Electric cars are still more expensive to buy than comparable combustion engine models. However, under pressure from the EU, manufacturers are already reducing prices.
The cost disadvantage of e-cars has been reduced by 1,100 euros within one month.
Nopphon / stock.adobe.com
The price gap between electric cars and comparable combustion engine models is narrowing. According to the regular new car market study by the private Center Automotive Research (CAR), the price difference between the top 20 models on the German market shrank by around 1,100 euros in November 2024 compared to October 2024. On average, buyers of new cars still have to pay 5,583 euros more for an all-electric battery-powered vehicle than for a combustion engine. The so-called transaction prices were taken into account, i.e. the list prices minus openly advertised discounts.
According to the head of the study, Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, the EU regulation will force manufacturers to sell a higher proportion of e-vehicles from next year onwards. Otherwise, there is a risk of heavy fines. The industry's call for the regulation to be postponed would, however, once again slow down the sale of e-vehicles, warns the auto expert. For the coming months, Car expects the electric share of the German market to increase slightly; in October 2024, it was 15.3 %. However, the abrupt end of the government environmental bonus for the purchase of e-cars at the beginning of the year continues to have an impact.
This is a partly automated translation of this German article by dpa.