Small car or electric car: This is really the cheapest

Electric cars are usually very expensive. If you want to drive electric cheaply, you can buy a small car, but is it actually cheaper? Autovisie examines the monthly costs of the cheapest electric cars, the Dacia Spring and the Microlino.

One of the most important indirect costs of a car is depreciation. However, since there are no used Microlinos available yet and the small car has only just come onto the market, we cannot determine this cost item.

In this article we assume a 90 km/h fast Microlino (L7e). A 45 km/h variant will also come onto the market next summer.

Small car or electric car

As an example, let’s take the cheapest electric car you can buy: the Dacia Spring. This model costs 21,750 euros before the facelift. For this money you get a 45 hp electric motor and a range of 230 kilometers, using a battery pack with a net capacity of 25 kWh. The Spring’s power consumption is 14.7 kWh per 100 kilometers. The maximum speed is 125 kilometers per hour.

Purchase price

The price list for the Microlino starts at 18,290 euros. From the second equipment level onwards, the largest battery pack with a capacity of 14 kWh can be ordered. However, the Microlino will then be significantly more expensive than the entry-level Spring model. That’s why we choose the 10.5 kWh battery, which will give you 177 kilometers. The price for the small car is 21,990 euros. There is no WLTP consumption. The manufacturer states 7 kWh per 100 kilometers. The Autovisie practical test shows that this is closer to around 10 kWh per 100 kilometers. You will receive a SEPP subsidy for both the small car and the electric car.

You don’t have to pay vehicle tax for either. The costs consist of electricity, depreciation, parking costs, insurance and maintenance.

power consumption

We start with power consumption. As an example, let’s take someone who only charges the battery at home and drives about 30 kilometers per day (11,000 kilometers per year), which is the average that a Dutch person drives per year. The fictional person has owned the electric car or small car for 2 years.

If the Microlino consumes 7 kWh per 100 kilometers, you will use 770 kWh of electricity per year for the vehicle. If it consumes 10 kWh per 100 kilometers, that is 1100 kWh. This amounts to 192.50 or 275.00 euros (0.25 euros per kWh). In two years it will be 385 or 550 euros. We do not take charging losses, which are present in both cars, into account in the calculation. It’s easily 10 percent.

The Dacia Spring has WLTP consumption. The consumption of the latest model is 14.7 kWh per 100 kilometers. If you drive 11,000 kilometers per year, you will spend 404.25 euros per year on electricity. In two years that will be 808.50 euros.

maintenance

The Microlino needs to be serviced twice every two years (once a year or 15,000 kilometers). Maintenance costs 126 euros per time. So in two years you have lost 252 euros. During this time the spring needs to be serviced once. This will cost you 126 euros.

Parking space for small cars and electric cars

The parking costs for electric cars and small cars are identical. You do not need to apply for a special parking permit for the Microlino, as is the case for the Birò (in Amsterdam). We charge 708 euros for parking per year, as a six-month parking permit in Amsterdam Oud-West costs 177.08 euros.

To ensure

The last cost item is insurance. The Dacia Spring can be easily insured with all major providers. You have to put in more effort for the Microlino. For example, it is not possible to insure the small car with ANWB and Univé. ASR offers insurance.

Your Microlino WA + Casco is insured for 45 euros per month (5 damage-free years). If we calculate the same insurance for the Dacia Spring, we come to just over 37 euros. In two years you will spend 888 euros on the Spring and 1,080 euros on the Microlino.

Which is cheaper, a small car or an electric car?

If you add up all the costs over two years, the Dacia Spring comes to 2,530.50 euros. The Microlino costs you 2,425 euros (with 7 kWh per 100 kilometers) and 2,590 euros (with 10 kWh per 100 kilometers) over the same period.

There is hardly any cost difference between a small electric car and the cheapest electric car. They would only choose the subcompact car because of the Microlino’s lower starting price and beautiful design. However, you compromise on ease of use, comfort and security. Do you want to know everything about small cars? Check out the extensive Autovisie test with eight vehicles here.

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