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The currently most popular e-car in Germany:
More than 10,000 Tesla Model 3s have already been newly registered this year
Photo: imago stock/ imago images/ZUMA Press
Since the beginning of the year, the delivery times for electric cars have almost doubled.
According to a study by the Duisburg "Center Automotive Research", buyers are currently waiting an average of 15.6 weeks for a Stromer, compared to 8.3 weeks in January.
Customers have to wait even longer for many popular models, especially if they configure their car individually, which is more the rule than the exception for new cars.
There are multiple reasons for that.
The corona pandemic led to a global run on semiconductors, and demand still far exceeds the supply of chips.
E-car production is particularly affected by this, since more semiconductors are installed in the Stromer than in cars with combustion engines.
In addition, the supply chains are still disrupted and companies lack material.
The situation is further exacerbated by the increasing demand for electric cars due to the high petrol prices caused by the Ukraine war.
According to data from the Federal Motor Vehicle Office (KBA), around 17 percent more electric cars were registered in the first five months of this year than in the same period last year.
In contrast, new registrations of petrol and diesel vehicles fell significantly in the same period.
Many customers also have the EU-wide ban on climate-damaging new cars in the back of their minds when making their purchasing decisions.
At the end of June, the environment ministers of the 27 EU countries agreed that, from 2035, only new cars would be allowed that run exclusively on CO2-neutral fuels.
But is it worth buying an electric car now?
The manager magazin has summarized the advantages and disadvantages of the Stromer.
What speaks for an electric car
Lower fuel costs
Sure, the key argument with the current petrol prices are certainly the energy costs.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, motorists had to pay an average of almost 42 percent more for premium gasoline in March of this year than a year earlier, and for diesel even almost 63 percent more.
Even during the two oil price crises of 1973/74 and 1979/80, prices did not rise as much as they do today.
In the case of household energy, on the other hand, which also includes electricity costs, the price increase in the same month was "only" 35.3 percent.
Taking a Fiat 500 as an example, ADAC compared the consumption of a combustion engine with that of an electric motor.
With a mileage of 10,000 kilometers per year, drivers have to spend between 800 and 1033 euros a year on petrol.
The electricity costs, on the other hand, only amount to 463 to 593 euros.
Promotion through environmental bonus
In many cases, an electric car is still slightly more expensive than a car with a combustion engine.
This is mainly due to the battery, which is still the most expensive component in an electric car and accounts for a good third of the production costs.
A BMW i4 eDrive 40 (250 kW) costs around 59,200 euros.
The comparable petrol model 430i Gran Coupé (180 kW), on the other hand, is available from 53,100 euros.
The diesel 420d Gran Coupé (140 kW) is still the cheapest at 50,500 euros.
The federal government and companies have therefore been promoting the purchase of Stromer since 2016 with a so-called environmental bonus.
As part of the economic stimulus program during the Corona crisis, the state even doubled its share, the so-called innovation premium.
Since July 2020, buyers of purely electrically powered vehicles costing a maximum of 40,000 euros (net list price) have received state funding of 6,000 euros.
In addition, there is a manufacturer's share of 3000 euros.
With a net list price between 40,000 and 60,000 euros, there are still 5,000 euros from the state and 2,500 euros from the manufacturer.
The environmental bonus triggered a veritable boom in demand for e-cars, with 625,000 applications for funding being submitted last year, more than twice as many as in the previous year.
Now the Federal Ministry of Economics wants to gradually reduce state subsidies again.
The innovation bonus is to be reduced to 4,000 euros from 2023.
For 2024 and 2025 there would then only be 3000 euros from the state.
The manufacturers then pay 2000 euros (2023) or 1500 euros (2024) to the environmental bonus.
The subsidy limit of 40,000 euros is to be dropped, and in future the total vehicle gross price, i.e. including extras and discounts, should not exceed the amount of 65,000 euros.
From 2026, the environmental bonus will then be completely phased out.
However, this proposal by the Federal Ministry of Economics has not yet been decided; it is currently being coordinated by the federal government.
If the draft is implemented, this could already become a problem for many e-car buyers.
Because anyone who is currently ordering a new Stromer has to expect a delivery time of months due to the disruptions in the supply chains and the lack of semiconductors.
However, the high subsidy only applies to vehicles that are registered by December 31, 2022.
Exemption from vehicle tax
The state provides another incentive to buy low-emission vehicles with the vehicle tax.
While owners of a diesel with high CO2 emissions have to shell out up to 286 euros a year, electric vehicles are completely exempt from tax for the first ten years.
After that, only 50 percent of the fee for comparable models is due.
Sell saved CO2 emissions
And that's not all: if you want, you can sell the CO2 emissions saved by using an electric car to companies at a profit using the greenhouse gas reduction quota (GHG quota).
Appropriate providers, which can be found in abundance on the Internet, certify the CO2 savings.
Companies that do not comply with their legally prescribed CO2 reduction can then buy these certificates and thus avoid fines.
As a result, private individuals can look forward to up to 350 euros in tax-free income every year.
If you don't like this way of "buying your ransom" by the company, you can also donate your share to sustainable climate projects.
Lower repair and charging costs
In a comprehensive analysis, the ADAC compared the total costs of almost all combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and electric cars available on the German market, i.e. from the purchase price to all operating and maintenance costs to the loss in value.
