A guide to electric vehicles

Did you know that globally there are over 10.9 million electric vehicles in circulation, of which 3.24 million were sold in 2020 alone (source: EV Volumes). While they still represent a small percentage of the overall number of cars, there are 55 times more EVs on the road now than there were seven years go.

 

In Germany, sales of new electric cars increased by 263% in 2020 compared to 2019 (source: Kraftfahrt-Bundesamtes) and the best-selling car was the Renault Zoe. Car manufacturers are not only releasing more EV models, with ever greater range and at increasingly affordable prices but many also pledging to make all their models electric within the next decade.

The German government provides a number of grants, tax breaks and local benefits to encourage you to choose a new electric car:

New car grant (Umweltbonus)

• Fully electric BEV: claim a €9,000 grant (maximum vehicle list price €40,000) and €7,500 grant (vehicle list price above €40,000) 
• Plug-in hybrid PHEV: claim a €6,750 grant (maximum vehicle list price €40,000) and €5,825 grant (vehicle list price above €40,000)

 

Ownership tax (Kfz Steuer)

• 10-year tax exemption for fully-electric EVs
• Reduced tax for plug-in hybrids 
• Discount on company car tax

Additional local benefits (varies by individual cities and towns):

• Free and discounted parking
• Reserved parking spaces
• Access to use bus lane

When it comes to acceleration, EVs are quick off the mark thanks to the direct transmission of power to the wheels with no lag. As a result, even less powerful electric cars perform better than their traditional counterparts. EVs are also more adept at braking, slowing down consistently as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator. The braking process recharges the battery which EVs are well suited to city traffic.

Electric cars outperform all the alternatives, both in terms of CO2 emissions and pollutants, being the only technology that allows the total elimination of local oxide emissions, nitrogen (NO x) and fine dust (Pm x). EVs also reduce noise pollution as they are almost silent which significantly improves your local environment.

An EV’s electric drivetrain, means the motor requires minimal maintenance and potentially a battery replacement at around 300,000 km. Compare that to a conventional car which needs regular maintenance for oil changes, fuel filters, spark plugs - and emission checks.