# Best EVs for E.ON Next Drive Tariff in 2026 Published: 2026-04-24 | Updated: 2026-10-11 | Source: https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/best-evs-eon-drive-tariff/ > E.ON Next Drive (9.53p/kWh, any EV) and Drive Smart (8.1p/kWh with a supported car or charger): which cars get the most from E.ON's EV tariffs and how to set up charging. E.ON Next has two EV tariffs. Next Drive Smart charges 8.1p per kWh from midnight to 6am, plus the same rate for smart charging at any time, with one of the lowest average day rates of the major EV tariffs; it needs a supported car or a zappi, Hypervolt or Indra charger. Next Drive charges 9.53p per kWh from midnight to 6am and works with any EV and any charger. Both are fixed for a year with no exit fee. ## Quick answers **Is E.ON Next Drive compatible with all EVs?** Next Drive is, with any charger. Next Drive Smart needs a supported car or a zappi, Hypervolt or Indra charger. **What is the E.ON Next Drive Smart off-peak rate?** 8.1p/kWh between midnight and 6am every day, plus smart-scheduled charging at the same rate any time. It applies to your whole home. **What is the difference between E.ON Next Drive and E.ON Next Drive Smart?** Drive Smart is 8.1p/kWh with smart charging and needs a supported car or charger; Next Drive is 9.53p/kWh and works with any EV. **Do I need a specific charger to use E.ON Next Drive?** Not for Next Drive. For Drive Smart, either your car must be supported or you need a zappi, Hypervolt or Indra charger. **How much does E.ON Next Drive Smart save?** Around £364 a year on charging for a 7,000-mile driver, compared with the October 2026 price cap average. E.ON Next has two EV tariffs, and which one suits you depends on your car and charger. Next Drive works with any EV: you set a charging timer on your car or charger and charging runs at the cheaper overnight rate. Next Drive Smart is cheaper and adds smart charging through the E.ON Next Home app, but needs a supported car or a supported charger. --- ## E.ON Next Drive and Drive Smart: The Key Details | | Next Drive Smart | Next Drive | |---|---|---| | Off-peak rate | 8.1p/kWh | 9.53p/kWh | | Off-peak window | Midnight to 6am, plus smart-scheduled charging at any time | Midnight to 6am | | Peak rate (average) | 31.68p/kWh | 32.85p/kWh | | Standing charge | 57.14p/day | 57.14p/day | | Eligibility | Supported car, or a zappi, Hypervolt or Indra charger | Any electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle | | Contract | Fixed for one year, no exit fee | Fixed for one year, no exit fee | Rates are correct as of October 2026 and include 0% VAT on household electricity, which applies until 31 March 2027. Peak rates vary by region. Both tariffs need a smart meter sending half-hourly readings. The whole-home off-peak rate means you can also run washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, and immersion heaters cheaply overnight, adding to the overall household savings. Estimated annual saving on Drive Smart: around £364 on charging for a driver covering 7,000 miles a year, compared with the October 2026 price cap average of 26.32p/kWh. On Next Drive the equivalent saving is around £336. --- ## Which EVs Work Best with E.ON Next Drive? On Next Drive, every EV and plug-in hybrid qualifies, so the question is which cars make the best use of a six-hour overnight window. For Drive Smart, check E.ON's supported EV list for your make, model and model year; if your car isn't on it, connecting a zappi, Hypervolt or Indra charger makes it eligible. Drive Smart supports one EV per home. ### Tesla Model 3 and Model Y Tesla's scheduled charging feature lets you set an exact start time and a departure time via the Tesla app or the car's touchscreen. On Next Drive, set charging to begin at midnight, specify the target battery level, and the car charges during the off-peak window automatically. No smart charger needed; the Tesla Wall Connector or any Type 2 cable will do. Tesla's 75kWh usable battery (Long Range models) charges at 7.4kW in approximately 10 hours from empty. On a six-hour window, you add around 44kWh, approximately 140–160 miles, which covers most weekly commutes from a partial charge. ### Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 Volkswagen's app supports departure-time charging, allowing you to schedule when charging should complete. The ID.3 has a 58kWh usable battery; a full charge from near-empty takes around eight hours at 7.4kW. A six-hour window adds approximately 44kWh. ### Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 Hyundai's Bluelink app supports scheduled charging and remote monitoring. The IONIQ 5 has 72.6kWh usable, the IONIQ 6 up to 74kWh. Both support 10.5kW AC charging, allowing you to add around 63kWh in six hours on a 10.5kW charger, or approximately 44kWh on a standard 7.4kW wallbox. ### Kia EV6 and EV9 Kia Connect supports remote charging scheduling. The EV6 (77.4kWh) and EV9 (99.8kWh) both benefit from E.ON's whole-home off-peak rate, and Kia's scheduling tools let you set charge start and end times to align with the midnight–6am window. ### Renault Megane E-Tech and Zoe Renault's My Renault app supports scheduled charging. The Megane E-Tech (60kWh) charges from empty in approximately eight hours at 7kW. The Zoe (52kWh) charges fully overnight in seven hours. Both fit comfortably within a six-hour partial-charge window for regular top-ups. ### MG4 and MG ZS EV MG's iSmart app supports charging timers. The MG4 standard range (49kWh) charges fully in around seven hours at 7kW. The MG ZS EV (51kWh) takes a similar time. Both are well suited to overnight scheduled charging on E.ON Next Drive. ### Polestar 2 The Polestar app supports scheduled charging. The Polestar 2 Standard Range has 69kWh usable capacity; Long Range models have 