While electric vehicles lose a notable amount of range during winter months, they are still vastly cheaper to run than comparable internal combustion cars. This is, at least, according to a recent study that compared the running costs of EVs to ICE vehicles during winter across several countries.
UpShift, a company that provides performance marketing services, initiated a study to compare the running costs of electric and combustion-powered cars during winter. The most popular electric vehicle and the most popular combustion-powered car in each country were used for the study.
As noted by UpShift, EV owners in the United States actually saved the most compared to electric car owners in other countries. This is partly due to lower electricity costs, which effectively meant that charging costs are just about $78.95 per month on average, far lower than the average fueling cost of $272.79 per month. Overall, US EV owners can see total savings of $193.84 across the winter season just by driving an electric car.
China, the world’s largest EV market, already seems primed for electric cars. The cost of charging electric vehicles in China during winter months is very low, with drivers paying just an average of just $0.01 per mile driven. This equates to a monthly cost of $6.59, significantly lower compared to the running costs of electric cars in the US. These cost savings make China the country with the cheapest EV running costs during winter.
The opposite is true for some areas in Europe. As per UpShift’s research, Germany is the only country where running an electric vehicle in winter costs more than fueling a traditional internal combustion vehicle. On average, EV owners in Germany pay $20.10 more per month than those who drive ICE cars. Belgium follows Germany’s trend, as the research also found that monthly running costs for EVs in winter in the country exceed $100, with an average of $100.75 per month.
Below is a table summarizing UpShift’s findings in its study. A link to UpShift’s full study can also be found here.
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