The operating costs for Electric cars According to calculations by the Verivox portal, in the first half of the year they were significantly lower than those of cars with a combustion engine. As the newspapers of the Funke media group reported on Sunday, the average energy costs for electric cars were 48 percent lower compared to fuel for gasoline engines. Compared to diesel vehicles, it was 40 percent less.
Based on a mileage of 12,000 kilometers, an electric car driver who charges his car at home would have saved almost 800 euros. The savings are lower because of the more expensive electricity prices for e-car drivers who rely on public charging points. “If you can charge using a wallbox at home, you will have significantly lower fuel costs with an electric car than with a combustion engine,” said Thorsten Storck, energy expert at Verivox, to the Funke newspapers.
Around 20 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers
According to the comparison portal, the average electricity consumption of current electric car models is around 20 kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 kilometers. With an average household electricity price of 35.96 cents/kWh in the first half of 2024, costs of 7.19 euros were due. Extrapolated to an annual mileage of 12,000 kilometers, the charging costs were 863 euros, according to the calculation.
Petrol engines, on the other hand, consumed an average of 7.7 liters per 100 kilometers. Calculated over 12,000 kilometers driven, costs would have been 1,652 euros. The savings of an electric car charged at home compared to a gasoline car would have been 789 euros in the first six months of the year. For a diesel car and an average fuel price of 1,706 euros per liter, the savings drop to 570 euros.
Electricity at public charging stations is significantly more expensive
However, the price advantage is less clear at public charging stations. At such charging points, the average kilowatt hour price was 54.25 cents/kWh (normal charging with alternating current) or 64.44 cents/kWh (fast charging with direct current). This corresponds to expenses of 1,302 euros or 1,547 euros for 12,000 kilometers of driving.
Compared to a gasoline car, there is still a saving of 21 percent at charging stations with conventional charging; compared to a diesel car, the savings are reportedly 9 percent less. If only fast charging is used, the advantage over the petrol engine drops to 6 percent, although a diesel would then have been 8 percent cheaper.