Are electric cars or combustion engines cheaper? It depends, says the ADAC based on extensive calculations. The results differ greatly depending on the vehicle class.
The ADAC sees cost advantages for electric cars compared to combustion engines, especially for mid-range vehicles. With small cars, on the other hand, the Stromer are often not competitive, as the traffic club announced on Wednesday. It is based on calculations of the full costs for the vehicle models currently available on the German market. In addition to the costs for fuel or electricity and the depreciation of the vehicle, items such as maintenance costs, taxes and insurance are also included.
On average for the mid-range vehicles evaluated, the electric vehicle was still minimally cheaper for an assumed annual mileage of 15,000 kilometers and a vehicle ownership period of five years, even if at 80 cents per kilowatt hour it was a very high price and at 1.50 euros for diesel it was comparatively low fuel prices were applied.
In the case of small cars, on the other hand, the comparison is much more negative for the Stromer. With an electricity price of 40 cents, the combustion engines are cheaper on average, even with fuel prices of two euros. According to the ADAC, the prices for electric vehicles are simply too far above those for combustion engines.
It looks a little better on average in the lower middle class. Here, at 40 cents per kilowatt hour, electric vehicles can even beat the diesel at 1.50 euros per liter. In the case of petrol engines, on the other hand, it depends on the exact fuel price. In the upper middle class, on the other hand, the diesels win even at an electricity price of 30 cents and 2 euros for a liter of fuel. In the upper class, things are looking better again for the Stromer – up to just over 50 cents per kilowatt hour, it beats the combustion engines themselves at 1.50 per liter, and for small cars by almost 50 cents per kilowatt hour.
According to the ADAC, however, the individual values can differ significantly – depending on the vehicle or, for example, on the amount of the discount granted on individual models. The traffic club did not evaluate SUVs individually, but assigned them to the other vehicle classes according to price and size.
Source: Stern
