E-car tutorial: twice as cheap to use as a traditional combustion engine

Here are some tips to enjoy a transportation method costing less than 100 euros per month with an electric car.

It may be hard to believe, but 2023 is the cheapest year to travel, especially if you use a bit of ingenuity and an electric vehicle to keep family budgets under control.

First, let’s start with a simple premise: today, free electricity is available whereas fuel will always be charged. With this principle in mind, we’ll explain how to take advantage of it easily.

Currently, two offers compete in dealerships for driving small city cars that are basic but very practical: the Dacia Spring Essential and the Kia Picanto Motion. The first is priced at 99 euros/month, the second at 97 euros/month. For either, you need to scrap an old diesel vehicle or van (registered before 2011) or gasoline vehicle (registered before 2006) to benefit from the conversion bonus of 2,500 euros. Then, when the Dacia covers its first rent with the eco-friendly bonus of 5,000 euros for electric cars, the Kia requests an additional 800 euros. This already tips the total cost…

Based on 37 months and 30,000 kilometers driven, the Korean city car will then cost:

• 800 euros + (36 payments x 97 euros) + fuel (5 liters / 100 km x 1.90 euro) = 800 euros + 3,492 euros + 2,850 euros, totaling 7,142 euros

Meanwhile, the Dacia Spring will only involve its lease payments:

• 0 euros (bonus of 5,000 euros + 2,500 euros conversion premium) + (36 payments x 99 euros) = 3,564 euros

WHICH IS EXACTLY TWICE AS CHEAP AS ITS INTERNAL COMBUSTION RIVAL.

This calculation, as explained earlier, only applies if you can find free electricity! The easiest solution, as already implemented in over a hundred supermarkets, is to go to Carrefour. In this recent article, the retailer details its commercial ambitions with one hour of free charging per day for all loyalty cardholders. One hour of charging at 22 kW is equivalent to offering 150 km range daily, or up to 1,000 km per week, or 50,000 km per year—more than the mileage allowed in 3-year contracts with Dacia (30,000 km).

Since then, all competitors have copied this offer: Auchan, Leclerc, Super U, Intermarché—free electricity is becoming a real selling point to attract customers to shopping centers. Small local shops will be even more annoyed…

Smartphone apps also help find free charging stations nearby, such as ROOLE, the first car club in France with 1.2 million members. Finally, more and more companies are providing their employees with charging stations at work. During an 8-hour workday, even with slow charging, an electric car can fully regain its range.

Without going into lobbying, electric cars will provide a real increase in purchasing power for their users, especially as maintenance costs (often included in leases or rental agreements) are lower than for thermal vehicles.

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