A new study by the Chair of General Business Administration and Mobility at the University of Duisburg-Essen compares the economic viability of electric vehicles with conventionally powered models. VW Passat with hybrid 58 euros per month cheaper than diesel standard in class / Switching can also be worthwhile for SUVs.

In many cases, electric cars and plug-in hybrids are on a par with conventional alternatives in their class. This was the result of an analysis by the Chair of General Business Administration and Mobility at the University of Duisburg. In four out of eleven model pairs, the alternative drive is more economical in the long run. The decisive factor for this result is the support financed by the state and manufacturers in the form of an environmental bonus of up to 9,000 euros.

“With three other models, the additional monthly costs are no more than 20 euros,” says the head of the chair, Prof. Dr. Ellen Enkel. “Significant cost disadvantages with electric drives only occur in small cars. The environmental bonus has not yet been able to compensate for the enormous additional costs for the batteries in relation to the basic prices.”

The VW Passat offers the greatest potential. Anyone who chooses it as a GTE with plug-in hybrid saves 58 euros per month compared to the classic diesel. With the booming SUVs, in many cases it is no longer a question of cost to order the car with a built-in battery. As plug-in hybrids, the Mini Countryman and BMW X1 are practically on a par with the cost of standard combustion engines. With the Mercedes GLC, the monthly costs are 38 euros higher, but in relation to the already high total costs, this corresponds to a surcharge of 5.7% compared to the diesel.

In total, Prof. Enkel and her colleague Karsten Neuberger compared vehicles in four classes: small cars, compacts, medium-sized cars and SUVs. In each case, they compared the model with the standard combustion engine in its class with its counterpart with plug-in hybrid technology or, if available, pure electric drive.

They based it on a six-year holding period and an annual mileage of 15,000 kilometers. In addition to the purchase price and loss of value, all fuel and maintenance costs were included in the calculation.

In the compact class, the hybrid model of the BMW Active Tourer is 6 euros cheaper than the same model with a gasoline engine. For the Mercedes A-Class, the alternative drive is not yet worth it - it is 20 euros more expensive per month, which is due to higher workshop and tire costs. In terms of costs, the new Golf as a plug-in hybrid, with a monthly surcharge of 32 euros, performs significantly worse than the gasoline engine that is standard in its class.

In the middle class, the plug-in hybrid in the Passat is worthwhile. The cost savings compared to standard diesel engines amount to 54 euros per month. For the BMW 3 Series, the costs of the plug-in hybrid are 18 euros higher than the economical diesel. Anyone who orders the Mercedes C-Class as a T-model and chooses the plug-in hybrid must expect small additional costs of 7 euros per month compared to the diesel.

In the small car class, only two models could be included in the cost comparison: the Renault Clio and its electric alternative Zoe and the Opel Corsa as an electric variant and petrol engine. The Peugeot 208 and Mini models, which, like the Corsa, are offered with conventional and battery-electric drives, would be comparable. Unfortunately, the corresponding data on the maintenance costs for the 208 is not yet available; the Mini cannot currently be ordered from online new car brokers, which means that no data on the possible purchase prices could be determined. The Smart ForFour would be another battery-electric small car. However, this could not be taken into account here because Smart only offers this model electrically. Result of the cost comparison in the small car class: When choosing the E variant, the Opel Corsa incurs additional costs of 23 euros compared to the petrol engine, while the monthly costs for the electric Renault Zoe are 54 euros higher than for the electric Renault Zoe Petrol-powered Clio.

“Increasing the environmental bonus actually has the potential to encourage consumers to buy electric vehicles,” says Ellen Enkel. “Plug-in hybrids in particular are becoming attractive due to the high state subsidies. However, a comparison with the same survey in June of this year shows that dealer discounts for models with alternative drives have been reduced in some cases. The background here could be that the manufacturers were surprised by the sudden increase in demand and the ability to deliver cannot keep up with the demand anyway.

The complete study results can be requested from the contact below.

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Ellen Enkel
University of Duisburg-Essen

Chair for für Allgemeine BWL & Mobilität

ellen.enkel@uni-due.de