All advantages and disadvantages of leasing or buying an e-car
Electromobility is becoming more and more interesting for more and more people, because the technology is constantly developing and improving. The range of electric cars is increasing, the battery is becoming more powerful, and the premiums for electric cars make the switch to electric vehicles attractive. Once the model of the e-car is decided, the same question arises as with the combustion car, how the new car will be financed. The cost of purchasing an electric car is often still very high compared to vehicles with an internal combustion engine. If the new electric vehicle is to be a new car, there is the option of buying or leasing the e-car to buy or lease the e-car. Find out what advantages and disadvantages you should consider when buying or leasing an electric car in this guidebook.
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Buying or leasing an e-car what makes more sense?
The question of whether it makes more sense to buy or lease the new e-car is not so easy to answer. The decision depends always benefit from the wishes and the life situation of the interested party depend. Before buying or leasing the electric car, it can help to be aware of how your own financial situation stands. Do you have a large amount of savings that can be used to buy an electric car or do you not want to burden your household budget so much at once by making lower monthly payments??
Also the questions if it is important for you to the owner of the electric car are and how much experience you already have with electric vehicles can make the decision to lease or buy the electric car easier. Just as the electric car itself has advantages and disadvantages, leasing or buying an electric car also has advantages and disadvantages.
ÜOverview: advantages and disadvantages of buying an e-car
advantages Buying an e-car
Disadvantages buy an e-car
- E-car is owned
- Expensive purchase
- Environmental bonus and other subsidies
- Taking out a loan
- No limit on the number of kilometers
- depreciation
- No contract workshop
- Limited battery life
- Possibility of customization
- Possibility to sell
Advantages as owner of the electric car
the biggest difference between leasing or buying an e-car is that you by buying the car to the owner and can freely dispose of the car. With leasing, a number of kilometers is often specified that the lessee may drive with the car for a maximum of. By buying an electric vehicle you can unlimited distances and kilometers to be covered. This can pay off especially for frequent drivers. As the owner, you can also decide about inspections and repairs both whether an inspection will be done and when it will be done. For inspections you are not bound to a contract workshop and can choose it yourself, thus saving costs.
When buying an electric car you can from the environmental bonus and other premiums for e-cars benefit. the additional innovation premium subsidizes the environmental bonus by twice the federal share. This amounts to Promotion by the federal government on up to 6.000 euro and the manufacturers promote the purchase with up to 3.000 euro. The combined environmental bonus and innovation premium has been available since 2020 and is currently available until the end of 2025. The application for the bonus is made online via the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA).
If you want a special model, a special color or additional equipment in your e-vehicle, the question arises "lease or buy an e-car" rather not, because this is often only possible when buying the car. So you have the Possibility to adapt the electric car exactly to your needs and wishes, however, extra production is also associated with additional costs.
Being the owner of the electric car also provides an advantage when reselling it. If the electric car no longer fits into your life or you want to buy a new one, you can do so sell old electric car and invest the residual value in the new car.
How leasing works for e-cars?
Leasing with an electric car works exactly like an internal combustion engine. The Lessee is not the owner of the e-car, but leases it for a certain term and pays one leasing rate per month. In return, he receives the rights to use the electric car. At the end of the term the electric car returned or bought at the residual value.
ÜOverview: advantages and disadvantages of leasing e-cars
Advantages E-car leasing
Disadvantages leasing an e-car
- No high one-time payment
- E-car is not a property
- Leasing rates often lower than loan rates
- Compliance with inspection dates and contract workshop
- No worries about depreciation
- Often obligation to expensive fully comprehensive insurance
- Easy to change to the latest models
- Early termination of the contract is difficult
- Subsidies through environmental bonus
- Obligations to the lessor
- No need to sell the car
Leasing as a more sensible solution?
Especially if you have never owned an electric car before, leasing may be the better choice when considering buying or leasing the electric car. By leasing they are Only bound to the e-car for a certain period of time. If you find that you prefer combustion engines to electromobility, you can switch again after the end of the contract.
A big advantage of leasing an e-vehicle is that you always have the possibility to drive the newest model. Electromobility is constantly making progress, so that in just a few years, better technology may be on the market and e-cars z. B. Be able to drive further distances. Lease contracts are usually concluded for two to four years, after the term, you can simply switch to the latest model. At the same time you do not have to worry about selling the electric car. As a lessee, you do not have to worry about the loss of value or the condition of the battery either.
The cost aspect is also a big advantage of leasing an electric car. In contrast to direct purchase, leasing does not involve a large sum of money being paid all at once, but rather the lessee pays a leasing instalment each month as stipulated in the leasing contract. This leasing rate is usually cheaper than the rates of a loan. This makes leasing a comparatively inexpensive way to use e-mobility.
leased electric cars also benefit from the environmental bonus?
Leased electric cars also receive the BAFA subsidy. the premium reduces the leasing rates. At the same time Amount of subsidy depends on the duration of the leasing contract. Contracts with a term of at least 23 months receive the full environmental bonus.
In terms of subsidies, it makes no difference whether the electric car is purchased or leased at least for longer leasing contracts. If the contract shorter than 23 months, the subsidy is staggered. However, the new environmental bonus has increased the minimum holding period for leasing electric vehicles. For leases of 12 to 23 months, the minimum holding period has doubled from 6 to 12 months; for leases of over 23 months, the e-car must be held for at least 24 months.
Disadvantages of leasing e-car
In contrast to the purchase of an electric car a leased electric vehicle belongs to the lessor and not them. This means that you have to some obligations enter. As with any lease, the lessee agrees to pay for any damage to the e-car regular inspections. These are often linked to more expensive contract repair shops and the dates for the maintenance must be met. At mileage leasing you have to pay attention to the not to exceed the number of specified kilometers. Otherwise you have to- as in the case of damage- pay more at the end of the term. contracts with Residual value leasing should be avoided with electric cars. The lessee bears full responsibility for the residual value of the car at the end of the contract. With electric cars the value loss is difficult to estimate.
Often, lessees are also obliged to take out an expensive fully comprehensive insurance policy to conclude, which must be paid in addition to the leasing rates. Another disadvantage why you should think twice about buying or leasing an e-car is that leasing contracts are very difficult to terminate prematurely. Getting out of the contract is always associated with additional costs.
Battery leasing: a combination of leasing and buying
Do you want to use your own electric car for a long time- without much loss of value. Then the renting a battery be a possibility for you. The choice between leasing or buying an electric car is already made with this solution. Because renting a battery only makes sense for your own vehicle. At the same time you also benefit from the advantages of leasing.
Renting a battery reduces the purchase price of the car significantly, because the battery then does not have to be purchased as well. The monthly rates for the battery are based on the annual mileage of the car and are therefore flexible. in case of damage or poor mileage, the battery is replaced by the manufacturer, without incurring additional costs. So you don’t have to worry that the battery gets defective after the end of the warranty and you have to bear the high costs. Since electric cars have few wear parts, renting the battery can significantly extend the use of the car.
Another way to reduce the cost of purchasing e-vehicles is to buy an electric car used.
Conclusion: buy or lease an electric car
Both leasing and buying have advantages and disadvantages for electric cars. At the end of the day decision should always be made individually. By buying an electric car you have more freedom, since you are the owner. leasing is especially suitable for electric mobility newcomers, want to try out electric cars first, without too much financial burden. At the same time they have the advantage, to always be able to get the latest models and thus take advantage of the progress of e-mobility.