How much does an electric car cost?

In 2019, the Polish Automotive Industry Association launched an electromobility meter, in which it provides statistics on the registration of electric cars. According to this report, by the end of 2025, 90,817 electric passenger and commercial vehicles were registered on the Polish market. The charging network is also developing all the time. At the end of April 2025, there were 9524 publicly accessible charging points, of which 32 percent were DC fast chargers.

The price of an electric car versus a combustion car

The first step is to buy an electric car. The cheapest electric car is the Dacia Spring in the Essential version, the price of which starts at PLN 76,900. The next edition of the subsidy program for new electric cars is in operation in Poland. This time the program is called ourAuto. You can count on a bonus of up to PLN 40,000.

Lawmakers have made a nod to customers, allowing new forms of financing. Thus, cars taken as part of long-term rental are also eligible for the program. In the case of individuals, the maximum price of a car is PLN 225 thousand net. The same limit applies to sole proprietors.

Now it's time to find out what will be more expensive to buy - an electric car, or an internal combustion car. We take the Tesla Model S under the magnifying glass and compare it with the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes E-Class. The situation is as follows:

• electric car - the price of Tesla Model S on the Polish market starts from 441 990 PLN;
• diesel car - the cheapest Mercedes E-class costs 284 300 PLN, and the cheapest BMW 5 series - 280 000 PLN.

Electric vs diesel car - cost of use

Although electric cars are often more expensive to buy, averaged data shows that they make up for it with the cost of living. The monthly cost of maintaining an electric car is lower in all respects.

Third party liability insurance

We will start with compulsory third party liability insurance. Although the amount of the premium depends on such factors as the make and model of the car, the capacity and power of the engine, the city of residence and the age of the driver, his marital status and previous insurance history, you can find the average prices of premiums on the network.

For example, the comparator operator Mubi give the following information on the average contribution:

• electric car - 592 PLN;
• car with a gasoline engine - 844 zł;
• car with a diesel engine - 854 zł.

Information on the OC premium for Tesla Model 3 and BMW 3 Series cars with a 1998 cc engine is also provided here. It was assumed that the owner is 42 years old, lives in Warsaw, has a driver's license for 20 years, has insured cars for at least 10 years, has had one damage in the last 4 years, the car has a mileage of 60 thousand km and is parked in the garage. The cost of the contribution is as follows:

• Tesla - from 574 to 1892 PLN;
• BMW - from 797 to 2153 PLN.

Warranty Service

Another important point is the warranty service of the car or simply the inspections carried out in accordance with the service book. Here we will again take an electric car and compare with a diesel car of a similar class:

• Hyundai Ioniq 5 - inspection every 30 thousand km or every 2 years, price - about 700 PLN;
• Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDI - inspection every 15 thousand km or every year, price - about 1200 zł.

The final price of the inspection depends on the actual wear and tear of the components of the car. The electric motor does not have many components that need to be serviced, therefore the service intervals are greater and the service costs - less. Diesel cars have a lower mileage limit, because they require replacement of operating fluids along with filters, there may also be a change of timing, a blown gasket under the head, the need to carry out valve adjustment, etc.

The cost of charging an electric car

The last issue that makes up the cost of living is charging the car. Therefore, now we will find out how much it costs 100 km to an electrician, and how much you have to pay for fuel.

The cost of driving 100 km in an electric car will vary depending on how you are going to charge it. When charging in domestic conditions, using the G11 tariff, you will pay PLN 1.1 per kWh. On a fast charger, the cost of 1 kWh is about PLN 2.6. We assume that the car needs 18 kWh of energy per 100 km. This means that the cost of driving 100 km in an electric car will be PLN 19.8 when charging at home and PLN 46.8 when using a fast charger.

The cost of driving 100 km on a gasoline car, of course, will be slightly higher. According to data from the E-Petrol website as of May 26, 2025, the average price of a liter of Pb95 gasoline is PLN 6.8. We assume that our car with a gasoline engine burns 7.5 l per 100 km. This means that the cost of driving 100 km will be 51 PLN.

Monthly cost of maintaining an electric car

Now it's time to summarize all the costs. We will assume that you drive 1.5 thousand km per month and charge your car mainly at home.

Volkswagen ID.4 Pro Performance will cost about PLN 405 per month assuming that you will pay PLN 308.55 for energy (18.7 kWh/100 km), OC will be about PLN 60 per month, and service is about PLN 35-45 per month. Volkswagen Tiguan 1.5 TSI will cost approx. 930 PLN per month assuming that you will pay 754.8 PLN (7.4 l/100 km) for fuel, OC will be approx. 75 PLN per month, service is approx. 100 PLN per month.

In the case Renault Megane E-Tech EV60 the monthly cost will be about PLN 360 assuming that for energy you will pay PLN 272.25 (16.5 kWh/100 km), the OC will be about PLN 55 per month, and the service is about PLN 30 per month. Renault Austral 1.3 TCe will cost about PLN 854 per month assuming that you will pay PLN 693.6 (6.8 l/100 km) for fuel, OC will be about PLN 70 per month, and service is about PLN 90 per month.

Used electric car from the USA - purchase costs

Electric cars from the USA, and especially Tesla, started a boom in electrics on the Polish market. Later, things took an avalanche, and Elon Musk's brand grew into a leader. Only later did the other producers join it. Although Tesla is already officially present in Poland, many still choose to import a car from the USA. Therefore, we will compare the costs of such a venture with the purchase of a car with an internal combustion engine.

• Tesla Model 3 bought in the US for $30,000 USD - duty: 3 thousand USD (10 per cent), excise duty: 0 per cent, VAT: 6930 USD (import via the Netherlands, 21 per cent) VAT);
• BMW 330i bought in USA for $30,000 USD - duty: 3 thousand. USD (10 per cent), excise duty: approx. 6138 USD (18.6 per cent for 2000 cc engine), VAT: approx. 8219 USD (import through the Netherlands, 21 per cent). VAT).

Of course, we have applied some simplifications here, but despite this, it is not difficult to figure out that the cost of importing an electric car from the USA will be lower. This is due to the fact that no excise tax is charged to electricians. This is why Tesla from the USA is so popular. The only downside to such a purchase is that you cannot take advantage of the government subsidy program, but for example in the case of the Tesla Model S it would not be possible anyway.

Buying an electric car from the USA - what to look for?

If you want to buy a used electric car, you should be as vigilant as if you were buying a car with an internal combustion engine. However, the difference is that in the case of an electrician, you need to check the condition of the battery, that is, its remaining capacity and the number of charging cycles so far. Cars from the USA are often damaged, so it is important that the components of the electric drive are working, this is especially the case with the battery. At the end of 2024, the portal Auto World He said that the new battery for the Tesla Model S costs about 80 thousand PLN for a battery with a capacity of 85 kWh.

summary

As you can see, although the cost of buying an electric car is not among the lowest, in general, electric vehicles make up for the high price with low maintenance costs. Drivers can also count on many bonuses, and among them should be mentioned, for example, the rule in force in Poland until 2026, which allows electricians to drive on bus lanes. In many shops, shopping centers, hotels and office buildings, you can count on the presence of a charging station. So you can go shopping and replenish the battery in the meantime. More and more cities also have restricted entry zones for cars with internal combustion engines. Some countries also apply preferential prices for motorway vignettes for electric car owners. All this makes the purchase of an electric car beneficial on many levels.

It is also worth considering buying a used electric car from the USA. Its price will be much lower than that of similar cars from the European secondary market. Here it is worth using the help of a professional broker who will not only guide you through the whole process, but above all will help you avoid a car that will have, for example, a damaged battery.