Has the time come for electric cars? Part 1 of 3

Image: (Joenomias) Menno de Jong auf Pixabay 

Hier klicken für deutschen Text. The idea of ​​electromobility has fascinated mankind since 1888. In that year, Andreas Flocken developed the first electric car in Germany. In 2021 everyone is talking about electric cars and saving CO2. Sooner or later the topic of e-mobility will find its way into all of our lives. But when is the right time to change? Does Germany already offer the infrastructure, so that a battery-powered car is worth buying for an average person and is it really helping the environment?

There are many new reports about e-mobility every day, BAREWAYS would like to summarize them in a three-part series and answer the most important questions:

 

Part 1:

1. Which electric car is right for me?

2. What funding is currently available in Germany and how can it be applied for?

  • Calculation model for the new electric car
  • Calculation model of a used electric car
  • Tax benefits for electric cars

3. Which cars up to € 40,000 will be on the market in 2021?

  • Which e-cars have all-wheel drive?


Part 2:

4. What is the range of an electric car?

  • What is the actual range?
  • How does the range change?
  • Tricks to extend your reach

5. How does charging work?

  • Are there enough charging stations? What is the planning and infrastructure in Germany?
  • How long does it take to charge an electric car?
  • How much does it cost to top up?
  • Should an electric car be charged from a normal socket?
  • Can an e-car be charged from a CEE socket (heavy current)?
  • What is a wallbox?
  • Which wallbox for which car?
  • What are the costs and what funding is there for a wallbox?
  • What should be considered when purchasing a wallbox?
  • As a tenant and apartment owner, can I have a wallbox installed?


Part 3:

6. Is switching to an electric car worth it?

7. Am I helping the environment when I switch from a combustion engine to a battery-powered car?

  • Can old batteries from e-cars be recycled?

8. What should I look out for when buying an e-car?

 

With so many different statements about electric cars, it is important that drivers know the full facts before ruling out switching to an electric car.

Many people say: “E-cars are only for people with money” or “I want to travel spontaneously and need a car that drives for a long time without waiting”. Many also stress the thought of not finding a charging station and standing in nowhere. Some also wonder whether there are also e-cars without gears. The answer: E-cars are only available without a gear shift.

1. Which electric car is right for me?

A car with the longest range is no longer the most important criterion. In the meantime, even cars with smaller batteries offer an average real range of approx. 300 km.

Everyone should ask themselves, do I really need the largest battery to have the best range at the same time? A larger battery also means higher energy consumption when driving.

On the other hand, there are also the advantages of a larger battery. They can usually be recharged more quickly, have a longer service life and offer greater flexibility for longer journeys.

The longer service life of a larger battery results from the fact that it requires fewer charging cycles for the same mileage. That means it ages less quickly than a small battery. Example: After a mileage of 200,000 kilometers, an electric car with a range of 200 kilometers has already run through at least 1000 charging cycles, an electric car with a larger battery and a range of 300 kilometers has only gone through 670 charging cycles.

Since a battery loses capacity with age, a larger battery offers more range buffers: The range that decreases over the years of use is not as significant with a large battery as it is with a small one.

In this context, it is good to know that manufacturers now offer up to 8 years warranty on batteries. The minimum limit is set by the manufacturers for almost all-electric models at 70 percent after eight years of operation or 160,000 km if the rules of use are adhered to.

Before buying, the buyer should be clear about the purpose for which he wants to buy the car. For example, it can be decisive for the right purchase decision whether the electric car is the only car in the household or whether there are several vehicles. If you often want to drive distances of 250 kilometers and more in one go and cannot (or do not want to) switch to a combustion vehicle in these cases, it is better to choose the model with the larger battery – or accept having to recharge on the route.

Which e-car is the right one for you is a very individual decision.

Cars registered in Germany travel less than 40 kilometers per day on average. As an electric model, many of these cars would get by with one battery charge per week.

