If you look at new cars and take everything into account
An electric car is only for the privileged green elite. At least, that’s what we often hear in the comments and via our inbox. But is that actually true, because isn’t an electric car cheaper than a petrol car? In this example we take a typical b-segmenter. If you can afford a new car, you can usually afford an Opel Corsa. And a Corsa-e doesn’t have to be more expensive than a petrol version.
What does a petrol car cost via private lease?
If you lease privately from Opel itself, for 48 months and 15,000 kilometers per year, you currently pay 293* euros per month for the cheapest Corsa Edition 1.2 with 75 hp, or 404* euros for the entry-level Corsa-e. The consumption costs for the petrol are easy to estimate: with a WLTP consumption of 5.4 l/100 km over those 60,000 kilometers you will refuel 3,240 liters in four years. An average price of 1.90 euros per liter (let’s look at it relatively positively) brings those costs to 6,156 euros.
How much does an electric car cost to own?
It is more difficult for electricity. At 14.4 kWh/100 km you consume 8,640 kWh of electricity. At home you charge for about 22 cents per kWh, but with fast chargers it will quickly cost you 60 cents, or 35 to 40 cents at a pole on the street. But maybe you can charge for free at work. If you avoid fast chargers, the electricity will lighten you somewhere between 0 and 3,500 euros in those four years. Maintenance, tires, insurance and tax are included in both contracts, so we don’t have to worry about that.
Is the electric car cheaper than a petrol car?
According to this sum, it will cost you 20,220 euros to drive a bare Corsa 1.2 for four years. And a Corsa e? If you have a wallbox and usually charge at home (we assume an average kWh price of 30 cents): 21,984 euros. Not really a difference of elite proportions, right? And that while you get more complete equipment and almost twice as much horsepower. If you compare two equally equipped cars, as in the overview below, the electric car is even cheaper than a petrol car.
The cost of an EV
Opel Corsa-e GS Line
New price (NL): € 33,999
0-100 km/h: 8.1 sec
Top speed: 150 km/h
Private lease rate (48 months, 60,000 km): €439* pm
Consumption costs: €2,592 (WLTP 14.4 kWh/100 km, assuming an average of €0.30/kWh)
Total: €23,664
The cost of a comparable petrol car
Opel Corsa GS Line 1.2 130 hp automatic
New price (NL): €27,449
0-100 km/h: 8.7 sec
Top speed: 208 km/h
Private lease rate (48 months, 60,000 km): €374* pm
Consumption costs: €6,384 (WLTP 5.6 l/100 km, assuming an average of € 1.90/l)
Total: € 24,336
* Rates according to Opel.nl on October 8, 2021
