In an era of ever-increasing fuel prices, the cost of running an electric car is becoming one of the most important factors to encourage drivers to switch to this type of car. How much do you have to spend to drive an electric car? We tested this using the example of a popular car model.
How much does it cost to run an electric car compared to a combustion car?
Driving an electric car can be really inexpensive. However, it is important to remember that it is not equally cheap for everyone. The lowest maintenance expenses for an electric are for drivers who can charge the vehicle at home.
Charging an electric car at home
The cost of using an electric car parked in your own garage can be very low indeed. The average rate for 1 kWh of electricity is around PLN 0.77. For a single charge of the battery, owners of electric vehicles can therefore spend just a few tens of zlotys. The Renault Zoe can serve as an example.
This vehicle has a battery capacity of 52 kWh. The running costs of an electric car are therefore approximately PLN 40.04 in this case. This is how much you can fully charge the battery of this car. This enables the vehicle to cover a distance of up to 395 km.
Importantly, maintaining an electric car can be even cheaper. To do so, it is worth taking advantage of lower night-time electricity tariffs. Residents of detached houses may also be tempted to install photovoltaic panels. This will make some of the electricity used at home available for free. 
Charging an electric car outside the home
However, not everyone lives in a detached house or has a garage under a block of flats. And even if they do, sooner or later it will still be necessary to use a public charger. Then the cost of maintaining an electric car increases. However, it can still be lower than filling up a combustion car.
The price of charging an electric at a public station depends on the power of the charger. It is cheaper to use those that are slower. The cost of operating an electric car charged with a device up to 25 kWh is an average expenditure of PLN 1.30. This means that the aforementioned Renault Zoe can be fully charged for plus or minus PLN 67.60. Fast chargers with a capacity of 50 kWh are usually available for around £2.40 per kWh. Using such equipment for a Renault Zoe costs roughly £124.80.
How much does it cost to run an electric car compared to a combustion car?
Galloping fuel prices make the cost-effectiveness of an electric car even greater. To show how much you can save by driving an electric car, the electric Zoe is best compared with a combustion car of a similar class. In this case, it is the third-generation Renault Clio.
The capacity of its tank is 55 litres. Filling it up is therefore a cost of 350-450 PLN, depending on current prices. Even the doubled range of up to 877 km on a combined cycle does not make driving a combustion car as cheap as an electric car.
What is the annual maintenance cost of an electric car?
How much it costs to run an electric car on an annual basis is influenced by how the car is used and its model. At this point, therefore, it is best to use an average value again. Let the Renault Zoe be the starting point once again.
Our example driver drives on all types of road equally, covering 10,000 km per year. With a range of up to 395 km, he will refuel approximately 25 times during this time. The cost of charging the car at home at an electricity tariff of £ 0.77 will cost him £ 1001 per year. Using public chargers up to 25 kWh, on the other hand, will be an expense of PLN 1690. For each 50 kWh of power, on the other hand, he will pay PLN 3120. 
What else affects the cost of running an electric car?
The maintenance costs of an electric car become even lower when the repair prices of electric vehicles and combustion cars are contrasted. Compared to them, they are much lower.
This is due to the much simpler design of electrics. They do not have many of the typical parts of traditional cars, such as the turbocharger, fuel injection or clutch, for example. As a result, there are fewer components that can break down.
What should be considered when operating an electric car?
However, the price of the batteries works against the electrics. They are often only marginally cheaper than the cars themselves. Reducing the cost of their production is therefore a necessary step for the development of electromobility. This, in turn, will reduce the price of electric cars and thus promote their widespread use.
This is because the cost of an electric car is, as yet, too high for drivers with less money to afford. However, the good news is the service packages offered by manufacturers. These are usually valid for eight years. Among other things, they enable the battery to be replaced.
The cost of running an electric car is not high. Thanks to this, and the many privileges on the road, drivers of such cars are finding out on a daily basis that electrics are not only environmentally friendly but also practical. With this, we are one step closer to a full transition towards zero-emission transport.