Avoid Precipitation

Picture

2. What funding is currently available in Germany and how can it be applied for? 

In order to promote the spread of electric cars, there are subsidies from the state and the manufacturers. The so-called innovation bonus was extended until the end of 2025.

It is planned to focus the funding on the electric drive over this period:

  • New electric vehicles registered after June 3, 2020
  • E-used vehicles that were registered for the first time after November 4, 2019 or later and whose second registration will take place after June 3, 2020 and until December 31, 2021. The used vehicle must not have already been subsidized by the BAFA environmental bonus and may have a maximum of 15,000 km on the odometer when it is registered for the second time.

From 2022, for example, plug-in hybrids will only be funded if they have a minimum range of 60 kilometers and from 2025 of at least 80 kilometers.

The bonus can be applied for on the BAFA website. We urgently advise you to read the information sheet on funding before buying an e-car, as evidence is required that you should have heard of in advance. The manufacturer’s share remains unaffected by the increase in the purchase bonus.

 

Model

Net list price 

Basic model

 Federal share (doubled) Manufacturer share (net) Total
(net)
Electric Car Up to € 40.000  € 6000  € 3000  € 9000 
Electric Car Up to € 40.000  – 65.000  € 5000  € 2500  € 7500 
Plug-In-Hybrid Up to € 40.000  € 4500  € 2250  € 6750
Plug-In-Hybrid Up to € 40.000  – 65.000  € 3750  € 1875  € 5625 

Source: Bafa. The net list price in Germany applies.

A list of all eligible electric vehicles and net list prices can be viewed here.

With the new guideline, the amount of subsidy for leasing is staggered depending on the leasing period. Leasing contracts with a term of 23 months or more continue to receive full funding. In the case of shorter contract periods, the funding will be adjusted accordingly.

Calculation model for a new electric car

Let’s imagine someone would like to buy a new electric vehicle with a BAFA list price of up to 40,000 euros:

   35,000 euros BAFA list price
–    3,000 euros Car manufacturer’s own contribution
= 32,000 euros Threshold

 

The following values emerge from the vehicle invoice:

    35,000 euros netlist price of the basic model (without special equipment)
–     4,250 euros Discount
=  30,750 euros netlist price less discount

In this example, the netlist price of the basic model minus the discount (30,750 euros) is below the calculated threshold value (32,000 euros). The manufacturer’s own share was thus verifiable passed on to the buyer


Calculation model for a used electric car

If someone wants to buy a used electric car, the invoice looks like this:

In the case of the second approval, the innovation bonus always corresponds to the subsidy rates for new vehicles with a BAFA list price of over 40,000 euros up to a maximum of 65,000 euros. In the case of the second approval, it makes no difference in terms of the amount of funding whether the BAFA list price of the basic model is below or above 40,000 euros.

In order to determine the maximum gross vehicle price eligible for funding for young used vehicles, 80 percent of the list price of the new vehicle (gross, including special equipment and without taking into account discounts) is applied due to the typical loss in value on the resale market, and the gross manufacturer’s share is deducted from this. The purchase price of the used vehicle may not exceed this threshold.

Values according to DAT report or new vehicle invoice:

    35,000 euros gross list price of the basic model
+  12,000 euros special equipment (gross)
=  47,000 euros Total gross vehicle price

   37,600 euros 80% of the gross total vehicle price
–    2,975 euros less manufacturer’s share (gross) (corresponds to 2,500 euros net)
= 34,625 euros Threshold value (gross)

In this example, the calculated threshold is 34,625 euros. The used vehicle would therefore only be eligible if the applicant paid a maximum of this gross amount for the vehicle.

Tax benefits for electric cars

And electric cars are also subsidized for tax purposes: Until now, battery-electric vehicles that were registered for the first time by December 31 2020 did not have to pay any vehicle tax for ten years. Now, as part of the Corona economic stimulus program, the already applicable ten-year vehicle tax exemption for purely electric vehicles will be granted until December 31, 2025, and even extended until December 31, 2030. If the owner changes within these ten years, the new vehicle owner is granted tax exemption for the remaining period.

