Battery technology in electric cars is improving all the time. That’s why prices for old e-models are in free fall. This is also a problem for buyers of new cars.
Electric cars are booming, but almost no one wants occasions.
Because the performance of the batteries decreases with use, while newer models have much better batteries inside.
But there are long waiting times for new cars due to delivery problems.
Electric cars are booming, but there are long waiting times for new cars.
But almost no one wants an electric car.
Due to battery wear and tear and technological change, occasion prices are in free fall.
The expert therefore advises against buying electric cars.
Electric cars are booming. e-car pioneer tesla delivers more vehicles than ever before despite chip crisis. Electrification is also making progress in switzerland. The share of e-cars in new registrations has increased fivefold in the space of two years.
New cars are the most popular. But there are long waiting times for them, depending on the model, due to delivery problems. Almost no one wants a used car. Of the people who would like to buy an electric car, only one in three can imagine buying a used car, according to a survey conducted by the German opinion research institute Civey on behalf of "automobilwoche".
Battery problems with old models
Because electric cars lose a lot of their value after just a few years, as the survey shows. The main reason cited by the participants is the loss of power in the electric battery. Their performance decreases sharply over several years, just like that of a cell phone. In addition, changes in technology are leading to better and better batteries in the new models.
In switzerland, the survey would be similar, says jan schenker of car for you to 20 minuten. "when it comes to used electric cars, it’s mainly the younger models that are interesting, older electric cars with older technology tend to have a hard time," says schenker.
"prices are in free fall"
Used electric cars therefore lose value quickly. "residual values are in free fall," Munich-based market observer berylls tells "moove" magazine. Economist johannes von mandach from the BAK economics research institute in Basel also says: "the loss in value is a big problem, people are stuck with the cars because demand is restrained."
This is also difficult for buyers of new cars. "you don’t know how the prices for occasional cars will develop in the future," says von mandach. There is still too little data for a reliable forecast for the relatively young occasion market.
BMW i3 or renault zoe bring losses
German car expert ferdinand dudenhoffer from the center automotive research at the university of duisburg-essen also says: "electric cars run the risk of becoming lemons in the used car market if they are not subsidized by the state, as they are in germany."in neighboring countries, the state pays up to 40 percent of the purchase price. In switzerland, only a few cantons offer the possibility of a tax deduction (see box).
In germany, buyers of electric cars receive a premium on the sales price to promote electromobility. In Switzerland, however, there is the possibility of a tax deduction, the amount of which varies from canton to canton. Moreover, in some cantons there are permanent deductions, while in Bern, for example, this is only possible for the first three years. Exceptions are the cantons of wallis, ticino, thurgau, schaffhausen and basel-city, which also subsidize the purchase, according to a request to the TCS, which lists the deductions in a PDF file. The website energiefranken.Ch shows the tax relief according to the place of residence.
Dudenhoffer therefore recommends thinking carefully about whether you should really buy the e-car. "I recommend a leasing or subscription model so that you don’t run the risk of having to sell the e-car at a loss later on."
Only a few models on the market, such as the mercedes EQA or new teslas, are still in high demand. Older cars, such as the BMW i3 or the renault zoe, would not have the latest battery technology and could therefore lose out on resale.
As a member, you become part of the 20-minute community and benefit daily from great benefits and exclusive contests!