Anyone who needs a new car now will at least be confronted with the idea of an electric car. The big question for you is: is it worth it?? We’ll show you whether e-cars are on a par with internal combustion cars in terms of price, how much you’ll save on fuel and whether they’re more climate- and environmentally-friendly.
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Germans move their cars for an average of just three quarters of an hour a day. This was the result of a mobility study conducted in 2019 on behalf of the federal Ministry of transport. The rest of the time, the cars are standing on their own wheels. This begs the question: do you really need your own car??
However, people who are not average also contribute to the average. You need the car. The family is here, the job is there, and the car is the only way to somehow get everything under one roof.
For many, the question of electromobility is becoming concrete.
Anyone who is currently faced with the question of buying a car will certainly be confronted with the idea of an electric car. Because regardless of whether you are a fan of electromobility or not, the presence of the zeitgeist can no longer be ignored. It asks you: do you really want to spend money on a combustion engine again?? Or is it time for change, for an electric car? Two questions are likely to be central to the decision-making process: is the electric car the economically better choice, and at what point is it the more climate- and environmentally-friendly alternative??
In the video, polarstern founder florian answers the most important questions about electromobility:
When is an electric car the better decision in terms of price?.
A decisive argument that puts the zeitgeist to the test is price. the criticism that electric cars are too expensive has really lost its shelf life by now. There are already plenty of inexpensive models today.
With the increased environmental bonus (officially called the innovation premium), the renault zoe (germany’s most popular electric car) is now available from about. 21.000 euro (from approx. 30.000 without environmental bonus). The hyundai kona mid-size car is available from approx. 27.650 euros in the most affordable variant (approx. 36.650 without environmental bonus).
Incidentally, the Fraunhofer Institute does not rule out the possibility that the average purchase prices of e-cars and fuel-powered cars will be at the same level in 2025 – even without government subsidies. one of the main reasons is the falling battery prices.
Battery prices are falling.
The battery is the most expensive component of the electric car. According to the fraunhofer institute, this accounts for approx. 30 % to 35 % of the total cost. However, market researchers at bloombergnef expect average battery costs to be around 100 dollars/kwh in 2023. A clear turning point for the broad competitiveness of electric cars. In addition, completely different alternatives to lithium-ion batteries could come onto the market, such as sodium-ion or zinc-air batteries.
The automotive supplier mahle is even already developing a magnet-free electric motor that dispenses entirely with rare earths and thus enables significantly more climate-friendly production.
"dispensing with magnets and thus the use of rare earths offers great potential not only in terms of geopolitical advantages, but also with regard to the responsible use of nature and resources." – michael frick, chairman of mahle
Maintenance costs are lower for electric cars.
Maintenance of electric cars is different from that of internal combustion engines. Some jobs simply don’t exist. And therefore also the costs. This applies, for example, to oil changes, spark plug replacements and fuel filter replacements. Checking the brakes remains as important as ever, but the recuperation of the e-drive puts less strain on the brakes. Slowing down already reduces speed, which is easier on the brakes.
repair and maintenance are changing fundamentally with electromobility. Many things can be controlled remotely via over-the-air maintenance (OTA). e-cars automatically receive software updates and new (safety) functions. Also, cars should be able to self-diagnose if they need to go to the repair shop. Mechanical repair work can of course continue to be carried out only by these.
All this means that you usually have 20-50% lower maintenance costs than with an internal combustion engine. By the way, electric cars often perform better in terms of depreciation. You can see the exact value of your model on the schwacke list.
Charging is cheaper than refueling.
The electricity costs for 100 kilometers can be roughly calculated for each e-car model by multiplying the price of a kilowatt hour of local electricity by the energy consumption of the electric car per 100 kilometers.
Example e-up! Its stated standard consumption is 11.7 kwh per 100 kilometers. At a kilowatt-hour price of 30 cents, charging for this distance costs approx. 3.50 euros (at polarstern, the kilowatt hour of car electricity is even cheaper). The VW up! On the other hand, with the stated standard consumption of 5.1 liters per 100 kilometers and the price of super E10 of 1.255 euros per liter in january 2021, it will cost about 6.40 euros. So almost double.
Another important point is the CO2 price, which has made fossil fuels more expensive since January 2021. Read more about the impact on the prices of different fuels here.
The cheapest way to charge your car is at home – with our auto electricity rates.