The experts came to the conclusion that electric cars are increasingly performing better than combustion engines.
On the one hand, this is due to the lower maintenance costs: In contrast to combustion engines, e-cars do not have typical wear parts such as spark plugs or fuel filters.
Regular oil changes are also no longer necessary.
Thanks to recuperation, i.e. energy recovery when braking, the brakes also wear out more slowly.
The annual inspection is also cheaper than with a combustion engine.
As the cost comparison shows, the VW ID.3, for example, beats the Golf 1.5 eTSI Live DSG - the cheapest basic model of the VW Golf was not used as a comparison model because the ID.3 has a significantly better engine performance and a continuously variable automatic.
The electric version costs 47.2 cents per kilometer, the comparably equipped petrol engine comes to 56.9 cents.
Even including a price discount of 15 percent, which is often granted for new cars, the combustion engine is 49.8 cents more expensive than the VW ID.3.
The comparable diesel model, the Golf 2.0 TDI Life DSG, even comes to 60.6 cents per kilometer.
Lower emissions
Certainly one of the main reasons for buying an electric car: the lack of CO2 emissions.
However, it is fair to say that the production of the battery is more energy-intensive than the production of a combustion engine.
This is also repeatedly pointed out by critics.
However, the ADAC has calculated that an e-car quickly reduces this CO2 footprint when driving.
At the latest from a mileage of 50,000 to 100,000 kilometers, the CO2 disadvantage of the Stromer is compensated for again.
In a study, the Fraunhofer Institute also came to the conclusion that electric cars have a significantly better greenhouse gas balance than conventional vehicles over their entire service life.
Free parking
At least during the charging process, parking spaces at e-charging stations are usually free of charge.
This can prove to be an advantage, especially if the pitches are in sought-after inner-city locations.
Of course, the e-car owner still has to pay for charging.
However, many supermarkets are now also luring their customers with free charging options.
In some cities such as Hamburg or Munich, electric cars can also be parked free of charge in parking spaces that are actually subject to a fee - at least within the maximum parking time for this parking space.
The Electromobility Act, which applies throughout Germany, enables cities, municipalities and municipalities to give preference to this vehicle class over combustion engines.
What speaks against an electric car
Lack of charging infrastructure
The charging infrastructure is one of the central issues when deciding for or against an electric car.
"If you don't have the opportunity to charge at home, then don't buy an electric car," Renault boss
Luca de Meo
(55) recently warned.
This is certainly not a problem for property owners who have bought a parking space.
For around 1,500 to 2,000 euros, you can have a so-called wall box installed next to your parking space.
This is a high-voltage connection specially designed for e-cars.
Anyone who thinks an extension cable will do the trick here will quickly be disappointed.
The charging process takes days rather than hours and also puts a strain on the connection.
It's a bit more difficult for renters.
Anyone who has rented their own parking space has had a legal right to the installation of a wall box since the end of 2020.
Without a parking space, you have to rely on your employer or public charging points.
This could quickly become an own goal, especially in densely populated areas.
After all, the corresponding charging station has to be free when you have time to charge.
You should also wait around half an hour at a quick charging station until the battery is charged to 80 percent again – it shouldn’t usually be more to protect the battery.
But since more and more electric cars are rolling on Germany's roads, the availability of free charging stations is becoming increasingly scarce.
After all, Germany can hardly keep up when it comes to expanding the charging infrastructure.
There are currently 28,726 charging stations in Germany with around 52,000 normal charging points and 9,400 quick charging points.
As the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) determined in its charging network ranking, there are an average of around 22 electric cars per public charging point.
In 2022 there were only 17 Stromer.
So the supply gap is growing.
After all, the mineral oil companies have now also discovered the topic of charging for themselves.
Shell, for example, intends to open two charging stations in Germany in the near future.
By 2030, the group also intends to increase the number of charging points at around 1,000 filling stations from 240 to 3,000.
The operator of the 1000 Esso gas stations in Germany, the EG Group, wants to upgrade them with ultra-fast chargers.
And BP, together with Volkswagen, wants to set up up to 4,000 charging points in Germany and Great Britain within 24 months.
The corporations are betting that customers will have to stay longer at the petrol stations or charging stations and will probably consume more as a result.
Of course, car companies like Porsche or Audi are also working on a corresponding expansion of the infrastructure.
So far, however, the Ingolstadt-based company has been less successful.
Lower range
The electric car still cannot keep up with a combustion engine in terms of range.
The ADAC came to the conclusion last year that the electric vehicles achieve an average range of 15 to 20 percent less than vehicles with combustion engines.
Of course, this is annoying and time-consuming, especially for frequent drivers who drive long distances.
However, many studies also show that drivers most often cover short distances in their vehicles.
The batteries are enough for that.
In winter, however, the batteries must be kept under close scrutiny, as they wear out much more quickly.
After all, not only the interior and the windows have to be heated, but also the battery itself. The ADAC writes of an additional consumption in winter of at least 10 to 30 percent.
Conclusion: Electric cars are catching up rapidly
The advantages of electric cars over combustion engines are increasingly outweighing them.
Ultimately also because this type of drive is politically desired and accordingly promoted.
If you can solve the problem with the charging infrastructure for yourself, it could be worth making the switch – especially this year with the higher environmental bonus.
