E-cars given advantage over alternative fuel vehicles – report

Taxes and other regulatory burdens are much lower for electric cars than for other low-emission vehicles that run on biofuels or synthetic fuels, according to a report published by Economic Trends Research and commissioned by the German oil industry association MWV. The financial burden for luxury cars over a 12-year lifetime could be up to 24,000 euros higher, and for mid-range cars 18,000-19,000 euros higher. Major reasons are lower taxes for electricity than other fuels, and tax reliefs for electric company cars, the report says. According to MWV managing director Christian Küchen, the report showed that e-fuels and other greenhouse gas-neutral fuels would have good chances to be successful on the market if they only received the same support and framework conditions as e-cars. Economic Trends Research calculated that one litre of synthetic fuel for a Volkswagen Golf with a combustion engine could be supported with almost 3 euros if e-fuels received the same treatment as electric mobility.

Most clean mobility advocates favour electric vehicles over those powered by synthetic fuels because they are much more energy efficient. A considerable amount of energy is lost both in the making of e-fuels, and in using them in combustion engines.