Gasoline diesel hybrid or electric car what is the cheapest total cost in Belgium? Nowadays, other elements are taken into account, such as the price of electricity, fuel, and taxes, which are different depending on the type of car and the region inhabited, and maintenance costs, which are not the same as thermal vehicles. and electric, the depreciation of the vehicle, again different depending on the type of engine and variable according to the new environmental standards,. In short, difficult to navigate.
The Planning Office tried to see things more clearly by publishing a study on the subject. “According to the International Energy Agency, the cost of purchasing electric vehicles continues to be a major obstacle to their diffusion,” the study explains. However, a rational buyer would also take into account the lower operating costs of electric vehicles compared to conventional powertrains and be guided by the total cost of ownership.
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It is this total cost of ownership (TCO) that the Planning Office attempted to calculate based on different consumer profiles (mileage per year) and vehicles. “We observed in our analysis that, in no segment of the market, does one type of engine clearly outperform the others or be surpassed by the alternatives,” the study explains. “It also seems that there are no electric cars available in several segments of the Belgian market.
” In Wallonia, the group of ten models with the lowest TCO is still dominated by gasoline and diesel cars. Only in the longer distance category are there also electric cars with lower TCO. “Electric cars are economically more attractive for user profiles with high travel needs,” the study insists. “In the segment of vehicles that travel 30,000 kilometers per year, electric cars have the lowest TCO in all the power classes in which they are offered, and the difference with other engine groups is very pronounced.”
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At least 500 euros a month in Brussels
At the moment it is impossible to draw important conclusions: everything depends more than ever on the driver’s profile. “Beyond the total cost of ownership, consumers may obviously place importance on non-monetary elements when choosing specific car models, such as performance, comfort, safety and reliability,” the study continues. Alternative powertrains also continue to be hampered by obstacles such as consumer skepticism, fear of “empty batteries,” and high implied discount rates.
Another tool (the “Car Cost Calculator”) developed by Bruxelles-Environnement is much more concrete. It allows you to calculate the cost of a car per month based on its model and engine. It also allows us to see how much Brussels residents can save by opting for options other than the car, which has increasingly become a luxury item. Between purchase, maintenance, taxes, insurance and more, the user very rarely drops below 500 euros per month when purchasing a vehicle in the capital.
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