Where is the cheapest place to charge your electric car? According to the Chamber of Commerce, this question is difficult to answer. Due to a ‘jungle’ of tariff models for publicly accessible charging stations, there is hardly any transparency.
This finding is the result of an up-to-date price and market analysis. For this, AK-Energy expert Michael Soder compared 28 rates from 16 providers.
In any case, the cheapest way to refuel is at home. The AK assumes an average consumption of 15 kWh per 100 kilometers for an average e-car (which is a fairly low value) and calculated electricity costs of 5.57 euros for a trip of 100 kilometers if you charge at your own wallbox. If the vehicle is charged 80 percent at home and 20 percent at public charging stations (which according to AK corresponds to average use), you pay an average of 6.57 euros for 100 kilometers. If you only use public charging stations, you pay an average of 10.57 euros. For comparison: the AK charged costs of 13.23 and 14.28 euros for the same trip with diesel or petrol drive.
The price advantage of the electric drive is highly dependent on the respective tariff model. While collective bargaining agreements, the dominant billing model, cause costs averaging 5.93 euros per 100 kilometres, flat rates are almost twice as high: 10.95 euros. In research conducted in 2018 and 2020, flat rates were even cheaper than contract rates.
Card payment is very expensive
It becomes very expensive if you pay directly, ie with a credit card at the charging station. Here, the average price for a 100-kilometre journey is 14.83 euros, which is 150 percent higher than the contractual rates and even higher than the petrol costs for the same route.
According to AK, there are also big differences within the respective tariff models: the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive offer is 10.94 euros for contract rates, 13 euros for flat rates and 16.20 euros for direct payment rates. Depending on which charging station you choose, the price can vary greatly.
In order to gain more transparency in the market, the AK advocates simply comparable billing with prices for the same unit (kWh). If an additional charge per charging minute is charged, the price must be stated separately, according to AK expert Soder.
It’s best at home – or at work
The AK advises consumers to pay attention to the charging capacity of their car and that of the charging station: You pay for the charging capacity of the filling station, even if your own vehicle cannot handle it. In addition to price comparisons, you should also consult the respective contract terms and choose charging services that suit the car. In general, the AK advises charging the car as much as possible at home or at work.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
