E-cars – only for idealists or high earners

Opinion

Sales of electric cars are stalling – and who is to blame? The stubborn citizen who is sentimentally attached to his combustion engine and thus undermines his government’s climate goals? Or the uncertain consumer who has not yet understood the benefits of the new technology? You don’t even have to get emotional to find out why electric cars are not being bought or are being bought in small numbers.

First of all, there is no convincing reason to do it right now. Subsidies are providing this impetus. Heat pumps are being sold today with the argument that “the state will pay a third!”. You can’t weigh up subsidies forever; they will run out at some point. So you have to take the plunge. Whether it’s sensible or not, people in Germany quickly lose their sense of reason when it comes to tax-saving models and extra state money. The incentive to buy electric cars through hefty subsidies no longer exists.

E-cars are far too expensive for the majority of customers

So the product has to prove itself. And that’s where the electric car has a hard time. Fans of electric cars use this argument to trump everything that electric cars can do. Batteries that allow a range of 1,000 kilometers and last longer than you’re alive. Acceleration like a super sports car and the like.

That’s all true, but the apologists forget one small thing: the price tag. The price of electric cars is far higher than what the average customer can or wants to invest in a car.

It’s not as if the average person only chooses between a Mercedes-AMG and a Porsche 911. What did the classic combustion engine market look like? The largest share was in the Opel Corsa, Ford Fiesta and VW Polo segment, including variants from these series. In general, these cars cost less than 16,000 euros. Better equipped than a one-day registration or a year-old car. Or the classic: entry-level engine plus dealer equipment for around 12,000 euros.

There are simply no electric cars for this group of buyers. The cheapest models, such as the Fiat 500e (with a measly 23.8 kWh battery) or the Opel Corsa Electric Yes (50 kWh at least), start at 30,000 euros. Unfortunately, wages have not doubled, so the cars are staying put. The argument that there are cheap electric cars that can be used as a second car is also worth considering. Yes, in the multi-car household of top earners, there is certainly room for a small electric car alongside the roadster and full-size SUV.

In other parts of the world, the price problem has been recognized and usable electric vehicles are being offered for under 14,000 or even 10,000 euros. This will not happen in Germany. On the contrary, the Commission is permanently banning inexpensive electric cars from the EU with conditions and punitive tariffs.

Renting is better than buying

If you have enough money to afford an electric car, that doesn’t mean you want to pay the significant extra cost for personal mobility. You could invest the money in travel or a heat pump. Assuming it has to be an electric car in any case, there’s nothing wrong with driving an electric car. You just shouldn’t buy one. Leasing and long-term rental vehicles are priced much more aggressively than selling them. You can get an electric car cheaper. After the contract expires, you can simply hand it over and don’t bear the financial risk of reselling it. Things are looking bad there, because apart from a few types, used electric cars are hard to sell and if they are, they are at very poor prices. The current models put the previous generation in the shade, which is why used cars are becoming slow sellers.

E-cars are getting better and better, the wait is worth it

The biggest problem facing the market can be described with a paradox: if you believe in the future of electric vehicles, you shouldn’t buy one today. Because one thing is certain: the electric cars that will be on the market in four or five years will outperform today’s models. You will get a much better vehicle for less money. That sounds good, but the average consumer translates it as: “Okay, then I’ll wait a bit.”

Someone who is considering buying a new or used car usually doesn’t drive a car that will fail the next MOT. Like the author. Do I worship our family combustion engine? No. It’s a perfectly normal, very well-equipped Seat Alhambra. 100,000 kilometers on the clock and two small scratches on the side. It even drives over 200 km/h and doesn’t need the new annoying assistants.

You could replace it if you really want to drive something new. But I don’t have to. And no combustion engine either. I can also go to the paint doctor and then book a “complete interior refurbishment” and drive the Alhambra for another four, five or six years. That’s the rational solution. And what about the government’s planning goals? I don’t care about them at all when it comes to a decision costing 30,000 euros or more.