Due to the impact of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, electricity prices in Europe are currently soaring, and the difference in driving costs between electric vehicles and fuel vehicles is already negligible. In some cases, the charging cost of some electric vehicles is even higher than that of fuel vehicles. Refueling is more expensive.
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In Germany, Tesla has raised the price of superchargers several times this year, most recently to 0.71 euros per kWh in September, before dropping them, according to reports from Tesla owners at industry forums.
Currently, Tesla Model 3 drivers charge 18.46 euros per 100 miles at Tesla Superchargers in Europe, the Wall Street Journal reported. In comparison, a Honda Civic costs just 18.31 euros in petrol to drive the same distance.
If electric car owners only charge their vehicles at home, they still cost less to drive than gasoline cars, although the gap has narrowed considerably.
Analysts say about 80 percent of electric vehicle charging takes place at home or at work, so if an EV is only used around the home, it’s usually still the cheapest option. However, drivers are more likely to use fast-charging stations once the vehicle is being used for long-distance travel.
High electricity prices in Europe, expected to persist for years, could discourage consumers from buying electric vehicles, threatening the continent’s electrification transition, according to economists.
So far, however, there has been no sign that the rising cost of charging electric vehicles has affected sales of electric vehicles. Sales of pure electric vehicles totaled 259,000 in the three months to the end of September, up 11% from the previous month and 22% from a year earlier, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Electric vehicles accounted for 11.9% of total new car sales in the EU in the third quarter.
