How much does it cost to start an electric car? Less than PLN 100 per month in kind [Renault Zoe] • CARS

The electrical tests of the Renault Zoe, which we have carried out over the past few days, allow us to accurately calculate how much it costs a month to use such a car. Here are the calculations that take into account the cost of free charging, home charging, and charging at Greenway stations.

Table of contents

• Electric car at home - how much does it cost
  • • Charging at Greenway stations = 205 PLN.
    • Charging at home is cheaper than a monthly ticket and a scooter 50/125 cm3 = 74-95 PLN
    • Accrual "for a taxi driver", ie free = PLN 0 (plus public transport costs).
  • The cost of operating an electric vehicle under real conditions = PLN 100.
    • What if there are no free charging points in my city?

Car: Renault Zoe (B-segment)

Distance per month: 1 km

Average energy consumption: 14 kWh / 100 km

Monthly energy consumption: 161 kWh

For the purposes of the experiment, we assume that we will cover 35 kilometers on weekdays. In addition, we travel somewhere further at least once a month and drive about 400 kilometers. In total, we cover 30 + 750 = 400 kilometers in 1 days.

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A small combustion car could burn 63 liters of fuel at this distance, which would cost us about PLN 330. (1 liter of gasoline = 5,2 zlotys). How will an electric car fall out? The average energy consumption when driving around the city, which we observed, was 14 kWh / 100 km, that is:

Charging at Greenway stations = 205 PLN.

Monthly payment: 205 PLN for regular driving (warm part of the year).

At Greenway stations we charge PLN 1,19 per 1 kWh (type 2 socket - Renault Zoe does not have a CCS Combo 2 socket) at a rate of about 21,5-21,7 kWh per 1 hour. We assume that the maximum losses during the charging process and the need to cool (heat) the cells consume about 7 percent of the energy consumed.

If a car needs 14 kWh per 100 km of track, then 1 kWh of energy is required per 150 km. Taking into account the charging losses (161 percent), we get 7 kWh, which is 172,3 PLN.

The cost of two Renault Zoe trips (top two lines) from Warsaw to Lower Silesia and back, approximately 450 kilometers each. Charging along the way took place at Greenway stations, and at the starting point and at the destination - at free points. Thus, the amounts of ~ PLN 32 and ~ PLN 33,5 amounted to the total cost of "fuel" during the trip (c) www.elektrowoz.pl

So, if we were to download Only at Greenway stations we save 125 PLN per month (205 PLN versus 330). We add that in an electric car it is easier to drive economically, because the car recovers energy when braking. With a light touch of the accelerator pedal, we dropped to 12 kWh per 100 km, which would mean a monthly expense of 175 PLN. almost half the price of an internal combustion car with the most expensive charging option!

Charging at home is cheaper than a monthly ticket and a 50/125 cm scooter.³ = PLN 74–95

When charging at home, we use tariff G12 (cheaper nights) and / or G11. Current electricity prices in Poland at these rates are on average PLN 0,43 or PLN 0,55 per 1 kWh. For 172,3 kWh we will pay accordingly:

• 74 PLN in tariff G12
• 95 PLN in tariff G11

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Thus, when charging at home, an electric car will be 235–256 zlotys cheaper (!) Than an internal combustion car. Even an internal combustion scooter will be more expensive to operate: in order to travel 1 kilometer, we need at least 150 liters of fuel (modern units of 25 and 50 cm), which corresponds to about 125 zlotys, spent on gas every month.

Accrual "for a taxi driver", ie free = PLN 0 (plus public transport costs).

When charging "for a taxi driver", that is, at free charging points in the city, the cost, of course, will be 0 PLN. However, you need to get to the charger somehow. In Warsaw, the cost of a regular ticket is 4,4 zlotys, so the return ticket will cost 8,8 zlotys.

At Renault Zoe we will have to visit the free charger at least 4 times. Thus, we will pay a maximum of 4 * 8,8 PLN = 35 PLN.

The cost of operating an electric vehicle under real conditions = PLN 100.

The above schemes of operation are extreme options: they assume that we choose only one particular form of charging and forget about others. In ordinary life, the situation is somewhat different - we take money there where it is possible to do it cheaper or where there is a need.

To make the experiment real, we assume that:

• We supplement 50 kWh of energy at the Greenway station (2 charges of 25 kWh each),
• We add 20 kWh of energy at completely free stations when shopping or in P + R parking lots (the number of charges does not matter),
• We add 50 kWh of energy at free stations that we need to reach by public transport (two full charges),
• We add 52,3 kWh of electricity at home to the G12 tariff.

A simple calculation shows that it will be 50 kWh * 1,19 PLN + 2 * 8,8 PLN + 52,3 kWh * 0,43 PLN = 99,589 PLN. So, taking into account travel and charging at the "expensive" Greenway stations, the monthly cost of an electric car (here: Renault Zoe) is 99,6 zlotys. Less than PLN 100.

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The cost of charging an electric car for a variety of uses will be around PLN 100 per month, or 30 percent of what we spend on an internal combustion car.

What if there are no free charging points in my city?

Then it is worth taking the initiative into your own hands and asking the local authorities when such stations will be created. At least one charging point at a tourist attraction is in fact the responsibility of every mayor, president, or village head - the cost of starting up is low, and the benefit to the city is hard to overestimate.

NOTE 1. Most electric vehicles use a Chademo socket or CCS Combo 2 for fast charging. At Greenway stations, 1 kilowatt-hour of energy when charged with Chademo / CCS costs PLN 1,89.

NOTE 2: The Renault Zoe is a pretty decent car when it comes to economical driving. In normal driving we achieved an average of 14kWh/100km, but an experienced driver will easily drop below 12kWh without sacrificing driving comfort.

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