Volkswagen say the ELECTRIC VW ID.3 is CHEAPER to buy and run than the VW Golf

Volkswagen declares that buying and running an electric VW ID.3 will be cheaper than the equivalent ICE car, including their own Golf.

Running an electric car is a chunk cheaper than running an ICE car, in no small part because the electricity you use to run an EV costs an awful lot less than the petrol or diesel you stick in an ICE car, mainly because the electricity you use isn’t taxed in the punitive way the fuel for an ICE is.

Of course, that will change in the coming years as we move to little black boxes and road pricing for all vehicles, but for now it’s a big plus for early adopters.

That reduced running cost is often cited as mitigation in itself for the more expensive upfront prices of BEVs, but, for many, it’s the entry price of EVs that’s the stumbling block.

But now, with the electric VW ID.3 confirmed for arrival in showrooms this summer, VW is out to bust the myth; not the myth that an EV is cheaper to run, because it is, but that an EV is more expensive to buy.

VW’s arguments, understandably, are based on the German market, but they hold up for the UK market too, even with our (now even) lower subsidy for EVs of £3,000 since the budget this week.

The list price for the entry-level ID.3 in Germany is €30,000, which equates to around £26,500 in the UK, and with the £3k EV grant that comes down to £23,500 in the UK for an EV with a decent spec and range of around 200 miles. That’s compared to a list price of £23,875 in the UK for the new Mk8 Golf Life 1.5 TSI, or £24,875 for the Golf Life 2.0 TDI – the cheapest of the new Golfs on the market.

Add in to that equation the zero charge for VED, a visit to a VW dealers only once every two years – regardless of mileage – for the ID.3 and, in Germany but potentially the UK too, lower insurance rates for the electric VW, and VW’s argument stands up.

Silke Bagschick, Head of Sales and Marketing, said:

The price is no longer an argument against but rather an argument for the electric car. Leasing offers make the changeover easy and reduce uncertainty. In future, the electric car will also be attractively priced even without subsidies.

So, time to get an electric VW ID.3 (or the more appealing VW ID.4)?