Overall, car maintenance costs are often massively underestimated and can skyrocket (3). Here you can find out why you shouldn’t choose your next car based on the purchase price and how you can save money with an electric car (BEV) on subscription from Clyde compared to leasing.
How much does a car cost?
Car costs in Switzerland amount to around CHF 11,000 per year – for a car with a new price of CHF 39,000 and a mileage of 15,000 kilometres (2). But what car maintenance costs make up this price?
Car maintenance costs: What is included?
When buying a car, the focus is usually on the purchase price – black on white, clear and unambiguous. But what about the rest of the costs that arise around the car?
The maintenance costs of a car are divided into fixed costs and variable costs. The following expenses fall under the holistic cost consideration – i.e. the total costs of a car:
Fixed costs:
- Amortisation (depreciation)
- Subscription or leasing costs
- Traffic taxes
- Vignette
- Car parking
- Maintenance, such as car wash or oil change
- Insurance (compulsory liability insurance)
Variable costs:
- Fuel
- Tyres
- Servicing
- Repairs
While fixed costs are responsible for around 58 per cent of total costs, operating costs account for around 42 per cent (2).
How do the car costs of electric cars and combustion engines differ?
According to a study by EnergieSchweiz (4), car costs for mid-range, luxury and SUV electric vehicles are more favourable over the course of ownership compared to their combustion counterparts. Despite the often higher purchase price – why is that?
Comparison of service costs for BEVs and ICEs:
Electric cars generally have lower maintenance costs than combustion and plug-in hybrid cars.
Tyre costs of BEVs and ICEs in comparison:
Contrary to popular belief, the cost of tires for electric cars is not higher than for combustion engines.
Comparison of depreciation of BEVs and ICEs:
This is where the biggest cost driver lies. It refers to the loss of purchase price due to ageing, wear and tear and loss of market value. The depreciation of electric cars is usually lower than that of combustion-engine cars, as they are less susceptible to wear and tear.
Fuel costs of BEVs und ICEs in comparison:
Electricity is usually cheaper than petrol or diesel in terms of mileage, which means that fuel costs are lower for electric cars.
Electric cars are therefore the more economical choice from a total cost perspective and offer additional cost benefits when acquired via Clyde’s subscription offer.
Electric car subscription vs. leasing: Why an electric car subscription from Clyde is cheaper than leasing a combustion engine
Clyde’s monthly subscription rate includes the costs for insurance, service, tyres, taxes, registration, vignette and multi-rider. And that’s not all: even electricity is included on request. All these cost blocks are not included as standard with purchase, leasing and other subscription offers.
If you select the ‘Premium – with electricity’ option when configuring your electriccar subscription, the electricity is included in your monthly instalment if you charge your electric car at one of the many public charging stations in our partner charging network in Switzerland and throughout Europe. If you charge privately, i.e. at home or at work, we offset your electricity consumption with a credit of CHF 0.30/kWh (significantly more than the tariff of local electricity suppliers) in the form of vouchers that you can offset against your next monthly instalment.
From a TCO perspective, this is very attractive and the reason why popular electric cars at Clyde are cheaper than comparable combustion cars in traditional sales channels.
Example: VW ID.3 on subscription vs. VW ID.3 on lease vs. VW Golf on lease
The chart shows the monthly costs of a VW ID.3 with a Clyde subscription (with Energy Benefit/ electricity included) compared to leasing the same model and the VW Golf, a comparable combustion engine model to the ID.3. It is clear that the Clyde electric car subscription is the cheapest option at CHF 796 per month. These subscription costs are based on the assumption that the ID.3 is 100% privately charged. Even if the vehicle is charged 50% or even 100% publicly, the Clyde electric subscription remains the cheaper alternative compared to leasing.
*Subscription costs = monthly subscription rate (incl. Energy Benefit / electricity) + (one-off processing fee / months) – monthly refund
Why can Clyde offer the electric cars so affordable on subscription?
Clyde is a subsidiary of AMAG and therefore benefits from exceptionally favourable conditions. The vehicles are purchased internally from AMAG at attractive prices, which is directly reflected in the pricing of our electric car subscription. In addition, Clyde purchases vehicles, insurance, tyres and many other services in large quantities and operates an extensive fleet. This leads to significantly better conditions than individuals could achieve on the market.
In addition, Clyde concentrates on vehicles with contemporary equipment. This deliberate focus ensures that costs are kept low without compromising on comfort and technology. While individual configurations and extra requests often drive up prices when leasing, Clyde’s electric car subscription remains fair, transparent and affordable – and makes e-mobility accessible to everyone.
Electrified already? Click here for the electric car subscription.
Car costs in Switzerland: the bottom line
- Whether buying, leasing or subscribing to an electric car from Clyde: think carefully about which car offer you decide on and get an overview of the total costs of a car in advance. Because what seems lucrative at first glance often looks different on closer inspection.
- The figures show that electric cars are ahead of combustion engines in terms of car costs over the entire period of ownership.
- With the simple, flexible and sustainable electric car subscription, Clyde gives customers maximum freedom compared to buying or leasing a car, which even pays off twice if they own a PV system.
Clyde Energy Benefit
Thanks to our unique Clyde Energy Benefit, electricity is included both at public charging stations and at home or at work: If you charge your electric car at one of the many public charging stations in our partner charging network in Switzerland and throughout Europe, electricity is included in your monthly subscription. Private charging is credited in the form of vouchers that you can put towards your next monthly payment.
