Leasing companies overcharge electric cars, ignoring their resale value and effectively hampering the energy transition, according to a study published Tuesday by the NGO Transport & Environment.
The average monthly rent of a Peugeot e-208 is for example 547 euros in France, against 355 euros for the petrol model.
This price is "
far too high compared to the reality of the market
", according to this study.
Although electric cars are much more expensive to buy, the rents charged "
do not take into account recent changes in the resale price of electric vehicles on the second-hand market, which is the main variable used by leasing companies to fix their prices
,” says the NGO.
The resale price of electric vehicles on the used market is increasingly approaching that of internal combustion models, according to T&E, which analyzed 2.7 million used vehicle prices in the five largest automotive markets. Europeans from January 2017 to June 2022.
Read alsoIs the electric car really more ecological?
In France, for example, a leasing company reselling a 3-year-old electric car in 2017 could expect to recover 37.3% of the initial purchase price.
In 2022, for a 3-year-old electric car, the leasing company recovered 43.4% of the purchase price.
The resale values of thermal cars are also increasing over the same period but much less quickly (46.6% in 2017, 49.8% in 2022), underlines the NGO.
These companies play a dominant role in the new car market, where they account for up to a fifth of purchases.
They are mostly linked to large banks such as BNP Paribas (Arval) and Société Générale (ALD), or to manufacturers such as Renault (Mobilize) and Volkswagen.
And if they were aimed primarily at businesses, they are increasingly approaching individuals with long-term rental offers (including maintenance) at attractive monthly rates.
Their offers "
reflect the state of the market 5 years ago, when there were uncertainties about the attractiveness of second-hand electric vehicles
", accuses Léo Larivière, head of fleet electrification advocacy at T&E France.
“
This has very concrete consequences: users of electric vehicles are overcharged and the transition to electric is hindered
”.