A man from Great Britain decided to compare the cost of driving a diesel engine to an electric motor. He exchanged his diesel BMW for an electric Volvo and drove a journey from Cornwall to Bristol and back, a total of 563 kilometers. His story was relayed by The Mirror website, and the result surprised him unpleasantly.
The route is approximately 563 kilometers long and Steven Smith has completed it many times in his 16-year-old BMW. This trip cost him roughly 41.10 pounds (about 1123 CZK) at a consumption of 55 miles per gallon (4.28 liters per 100 km) and a price of 173.9 pence per liter (about 47 CZK). It leaves Cornwall at 8am and arrives in Bristol before 11am.
He set off on the Volvo journey with a fully charged battery. Home charging cost about 20 pounds (about 546 CZK). Although the Volvo C40 has a paper range of 273 miles (approximately 439 km), according to Steven, the dashboard showed a range of only 180 miles (approximately 289 km) despite a full charge. After an hour and 40 minutes of driving, Steven had to stop for the first time to recharge the battery. According to The Sun, he arrived at the charging station with 25% battery left and 45 miles of range. He managed to charge the car to 60% in 40 minutes, increasing the range to 100 miles. This charge cost him £19.62 (about 536 CZK). He reached Bristol half an hour later than usual. The charge was 35% and the range was 60 miles (approx. 96.5 km). It was clear that the car would need to be charged again before the return trip. Charging at a relative’s house took a long time, but for the price of five pounds (roughly CZK 136), Steven increased the charge by another 30 miles (approximately 48 km).
He set off back to Cornwall shortly before 7pm in the evening. The battery was 52% charged and the range was 90 miles (about 144 km). After driving 75 miles (120 km), he decided to use a super-fast charger. At the time, it had only 7% charge and a range of 14 miles (22 km). Super-fast charging took three quarters of an hour and cost 43.45 pounds (roughly 1,187 crowns). It left this charger with 84% in the battery and a range of 140 miles (approx. 225 km). He arrived home 50 minutes late. He assessed the trip as stressful and expensive. “All in all, I was relieved when I got home. But I feel like someone emptied my wallet when I wasn’t looking,” Steven assessed the trip.
All told, Steven paid £88.07 for all the top-ups, which is £47 more than if he had driven his old diesel BMW. He particularly complains about the costs associated with charging on the road. If the range after a full charge at home was really what the manufacturers declare, it would not be necessary to charge the car outside the home. At the same time, however, he points out that this problem disappears if you only use the electric car for short trips, for example to work, and charge mostly at home.
A man drove an electric Volvo over 560 km to find out the true cost. The numbers don’t add up, he says. Steven Smith swapped his diesel BMW for an electric Volvo to find out the true cost of running an electric car. Despite the manufacturer’s claims of a 273 mile range, his dashboard showed only 180 miles after a full charge. He had to stop to recharge the battery multiple times and ended up paying £47 more than if he had driven his old diesel BMW. He concluded that electric cars are only cost effective if you are only making short trips and charging at home.
