How much does an electric car consume?

Planes, cars and lorries consume millions of litres of petrol and diesel every year. In fact, the transport sector is considered the last bastion of oil, which is slowly languishing. Refineries have begun to adapt to this situation by redesigning their facilities with extensions and improvements to maximise their own production of fuel for transport.

And the figures are clear. According to data published in the World Energy magazine BP Statistical Review, 70% of liquid fuels consumed in the United States in 2017 were petrol or diesel.

The electric alternative

In contrast to fuel consumption, its effects on the environment and its economic cost, electric cars keep growing, exceeding many of its limits.

The world’s electric vehicle fleet offsets around 100,000 barrels per day of road transport fuel each year, mostly petrol, according to a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Because electric cars are not the future, but rather a reality that many people are already enjoying today. Sales of electric vehicles during the month of August in Spain reached 1,378 units. This seems like a small figure, but it represents a growth of 115.6% over the same period in 2019. With regard to the cumulative figure for the period, there was also a notable rise in registrations and 8,870 electric vehicles were sold between January and August.

Why switch to an electric car

From a personal and global standpoint, the switch to electric cars offers many advantages, but at the same time the shortcomings of using a relatively new product that is not yet widespread.

Overall, replacing our fleet of petrol vehicles with a fleet of electric vehicles will improve our quality of life and, above all, that of the planet, contributing in a practical way to the fight against the dreaded climate change.

Individually, we will enjoy a cheaper mode of transport, although it does require certain important logistical changes to turn it into a totally alternative mode of transport, valid for all types of trips, whether short, medium or long distance. The most progress is currently being made in the medium or long distance. In other words, going from an urban vehicle to checking all the boxes of things we want when we buy a car.

The fact is that changing to electric cars does not depend only on vehicle sales. Society itself and all the elements of its infrastructure have to adapt. That is why the increase of electricity supply points for electric cars is so important, not only in cities, but also right across Spain.

The firm commitment to this mode of transport in Spain and the European Union is making a reality of what seemed distant a few years ago, and we can now travel longer distances thanks to the greater autonomy of these vehicles as well as their increasing load capacities. But is this profitable?

What lies beneath the cost of the electric car

In general, electric vehicles or EVs are more expensive than petrol cars, and can cost about €5,000 to €15,000 more due to the high price of the batteries. This price can be lower if the model comes without a battery, which could be rented.

Despite this, most customers believe that this price difference between petrol cars and electric cars can be offset by savings on fuel. But to have a clear idea about the total cost of an electric car and whether or not it is worth buying one, we must consider other aspects such as:

• Repairs: electric cars do not have clutches, filters or timing belts, so their maintenance is easier than that of a conventional car and much cheaper. In this sense, EVs could entail savings of 25% over petrol vehicles. This difference becomes greater if we compare them to diesel cars, since repairs on those are even more expensive.
• Taxes: the upswing of the electric car sector and its positive effects on the planet and the environment mean that, in certain cities, electric vehicles enjoy tax advantages, with discounts on road tax that can be as high as 75%.
  

But how much does an electric car actually consume?

The key to their savings clearly lies in their consumption. This is the most important point to keep in mind. Without having to bring out the calculator, it is well-known that electric engines are much more energy-efficient than combustion engines.

For example, when it comes to travelling 100 kilometres, a diesel car will have consumed about 4 litres, while a petrol car will have used a little more. Taking into account the current price of petrol and diesel A, the cheapest, each car would have spent about €5 for petrol and about €4 for diesel, respectively, so we could establish an average of €4.50. 

In contrast, for the same 100-kilometre journey, an electric vehicle will consume about 13 kWh of its batteries. Setting a daytime domestic energy price of €0.158 per kW, covering 100 kilometres will cost about €2,054 before taxes. So we can say that driving with an electric car is less than half the cost of a traditional fuel car.

"The key to their savings clearly lies in their consumption. This is the most important point to keep in mind.”