An electric car is becoming available to more and more people. And that’s nice. Because compared to a fuel car, a model with a plug is much cheaper to use. Do you want to know why driving electric is cheaper than driving on petrol or diesel? Then read on quickly.
An electric car is slightly more expensive to purchase than a petrol or diesel car, mainly due to the price of the battery. In recent months, however, more and more affordable EVs have appeared on the market, a development that will only accelerate in the coming period.
Business drivers have been benefiting from the additional tax benefit for some time now if they opt for a plug model. But since 2020 there has also been a financial incentive for private individuals: the Subsidy Scheme for Electric Passenger Cars for Private Individuals (SEPP). If you buy a new electric car or lease it privately, you can receive a subsidy of 3350 euros. For occasions, that amount is 2000 euros.
Furthermore, electric models are exempt from road tax and the purchase tax BPM. As an electric driver, you also save on maintenance. An EV has far fewer moving parts than a fuel car and hardly uses its mechanical brakes (because it slows down on the electric motor). So there is also less than can wear out and/or break.
Charging an electric car is cheaper than filling up with fuel
When you buy an electric car, you never have to refuel again. From now on you will charge. This can be done in many ways and for various amounts. Charging at home is the cheapest, you pay a little more at a public charging station. Fast charging stations have different prices. Converted, electricity per kilometer is cheaper than petrol, much cheaper in fact.
For petrol you will soon lose more than 2 euros per liter along the highway (the average national suggested retail price in December 2021 is 2,092 euros). And that means that an economical petrol car with a consumption of 1 in 17 will cost you about 0.12 euros per kilometer. The fuel costs for a modern diesel – consumption of 1 in 20 – come out at a suggested retail price of 1.72 euros at just over 0.08 euros per kilometer. And then we don’t include the sky-high road tax for diesels …
How much cheaper an electric car is depends a lot on where you charge it. If you want the biggest advantage, you can charge at home. This is for the simple reason that you pay the price per kWh directly to your own energy supplier. It is currently around 0.24 euros per kWh. A simple calculation tells us that an EV with a consumption of 15 kWh/100 km has a kilometer price of 0.03 euros. Less than half that of an average diesel engine!
Are there already public charging stations in your street or neighborhood? They are popping up like mushrooms and each ‘charging station farmer’ has its own rates. A common price is 0.35 euros per kWh. Half more than at home, but still very affordable. If you stop along the highway at a fast charging station, a kWh of electricity will cost you between 0.50 and 0.70 euros.
Why having your own charging station at home is worth it
Having your own charging station offers quite a few advantages. This way you charge when you want and it is a lot cheaper than charging at a public charging station. Of course you can also just plug your car into the socket at home, but that is unsafe and can overload your electrical system. In addition, it is slow. You will lose 15 to 20 hours on a full battery. This is at least three times faster at a charging station. If you install a 3-phase connection, even ten times as fast.
For having a charging station installed at home, you usually pay between 1200 and 2000 euros, depending on the type of car, your electrical installation at home and the distance that has to be dug. If you are not sure what kind of charging station you need, you can get started with a decision aid on the website of provider 50Five. The advice is to at least use a pile with Dynamic Load Balancing. Then you can also do a load of laundry without blowing your plugs.
You can hang a charging station on the wall or install it on a pole. It’s a matter of your preference. So think about the space in your driveway and what the most optimal place for the charging station will be. Please note: it is important that the charging cable runs over your own land and that it is not on public land, such as on the sidewalk. In some municipalities, the latter is not allowed.
50Five is an independent provider of charging stations and carries several well-known brands, such as Alfen, EV-Box and Wallbox. Once you have gone through the selection aid and know which charging station is best suited for you, 50Five will immediately start drawing up a tailor-made offer. You will receive this as soon as possible. Do you decide to buy the charging station of your choice? Then it will be installed within two weeks by certified installers.
This story was created in collaboration with 50Five.com.