It would be difficult to find anyone who has never heard of electric cars. Many of us have even seen an electric car with our own eyes. And yet; we still tend to perceive them as science fiction rather than a reality of today's transport.
In fact; the opposite is true. This is confirmed by an excellent article published this week in Hospodářské noviny. The author took the trouble to compare the operating costs of an electric car with those of a traditional car with a combustion engine.
The infographic clearly shows that although a conventional car has a lower purchase price; after taking into account other costs over its lifetime; the owner of a combustion engine car spends a million CZK more than it costs to run an electric car. (You can see the details by clicking on the infographic.)
Electric cars are closer to reality than we think. Economists cite a Roland Berger study; according to which six to seven thousand electric cars will be sold annually in Czechia in just two years (compared to four hundred last year and 262 the year before). Škoda Auto plans to start producing electric cars in Mladá Boleslav by 2020 and to offer five models within five years.
The obstacle to development so far is the insufficient network of charging stations; of which there are around three hundred in the Czech Republic; while there are four thousand traditional petrol stations. However; this will soon change; as the state plans to invest CZK 1.2 billion to support alternative filling stations.
