper?

Labour Party leader Andy Burnham has become the UK’s new prime minister. The former Greater Manchester mayor has built much of his political identity around public transport, championing buses, trams, and rail as an alternative to cars.

But would Burnham’s preferred way of travelling actually be the cheaper option?

Imagine a scenario for when Burnham makes the weekly trip from Manchester to Westminster for Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). With rail fares continuing to rise, we compared the cost of taking the train with owning and running an electric car over the next three years – up to the expected 2029 election – to find out which one is cheapest.

For our comparison, we used the Nissan Leaf. Somewhat fittingly, it’s built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the North East and offers a real-world range of around 315 miles on a single charge based on our testing. That’s enough to complete the journey from Manchester to London one way, but it would need recharging before making the return trip.

We also set the lease mileage limit at 20,000 miles per year, enough for him to make the trip 40 times a year once you account for Parliamentary recesses as well as the odd local journey.

If you just want the final results, click below. Otherwise, here’s everything we took into account.

Click here for full results

Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

Rail fares

First, let’s look at how much travelling by train would cost over a year, assuming one return journey a week from Manchester to London.

An annual season ticket from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston costs a whopping £19,620, according to National Rail at the time of writing.

Burnham would also need to factor in the cost of travelling from Euston to Westminster, the nearest Tube station to the House of Commons, where PMQs takes place.

Fortunately, National Rail offers an annual season ticket from Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road or Deansgate to London that includes unlimited travel within London Zones 1-6.

As Euston and Westminster are both in Zone 1, the ticket covers the entire journey. At the time of writing, it costs £20,560 a year, according to National Rail.

If Burnham were to commit to a season ticket loan until the next general election, he’d be looking at spending a staggering £61,680 over three years.

That said, an Anytime Day Return (without a railcard) between Manchester and London costs roughly £396. If he made the trip 40 times a year, it would cost around £15,840 annually, or £47,520 over three years, according to National Rail.

Leasing vs buying an electric car

Now, we need to consider if it’s cheaper to lease or buy a Nissan Leaf.

Leasing

We found a lease deal on Carwow for the Nissan Leaf from £374.62 per month over three years, with an annual mileage allowance of 20,000, at the time of writing. This is for the Engage model, which has a claimed range of up to 386 miles on a single charge. When we tested the car, we saw 315 miles of range in the real world.

The deal requires an initial payment of £4,849.44, bringing the total lease cost to £17,961.14 over three years. That’s before factoring in charging costs.

The good thing about leases is that they have the annual road tax woven into the monthly lease payments. That said, it’s something to keep in mind when buying or financing a car.

Here’s a breakdown of the leasing costs at a glance:

Monthly payments	£374.62
Initial payment (12-months)	£4,849.44
Total cost of lease	£17,961.14
Total cost to lease with charging	£20,265.14

How about buying?

Most people don’t buy a new car outright. Instead, they spread the cost through finance, such as a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) agreement. That means the overall cost of owning the car includes interest and any additional fees, which can vary depending on the finance deal and current interest rates.

To make our comparison as realistic as possible, we’ve included the cost of financing the car, as most people don’t buy a new vehicle outright.

For this example, we’ve assumed a £5,000 deposit, a three-year finance agreement and annual mileage of 20,000 miles.

The Nissan Leaf has a recommended on-the-road price of £32,249. With a £5,000 deposit and Nissan’s £3,050 deposit contribution, it’ll cost you £444 a month for 36 months, with a representative APR of 5.49%. Assuming you hand the car back at the end of the three-year contract, the customer deposit and monthly payments add up to a total outlay of £24,033.

We’ve also included road tax. Electric cars now pay Vehicle Excise Duty, with a £10 first-year rate followed by the standard £200 annual rate. Over three years, that adds up to £410.

Before adding in the cost of charging, Burnham would spend around £24,443 over the three-year period.

Here’s the PCP finance deal, assuming it’s returned after three years, at a glance:

Recommended retail price (RRP)	£32,249
Monthly payments	£444
Customer deposit	£5,000
Nissan deposit contribution	£3,050
Optional final payment	£11,160
Total amount payable if you keep the car	£35,193
Total paid over three years if you return the car*	£24,033
Road tax (over three years)	£410
Total cost of ownership	£24,443
Total cost to buy with charging	£26,747

Charging costs

The journey from Manchester to Westminster and back is around 408 miles via the M1, which is more than the Nissan Leaf can cover on a single charge in real-world driving.

When we tested the car, it achieved an efficiency of 4.2 miles per kWh. That means the 204-mile journey from Manchester to London would use around 49kWh of electricity, leaving an estimated 111 miles from the Leaf’s real-world range of around 315 miles. In other words, Burnham would need to charge before making the return journey home.

Fortunately for Burnham, all MPs get free parking at New Palace Yard next to the Houses of Parliament, but there are no EV charging facilities on site. That said, he could stop at a charging station on the way back to Manchester to top up his EV’s battery before continuing his journey home.

The average price of using a DC rapid charger in the UK is around 79p per kWh, according to EV charging app Zapmap. Assuming Burnham adds 20kWh to his Leaf’s battery, it would cost him around £15.80 per trip. Over a 40-week period, that would amount to approximately £632.

Once back home, Burnham would need to recharge the battery ready for the following week’s journey. Topping up around overnight using a typical EV tariff of 7p per kWh would cost about £3.40 each time, or roughly £136 over the same 40-week period.

Here are the charging costs:

Public charging		Home charging
Cost per day	£15.80	Cost per night before trip	£3.40
Cost over 40-week period	£632	Cost over 40-week period	£136
Cost over three years	£1,896	Cost over three years	£408
		Total cost of charging over three years	£2,304

Which is cheaper over three years?

Now we’ve crunched the numbers, here’s a breakdown of how much it would roughly cost to commute by train versus by electric car over the course of three years.

Train season ticket loan for whole year	£61,680
Anytime Day Return train ticket (40-weeks)	£47,520
Leasing with charging	£20,265.14
Buying with charging	£26,747

Leaving journey times aside, our calculations show that commuting by electric car would be significantly cheaper than travelling by train from Manchester to London over a three-year period, with potential savings of around £27,000 when you compare leasing an EV to the cheapest train fare.

Another thing to keep in mind is that even if you had a railcard saving you a third off rail tickets, it would still cost you almost £31,000 over three years.

How much would charging and parking cost you?

Unfortunately for the average worker, most people don’t have the privilege of free parking in the Westminster area. So, if you were to make the same journey outlined above, you’d also have to pay for parking.

For example, you could park at a public car park near Parliament, with all-day parking costing roughly around £40. That adds up to an extra £1,600 per year in this scenario, meaning it’s still cheaper to drive than to take the train.

How to save money on your commute

Here are some quick tips and tricks to cut the cost of commuting in an electric car:

• Charge at home overnight on an off-peak electricity tariff whenever possible, as it’s usually much cheaper than public charging.
• Make use of free or discounted workplace charging if your employer offers it.
• Avoid using DC rapid chargers unless necessary, as they tend to be the most expensive charging option.
• Compare prices between charging networks before plugging in, as costs can vary significantly.
• Drive smoothly and make the most of regenerative braking to maximise your EV’s efficiency.
• Keep your tyres properly inflated to improve energy efficiency and extend your driving range.
• Remove unnecessary weight from your car to reduce energy consumption on longer journeys.
• Plan your journeys to minimise detours and unnecessary charging stops.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

Click here to follow us on WhatsApp, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos.