Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming an attractive business proposition for high-mileage vehicle operators like Uber in some EU capitals, a new study suggests.

The new study, from Transport and Environment (T&E), does not include London in its analysis, but highlights the cost advantages of EVs in cities  such as Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Lisbon.

Medium-sized battery EVs, such as the Nissan Leaf, are on average 14% cheaper to run than equivalent diesels today, if slow charging overnight near home and/or fast charging at preferential rates are available, it says.

The savings can be even higher (24%) in the case of Parisian drivers.

In monetary terms, these savings amount to €3,000 (£2,700) every year, because of cheaper electricity, lower EV retail prices and higher purchase incentives in France.

T&E says that the taxi and ride-hailing markets are best positioned to go fully electric first.

The economics of EVs – more expensive to buy but a lot cheaper to run – match perfectly with high-mileage, low-margin businesses like ride-hailing and taxis, the research suggests. Uber-type drivers can travel up to five times the mileage of an average motorist.

Yoann Le Petit, new mobility expert with T&E, said: “This is a win-win-win situation for drivers, citizens and the planet.

“The sooner Uber and taxis go 100% electric, the sooner citizens will enjoy cleaner air.”

In London, the Mayor’s EV infrastructure task force estimates that 70% of the demand for slow and normal chargers in residential areas will come from Uber drivers alone.

Charging is a key barrier for the uptake of EVs by professional drivers, because slow charging is cheaper and publicly accessible but takes several hours. T&E says that slow charging stations in residential areas where drivers live is key to significantly reducing operating costs.