Avoid Precipitation

Picture: Hyundai

3. Which cars up to € 40,000 will be on the market in 2021? 

As already mentioned above, there is a good overview of all eligible electric cars in Germany.

Around 20 new models will be launched on the market in 2021. If you look at the major automobile manufacturers, little will change in the range of small electrically powered cars in 2021. Volkswagen is working on a small VW ID.2, but it will probably not be available before 2023. Only Renault dares to launch a mini-SUV, the Dacia Spring Electric, on the market in 2021. The highlight: After deducting the subsidy, the car only costs around 10,000 euros. With one battery charge, it should travel over 200 kilometers. That sounds like a great offer, but the CSS charge only provides up to 30 KW, which means that the fast charging time from 17 to 136 km is approx. 1 hour. If this car is used as a second vehicle and charged at the home wallbox, it is a perfect alternative to the conventional second car.

Probably the most unusual novelty from a large-scale manufacturer is the Citroën Ami. The electric flea is 2.41 meters long and 1.39 meters wide and offers space for just two people and has an electric range of 75 kilometers. Its area of ​​application is very limited, however, because the car travels a maximum of 45 km/h. But it costs only 6,900 euros (price in France) and can be driven by youngsters with an AM driving license. The market launch in Germany is expected at the beginning of spring 2021 and is a great alternative for a scooter.

Otherwise, the middle class is clearly dominated by new models from the VW group. While you can configure and order the Škoda Enyaq for quite a while, the Audi Q4 e-tron will probably have to wait until the end of the year. The Cupra El Born can be expected a little earlier.

The 800-volt technology, instead of the usual 400 volts, that Hyundai and Kia offer in the mid-range is very interesting. Porsche is pioneering this architecture with the Taycan, a luxury-class electric sports car for a purchase price of (depending on the version) well over 100,000 euros. Now Hyundai is already using the revolutionary technology in the middle class, both in the Ioniq 5 and in the Kia EV6. And the cars from Korea will only cost about half that.

Charging will soon be possible within ten minutes at a correspondingly powerful high-power charging station (HPC = High Power Charging). The 800-volt technology also makes another cool feature possible – the “vehicle-to-load function”, with which you can charge another e-vehicle or operate a large television, an electric grill, or the like.

Which cars have four-wheel drive?

But is there also an e-vehicle that addresses the BAREWAYS Explorer? Which e-cars have all-wheel drive?

Numerous manufacturers are bringing more and more SUV-like models onto the market, they can be ordered with four-wheel drive. This is surprising at first glance, as all-wheel drive can be implemented in an electric car in a much more uncomplicated and cost-effective manner. At the same time, it helps to bring the enormous torque of the electric motors onto the road. Thanks to the compact design of electric motors – to put it simply – all-wheel drive in electric cars can be achieved by installing additional electric motors on each axle or wheel.

You have to look for models up to 40,000 euros. The VW ID.4 GTX with all-wheel drive will go on sale from May 2021. It is the first all-wheel-drive model in the ID. family. The basic price starts from 50,415 euros, for which 7,500 euros can be applied for funding, which is 42,915 euros at the end.

The Skoda Enyaq iV 80x, also known as the Czech Tesla, can be pre-ordered from April 2021 and is available from € 38,500 after deduction of the premium.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 with 4WD drive is at a base price of € 41,400 after deduction, just under the budget of up to € 40,000.

Another four-wheel electric vehicle that still has a 4 in the ten thousand digit is the compact SUV Audi Q4 50 e-tron with all-wheel drive, which will be available from June 2021. With a price starting at € 53,600, after deducting the bonus, the car is still € 46,100.

All other 4×4 models are beyond the price range of up to € 40,000.

 

E-cars in 2021
Click to see an overview of electric cars for 2021 up to € 40,000 (list price).

4×4 e-cars up to 50.000 €
Click to see an overview of 4×4 electric cars up to € 50,000 (list price).

Charging Station for e-cars in the middle of nowhere.

Quellen: