Cost benefits of electric cars highlighted in study

The residual value of mid-range and luxury electric vehicles is higher when they are resold, making them 5% cheaper to buy © Keystone / Martial Trezzini

Electric cars are cheaper than vehicles with combustion engines or hybrid drives over their entire operating life, according to a government study which compared more than 50 models in all price categories.

The observed cost difference was greatest for vehicles in the luxury class, the Federal Office of Energy said in a statementExternal link on Thursday. It amounted to more than CHF20,000 ($21,800).

Energy SwitzerlandExternal link, the government unit which compiled the study, based its comparison on the assumption that someone drives their car 15,000 kilometres a year and sells it again after eight years and a total of 120,000 kilometres.

They wrote that while it is true that electric cars have a higher purchase price than combustion engines or so-called plug-in hybrids, i.e. hybrid cars with a plug, the residual value of mid-range and luxury electric vehicles is higher when they are resold, making them 5% cheaper to buy.

Small and off-road vehicles with electric drives, on the other hand, are more expensive to buy than combustion cars. However, the authors of the study also included the costs of fuel or electricity, service and tyres in their comparison, concluding that electric cars are ultimately worthwhile in all categories. Costs for the disposal of cars were not taken into account.

The authors of the study verified the manufacturers’ data with a survey of garage owners and data from a leasing provider, among other things.