Anyone considering buying a new car faces a crucial decision: combustion engine or electric car. Despite the environmental and financial benefits of electric vehicles, many customers still prefer diesel and petrol cars. However, an analysis by Check24 shows that charging an electric car at home is significantly cheaper than refueling a petrol or diesel vehicle.
The analysis is based on a model household with an average electricity price of 36 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) and an annual mileage of around 11,000 kilometers. An electric car consumes approximately 21 kWh of electricity per 100 kilometers, resulting in annual electricity costs of around 840 euros for home charging. This is much cheaper compared to the 1,542 euros for petrol and 1,278 euros for diesel for the same mileage.
Billy Scheufler, Energy Director at Check24, emphasizes that charging an electric car at home is more economical than many consumers think. Further savings can be achieved by switching from a basic electricity supplier to an alternative provider, reducing annual costs to 627 euros.
However, not everyone can charge their electric car at home. Public charging stations are more expensive, with costs rising to 55 cents per kWh, leading to annual expenses of 1,271 euros. Fast charging stations are even pricier, costing 66 cents per kWh and resulting in annual costs of 1,525 euros, making diesel and petrol more economical in such cases.
In parallel, BMW is adopting a flexible strategy to adapt to market fluctuations. The company plans to continue producing combustion engine and hybrid versions of its 3 Series alongside a 100% electric model based on the Neue Klasse platform, set to launch in 2025. This approach allows BMW to respond to varying regulations and customer demands without closing plants or reducing employment. BMW's product manager, Bernd Körber, and sales chief, Jochen Goller, acknowledge the volatility in the electric car market but remain optimistic about its growth.
- BMW's strategy includes maintaining native front- and rear-wheel drive platforms for all propulsion options, ensuring technological flexibility. This enables BMW to build cars with different powertrains on the same production line, allowing for quick adaptation to market shifts.
- The company's flexible approach is designed to handle fluctuations in the global market, particularly concerning the adoption of electric cars. While projections for electric vehicle growth were overly optimistic two years ago and are now more conservative, BMW remains committed to the trend of increasing electric car adoption.
