Anyone who regularly drives to the petrol station by car is familiar with it: the spontaneous glance at the boards when entering, the quick comparison between gasoline and diesel, the noticeable price shifts, also between morning, noon and evening – and the eternal question: when is actually the best time to fill up? And meanwhile some are probably also wondering what the drive with an electric car could cost now? Or would these even be the right days for hydrogen? Often these were not really reliable calculations: petrol, diesel, electricity, gas?
That should change from October 1st. Larger filling stations in Germany then have to display a current “energy cost comparison” for the various types of drive on yellow-and-orange posters or digital advertisements. This implements a regulation of the European Union that is supposed to make things clearer: Customers can now read the costs, depending on the size of the vehicle, for 100 kilometers, with seven different energy sources. From hydrogen to electricity to premium gasoline. The values are given for two vehicle sizes: small and compact cars on the one hand and medium and luxury class vehicles on the other. The figures are updated quarterly by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The aim of the official comparison is to provide customers with current figures that can be used to make quick calculations on site better. According to the text of the law, it is about “supporting future purchasing decisions by consumers when choosing a passenger vehicle”. If you calculate over a longer period of time and compare how much energy it costs you to run 100 kilometers with very different types of drive, you might switch to another new car. Providing more transparency when refueling, so to speak, to help with future purchase decisions.
And this is where the critics come in. The figures, which were published on the Ministry’s website before the mandatory information and notice period began, suggest that the cost of a 100-kilometer journey with an electric car is only half as high as that with a gasoline-powered vehicle. Specifically, this means: Anyone who drives the route in a mid-range or luxury car that is filled with premium gasoline pays 11.42 euros. Anyone who drives an e-car has to fill up with electricity for 4.84 euros for the same distance. With LPG it would cost 4.96 euros, with hydrogen it would cost 7.60 euros. Seen in this way, the next purchase decision should definitely and clearly be for an electric vehicle. Sounds easy? It’s not that easy after all.
No matter how correct the price comparison is, complains the Association of the Mineral Oil Industry: There is no information that the “average household electricity price is used as the basis” when charging e-cars. And at home it is usually cheaper than publicly and on the go. A distortion that can easily be eliminated, for example by offsetting average costs. In any case, the German Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW) says: The comparison “makes it clear that electromobility is not only a climate-friendly, but also a financially attractive alternative for many motorists”.