E-cars: These are the price-performance winners

E-cars: These are the price-performance winners

With prices of two euros or more for a liter of fuel, more and more people in Germany are thinking: Should my next new car be an electric car? The range of electric vehicles is continuously growing and new models are being added almost every week - in all price segments. But despite all the enthusiasm for the electric driving experience, there is one point in which German drivers are still skeptical: what about the range? And do I automatically have to pay more for more range? Or maybe I travel longer with cheaper models because they are usually smaller and lighter? JATO Dynamics took a closer look at the range of electric cars on offer and determined the range in relation to the purchase price.      

The range according to WLTP of the battery-electric vehicles (BEV) offered on the German market varies between 129 and 507 kilometers (km) for the volume models and between 293 and 661 km in the premium segment (as of April 2022). But does driving further automatically mean that you have to spend more on the car? “The cheapest option to drive a BEV at the moment is the Dacia Spring,” says a statement from JATO Dynamics. According to the list, it costs 21,515 euros and its range is 230 km. The two models from Smart (Forfour/Fortwo) for 22,600 and 23,570 euros and the e.Go Life are not much more expensive. The Life, which was developed at RWTH Aachen, costs 25,230 euros. But what can you expect for these prices?

The average mileage of Germans (it is similar in Austria) is around 40 km. The two-door Life manages more than three times as much (130 km). The Smarts also get that far with 129 and 132 km. The Dacia even manages 230 kilometers. This puts the Romanian at less than 94 euros/km. The Smarts cost 175 or 179 euros/km and the e.GO costs 191 euros/km. Even Dacia's brother Twingo from Renault, which is also available for just over 25,000 euros, has a range of 199 kilometers. This means that 135 euros/km are charged for the little Frenchman. Renault's Zoe, with a range of 388 km, shows that a small car can also be significantly cheaper. For what has long been the most popular electric car in Germany, only a good 91 euros/km are due. Renault achieves an average value of 104 euros/km with all BEV models.

But is this already the lowest level of volume models or can it be even cheaper? Which model is the price-performance winner here? And does that automatically come from the brand with the best cost-range ratio? To cut a long story short: it's another eleven euros per kilometer cheaper than the Zoe. Only 80 euros are charged for one kilometer of range with the VW ID.3. Depending on the variant, the electric bestseller in the Golf class can travel between 419 and 549 km on one battery charge. That's an average of 507 km for all three models offered. The price for all variants is just under 40,700 euros (37,000-42,600). Toughest competitor of the ID. 3 is the Ioniq from Hyundai. It costs around 35,000 euros and therefore comes to an average of 86 euros/km.

But does that mean Volkswagen is the cheapest brand? No, this honor belongs to Cupra, because the Cupra Born costs 40,040 euros and can cover 464 kilometers. Also makes 86 euros/km. Volkswagen, on the other hand, has an average range of 464 km with its ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and Up models, which is 93 euros/km. And who is at the other end of the rankings? The most expensive volume model is currently the Opel Zafira at 251 euros/km, followed by the Toyota Proace Verso at 247 euros/km and the Citroen Spacetourer at 230 euros/km. However, these are three family-friendly minibuses, i.e. large and heavy vehicles with plenty of space. By the way: The average of all volume models is currently a range of 324 km and a price of just under 45,000 euros. That's almost 139 euros/km.

And what about the premium vehicles? Do we generally have to assume more than 100 euros/km or is there actually something cheaper? The most expensive model on the German market is the Porsche Taycan for 134,350 euros and a range of 451 km. That means 298 euros/km. Porsche is also the brand with the most expensive cost-range ratio; the Taycan is the only model so far. The company's brother, the Audi E-Tron GT, is a little cheaper at 256 euros/km. This still costs a good 120,000 euros and has a slightly longer range than the Porsche (471 km). The Mercedes EQV follows in third place with a price-performance ratio of 239 euros/km. But the Mercedes EQV plays in a different league, it is more of a competitor to the above-mentioned Opel Zafira, Toyota Proace Verso and Citroen Spacetourer. Although it only costs a good 70,000 euros, buyers have to be content with a shorter range (average 293 km). 

Its brand brother EQS, on the other hand, is completely different: The top e-car from Mercedes costs an average of 123,000 euros, but has the longest range of all BEVs currently offered in Germany. On average, you can travel a total of 661 kilometers on one battery charge - in the top version even an incredible 766 kilometers. The EQS therefore costs 186 euros/km. Polestar shows that a car from the premium segment can also be cheaper. Volvo's luxury electric brand benefits from the know-how of Chinese automaker Geely. The Polestar 2 costs just under 49,000 euros and can travel almost 500 km (474-542 km). That makes a price of 97 euros/km. This makes the elegant Swede the cheapest luxury electric car and is on par with the ID.5 from Volkswagen or the U5 from the Chinese manufacturer Aiways. Above all, the Polestar has a significantly better cost-range ratio than numerous volume models.

And where is Tesla? The much-celebrated brand from the USA, currently the most valuable car manufacturer in the world, has an average value of 149 euros/km with its four models. The entry-level Model 3 costs just under 58,000 euros and offers an average range of 547 km. This means that the Model 3 has a price per kilometer of at least 105 euros and is still a real bargain in the premium segment. The average value of all premium models is a purchase price of a good 84,000 euros and a range of 459 km. That's almost 184 euros/km.