Electric car or petrol engine? The break-even point decides

E-cars are a better choice for the environment than combustion engines – that much is now undisputed. However, buying a new electric car is not always the best choice. We reveal what you need to look out for and what the break-even point has to do with it.

Anyone who drives an electric car is doing something good for the environment. There’s something to it, but it’s not that simple. A look at the CO₂ balance makes it clear that electric cars do not emit harmful greenhouse gases, but they do a lot of CO₂ has to be used in production – especially when it comes to the battery. The balance also worsens if the e-car is charged with electricity generated from fossil fuels.

Buying an e-car: when is the right time?

This was and is used as an argument by opponents of electromobility, because although combustion engines emit CO₂ during operation, they cause fewer emissions during production. Overall, e-cars are still the better choice for the environmentthe emissions from them over the entire service life are only half as high as from petrol or diesel vehicles, as determined by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research.

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But electric cars will only get better over time. The point at which combustion engines and electric vehicles are equal in the CO₂ balance is sometimes reached break-even point called.

Among other things, the respective electric model and the electricity mix with which an electric car is powered play a role. According to current studies, it takes a few thousand kilometers for electric cars to make up for their production disadvantage in terms of CO₂ emissions: According to researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology drive e-cars after 11,000 to 30,000 km with less CO₂ than combustion engines (Source: North Star).

So if you pay attention to the environment, you have various options: the older your petrol or diesel engine is, the more it makes sense to consider an electric car the next time you buy it. It would be ideal to buy a used e-car, so to speak, already everything OK moves. But one is hard to come by at the moment. If your combustion engine is still new, it might be too early to make the switch from an environmental point of view.

The decision also depends on how much you drive: Frequent drivers of more than 40,000 km a year land in the green in no time with an e-car – while your CO₂ footprint with petrol or diesel vehicles is growing day by day. If you drive one new combustion engine less, you will only get to this point later. At 10,000 to 15,000 km per year, however, it could be that far in just a few years.

Energy efficiency and the right car – more tips for prospective e-car drivers

If you opt for an electric vehicle and want to keep the CO₂ balance low, you should consider a few things:

• Sustainable electricity mix: Green electricity makes sense for the climate, even if it may be a bit more expensive. Of course, the ideal is to use electricity from your own PV system as much as possible, if you have one – in good weather the e-car charges practically free of charge.
• The right car: If you mostly drive around town or drive short distances, you should opt for an electric compact car like the Honda E or Elektro-Smart. Because these have a smaller battery, the CO₂ footprint in production is significantly lower. A smaller battery also makes vehicles lighter and therefore more efficient. For occasional long journeys, you can still rent a long-range e-car or, if necessary, a combustion engine.
• Note Cd value: The more aerodynamic an e-car is, the more efficiently the charging energy is used. This is easy on the wallet and on the environment.
• Drive appropriately: Even if starting and accelerating with an electric car is great fun, defensive driving and a high proportion of recuperation (using engine braking to recover energy instead of sudden braking) should be standard in order to waste as little energy as possible when driving.

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Whether e-car or smartphone: More sustainability – also at GIGA

In principle, it is also sustainable products for long-term use, instead of exchanging them at short intervals. Buying a new smartphone, a gaming laptop or even an electric car without need can be economically worthwhile, for example if you get a good price. Perhaps a repair would serve you just as well. Or you can wait a little longer until the next new device is really needed.

Of course, this also applies to shoes, clothing or weekly shopping in the supermarket. Make sure you buy what you need and consume.