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Source: Pixabay/electric-mobility-4158595_1280

Study German E-Car Drivers

A study has shown that people who have switched to an electric car are generally very satisfied with their decision and are convinced by electric mobility. About 500 hundred e-car drivers were asked in particular about charging, their personal attitude towards this topic and their wishes with regard to electromobility. For many people, the environmental factor is indeed a priority and they explicitly decide that a speed limit would be a good decision, according to around 70% of respondents. Fewer have decided to buy an e-car because of the state subsidy and even fewer decided to because of the tax advantages of buying those. In fact, more than a half now have exclusively electric cars, while around 20% still own either a car with combustion engine or a hybrid.

Charging is still a much bigger problem, with which many are also not satisfied. Around 50% of respondents have their own charging station at home, which they use to charge their vehicle. Nevertheless, they also have to plan in advance when the car will be charged. This makes public charging a bigger problem. In large cities and supermarket parking lots, it is particulary difficult to find a place to charge. However, if people see that there are only a few parking lots for electric cars, they usually move as quick as possible as soon as the car is fully charged so that other people can also use this parking place. Many people change parking spaces when the car is fully charged. Others, however, only do so when a charge is imminent or they simply leave it there. However, it should be emphasized that the latter is the exception rather than the rule.

What`s more, 60 to 120 minutes of charging is usually enough to cover your daily needs. The respondents are generally very satisfied with electromobility and want to support it, even if they have to pay more for electricity than for gasoline in some cases. However, the infrastructure must be expanded further and there must be more opportunities to charge the vehicle. For example, it would be a good idea for hotels, employers and restaurants to expand their parking spaces accordingly.

Irrespective of this study, however, it is also clear that the repair costs for an electric vehicle are enormous. This is because owners and insurance companies have to pay very high sums even for what is actually minor damage. In one case, an electric car collided with a deer and the mudguard and headlights were damaged. The tow hook cover was lost and the windshield wiper fluid reservoir had to be replaced. Around 20000 euros were to be paid for this, but the labor costs were to account for almost half of the sum. This was a case from the USA. However, there was a similar situation in Germany, where the damage appeared to be much greater at first glance. As a result of an accident with a deer, the damage also had to be settled for a sum of around 20000 euros.