Easter is just around the corner, and that means not only egg hunts and chocolate bunnies but also noticeably rising gasoline prices. So the question arises as to whether it might not be cheaper to fill up with electricity? Overall, it can be said that charging at home is usually cheaper than charging on the road – unless you own a Tesa Model S and use Tesla’s free charging network.
While you pay for your electricity per kWh at home, charging station providers charge by charging time depending on the charging power. Prices range from two to three euros per hour for the charging stations with smaller charging capacities and go up to 15 EUR or 20 EUR per hour at the fast charging stations.
A small car like the Nissan Leaf or the electric Smart can get by on about EUR 4.50 per 100 km when charged at home, while they have to pay between EUR 10 and EUR 16 for the same charge on the road.
The comparable vehicle classes require fuel as a combustion engine for a good EUR 6 per 100 km.
These costs are of course not so easy to compare, the electric vehicle requires significantly less maintenance and spare parts, but (still) costs more to purchase and the battery rental is also added.
Conclusion: If you need your vehicle for the daily commute and can charge it at home, it is actually cheaper to drive an e-vehicle than a combustion engine. Those who are on the road a lot and drive long distances not only have the problem of frequent charging, but also have to pay attention to the costs of charging stations. However, a good charging station network is inevitable for real mobility in electromobility.