Travelling in silence with zero emissions is more economical than doing so burning fossil fuels, thanks also to reduced costs of maintenance, road tax and insurance for an electric car. It is by now well-established that the TCO*, the total cost of use and possession of electric vehicles is less than for similar vehicles with traditional combustion engine. Here we present an in-depth analysis of comparative total costs.
Spreading the costs over four years of use, with a mileage of around 30,000 km per year, the average fuel-driven car in the D1 segment costs € 946 per month in Italy, while the average completely electric car costs only € 814 per month. A hybrid car is on average the most costly at € 1,040 per month. On average, running a diesel-driven car costs €871, and a petrol-driven one €950. A diesel car in segment D1 costs, on average, € 684 more in Italy per year than a completely electric one.
The country where electric cars cost less is Germany, at only € 592 per month. Greece is still the least costly country for those driving diesel vehicles. Electric cars are already the most competitive throughout Western Europe, while in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania, thanks to the low prices of fossil fuels, petrol or diesel-powered cars still remain more competitive.
Companies attentive also to costs, and not only to environmental impact, should begin to convert their fleets, increasingly using more electric vehicles. The high cost of hybrid cars, among the most requested by the European market, is very surprising.
A historical milestone was reached in September 2021 for electric cars but also for the entire market: the Tesla Model 3 was the most sold car in absolute terms, with 24,600 models registered in only 30 days. The Renault Clio and the Dacia Sandero are positioned in second and third place, albeit with much lower prices compared to the Tesla M3, which has an average price of around € 50,000.
Now that many companies and citizens are opting to buy electric vehicles, also because they are less costly, it is necessary to invest in sufficient recharging stations in order to achieve the targets aiming for zero emissions.
Reinova is a company that offers comprehensive consultancy services, thanks to innovative processes and methods; it is specialised in the training of people and services for electric mobility, and for developing, together with clients, projects supporting the energy transition of companies.
GLOSSARY
TCO* – Total Cost of Ownership is the total cost of the vehicle calculated with scientific and objective methods.