Slovakian electric cars will be cheaper than diesel ones by 2029

As emission norms continue to drive up the price of cars that run on fossil fuels, electric cars are becoming more cost-efficient, as people could save up to €2500 when buying the greener option five years ahead of the EU’s combustion engine ban, according to an analysis from the Slovak Institute for Environmental Policy.

Analysts say that emission norms will continue to drive up the price of cars running on fossil fuels. Manufacturers will scale up electric car production in preparation for the 2035 EU ban on selling new cars with combustion engines, which means their price will converge in 2028, and electric cars will begin to win the race, Denník N reports.

“Currently, most electric cars are produced on lines originally built for internal combustion engines. Over time, they will be adapted to primarily produce electric cars,” explains Katarína Nánásiová, co-author of the analysis.

When it comes to bigger SUVs, the difference is even bigger and electric cars will start to beat fossil fuels in two years.

In two years, buying an electric car will save its user an average €7500 during its lifetime. In 2035, owning a Peugeot 2008 will be 40% more expensive than its electric counterpart.

Analysts predict that electricity will prevail in trucks as well, saying that 90% of newly purchased vehicles will be zero emission in 2040.

However, they warn that without sufficient state support, customers might be reluctant to purchase new vehicles and will look for used combustion cars instead. They suggest a scheme with higher support before the economy of scale catches up for electric vehicles.

Another suggestion is to raise the price of used combustion cars, using “polluter pays” taxes. Such a policy would likely face strong opposition in Slovakia, who’s parliament attempted to stop the combustion engine ban at the last minute and is part of an alliance of countries fighting the stricter Euro 7 emission standards.

(Barbara Zmušková | EURACTIV.sk)

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