Why e-cars are ultimately cheaper than petrol cars

According to a recent study, electric cars are cheaper over their entire lifespan than vehicles with a combustion engine or hybrid drive. Energie Schweiz, a federal program, compared more than 50 models in all price categories for the study.

The biggest difference in perceived costs is for luxury vehicles, the Federal Office of Energy announced Thursday. It is more than 20,000 francs.

For their comparison, the authors of the study assumed that someone drives their car 15,000 kilometers per year and sells it again after eight years and a total of 120,000 kilometers.

Better for resale

Electric cars have a higher purchase price than combustion engines or so-called plug-in hybrids, or hybrid cars with a plug, they wrote. Resale value for resale, however, is higher for mid- and luxury-class EVs, making them a total of five percent cheaper to purchase.

Small and off-road vehicles with an electric drive, on the other hand, would be more expensive to purchase than cars with a combustion engine. However, the study’s authors also factored in the cost of fuel or electricity, service and tires into their comparison – concluding that EVs are ultimately worth it in all categories. No account has been taken of costs for the disposal of cars.

The authors of the study checked the manufacturer’s data using, among other things, a survey among garage owners and data from a leasing company.

According to various studies, electric cars should reach the price level of petrol and diesel cars between 2025 and 2027. This is mainly due to falling battery costs, which account for up to half of the total costs for small cars.

(oli/sda)