78kWh. Both charge comfortably across a six-hour window for most daily use cases. ### Nissan Leaf (40kWh and 62kWh) The Nissan Leaf's NissanConnect app supports charging timers. At 7.4kW, the 40kWh Leaf charges fully in just under six hours, a perfect fit for E.ON's overnight window. The 62kWh Leaf charges fully in around nine hours, meaning most daily top-ups complete overnight. --- ## Do You Need a Smart Charger for E.ON Next Drive? Not for Next Drive: it works with any home charger or even a 3-pin socket. The off-peak rate applies to all electricity drawn during the midnight–6am window, regardless of how it is consumed. For Next Drive Smart, a supported charger is one of the two ways in. If your car isn't on E.ON's supported list, a zappi, Hypervolt or Indra charger connected through the E.ON Next Home app makes you eligible, whatever you drive. A smart charger also makes the experience more convenient: - You can set and adjust charging schedules from your phone rather than going to the car - Smart chargers provide energy consumption data, helping you track charging costs - Some smart chargers offer direct tariff integration and load balancing --- ## Comparing E.ON Next Drive Smart with Other EV Tariffs | Tariff | Off-peak rate | Hours | Peak rate (average) | Exit fee | |---|---|---|---|---| | E.ON Next Drive Smart | 8.1p/kWh | 6 (midnight–6am) plus smart slots | 31.68p/kWh | None | | Octopus Intelligent Go | 7.6p/kWh | 6 (11:30pm–5:30am) plus smart slots | 36.70p/kWh | £50 | | E.ON Next Drive | 9.53p/kWh | 6 (midnight–6am) | 32.85p/kWh | None | | British Gas EV Power | 9.5p/kWh | 5 (midnight–5am) | 36.90p/kWh | £200 per fuel | | EDF GoElectric | 6.66p/kWh | 7 (11pm–6am) | 35.21p/kWh | £75 per fuel | E.ON Next Drive Smart is 0.5p/kWh above Intelligent Octopus Go overnight, with a much lower day rate and no exit fee. Both need a compatible car or charger. If your car and charger aren't supported by either smart tariff, E.ON Next Drive is a simple alternative with a low day rate and no exit fee. For drivers who want a longer window, EDF GoElectric at 6.66p/kWh over seven hours (11pm–6am) may deliver greater total savings for large-battery vehicles that charge almost entirely overnight. See the full comparison in our [EV tariff comparison hub](/ev-tariffs/) and our [EV smart tariff guide](/ev-smart-tariff-guide/). --- ## How to Switch to E.ON Next Drive Smart 1. Confirm you have a smart meter with half-hourly data sharing enabled (or arrange installation; E.ON installs smart meters free of charge). 2. Check eligibility and get a quote at eonnext.com, including your car and charger details. 3. Sign up online. Switching from another supplier takes around five working days. 4. Once on Drive Smart, download the E.ON Next Home app, connect your car or charger, and set when you need the car ready. On Next Drive, set a charging timer to start at midnight instead. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions **Is E.ON Next Drive compatible with all EVs?** E.ON Next Drive is: it is open to anyone with an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle and works with any home charger or a 3-pin socket. Next Drive Smart is not: it needs a car on E.ON's supported list, or a supported charger (zappi, Hypervolt or Indra), connected through the E.ON Next Home app. **What is the E.ON Next Drive Smart off-peak rate?** From 1 October 2026, 8.1p/kWh between midnight and 6am every day (six hours), plus the same rate for any charging the E.ON Next Home app schedules at other times. It applies to your whole home, not just your EV. E.ON quoted it as 8.5p/kWh including 5% VAT; VAT on household electricity is 0% until 31 March 2027. Always verify the current rate directly with E.ON. **What is the difference between E.ON Next Drive and E.ON Next Drive Smart?** Next Drive Smart charges 8.1p/kWh overnight plus smart-scheduled charging at the same rate any time, with an average day rate of 31.68p/kWh, but needs a supported car or charger. Next Drive charges 9.53p/kWh from midnight to 6am with an average day rate of 32.85p/kWh and works with any EV and any charger. Both are fixed for a year with no exit fee. **Do I need a specific charger to use E.ON Next Drive?** Not for Next Drive: any home charger or 3-pin socket qualifies and you set a timer for midnight to 6am. For Next Drive Smart you need either a supported car or a zappi, Hypervolt or Indra charger; connecting a supported charger means compatibility no longer depends on your car. **How much does E.ON Next Drive Smart save?** A driver covering 7,000 miles a year uses about 2,000kWh for charging. At 8.1p/kWh rather than the October 2026 price cap average of 26.32p/kWh, that saves around £364 a year. The six-hour overnight window adds around 180 miles of range for a typical EV each night on a 7.4kW charger. Figures vary, so verify current rates with E.ON before switching. --- ## Key Takeaways - E.ON Next Drive Smart offers 8.1p/kWh between midnight and 6am, plus smart-scheduled charging at the same rate any time, with one of the lowest average day rates of the major EV tariffs and no exit fee. - Drive Smart needs a supported car or a zappi, Hypervolt or Indra charger; E.ON Next Drive (9.53p/kWh) works with any EV and any charger. - The off-peak rate applies to the whole home, so overnight appliances also benefit from the cheaper rate. - Drivers covering 7,000 miles per year save around £364 a year on charging with Drive Smart versus the October 2026 price cap average. --- ## Useful Resources E.ON Next: Drive Smart tariff https://www.eonnext.com/tariffs/next-drive/smart Energy Saving Trust: Smart charging for EVs https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/smart-charging-electric-vehicles/ Ofgem: Energy price cap https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/