Drivers in Brighton & Hove are already saving millions of pounds a year by running on electricity instead of petrol or diesel, and those savings could be set to grow further with electric vehicles driving more miles each year.

New research by SNAP, the digital solutions provider for international mobility, has revealed how much Brighton motorists are saving from recharging instead of refuelling in the past 12 months.

Their analysis compared Department for Transport figures on the number of miles driven by cars and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in Brighton & Hove with the proportion of electric models and the average fuel savings from recharging.

Despite just 4.75% of passenger cars and 0.02% of HGVs on the road being fully electric, it’s estimated that Brighton and Hove motorists have saved more than £3.3 million in fuel costs in the past year.

Electric vehicle use is increasing each year, adding to more fuel savings.

placeholder image — Electric vehicle use is increasing each year, adding to more fuel savings.

At current prices, the cost savings from recharging instead of refuelling are equivalent to 7p per mile for electric cars using a mix of home and public charging, and 50p per mile for electric HGVs when based on wholesale depot electricity rates.

The number of miles being driven by emission-free vehicles has steadily increased for each of the last five years. If this continues to grow at the same year-on-year rate into 2026, then Brighton motorists can expect to save an additional £1.26 million in fuel costs.

Experts at SNAP note that passenger cars, taxis and heavy goods vehicles combined drive more than 977 million miles per year in Brighton and Hove. With less than 5% of those journeys currently electric, analysts say there is “clear room for motorist cost savings to rise considerably in future”.

SNAP’s research also shows that the United Kingdom as a whole is one of the highest ranking countries in Europe for savings made from recharging. For every 100 miles driven, EV drivers save around £7–£8 compared with petrol cars, while electric HGV drivers save around £50–£51 compared with diesel.

More information on the costs of recharging vs refuelling in the United Kingdom and around Europe is available via SNAP’s research: https://snapacc.com/newsroom/fuel-vs-charge-is-the-switch-to-electric-cheaper-or-just-greener/