Drivers and businesses are being urged to see rising fuel prices as a call to action on electric vehicles, rather than a source of frustration.

LeasePlan UK has said that rising fuel costs could galvanise drivers to go electric

Latest RAC data published yesterday (4 August) shows petrol prices reached an eight-year high in July, while diesel prices hit their highest level since 2014.

And RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said there’s little sign of prices coming down in the future and instead further rises are likely.

He commented: “Right now it’s hard to see what it will take for prices to start falling again. While we’re not past the pandemic by any means, demand for oil is likely to continue to increase as economic activity picks up again, and this is likely to have the effect of pushing up wholesale fuel prices; costs which retailers are bound to pass on at the pumps. Unless major oil-producing nations decide a new strategy to increase output, we could very well see forecourt prices going even higher towards the end of the summer.”

The RAC advised that drivers planning to change their vehicles in the coming months should start considering an electric car, where running costs are considerably lower.

And now LeasePlan UK has said that rising fuel costs could galvanise drivers to go electric.

Managing director Alfonso Martinez outlined: “Drivers and fleet-operating businesses need to pay close attention to the rising cost of petrol and diesel, as this will likely continue as economic activity picks up. Rather than simply shrugging this off in an act of resignation, they should see this as a call to action.

“Electric vehicles (present a viable solution to the rising cost of fuel, with the cost to charge a typical mid-size model around 2.27p per mile – which equates to around £9 a month if you were to commute 20 miles a day for work.”

Martinez added: “We’ve now at a point where switching to an EV is both a benefit for the environment and your wallet.”