Iceland and Portugal have the lowest charging costs for an electric vehicle in Europe

The cost of charging an electric vehicle at a public charging station varies between 0 and 5 euros/100 km for most of Europe, with the lowest prices being charged in Iceland (2.9 euros), Portugal (3, 2 euros) and Finland (4.6 euros), according to data from the European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO), taken by visualcapitalist.com.

The data shows the average cost of charging an electric car for 100 km for 25 minutes at a public station in different European countries, considering a Tesla Model 3. The price information was obtained from the stations DC fast charging public. EAFO then calculated an average price per country.

After the countries mentioned above, the Czech Republic, with an average price of 5.5 euros, Hungary (5.8 euros), Slovakia (6.4 euros), Poland (6.7 euros), Spain (7 ,1 euro), Ireland (7.2 euro), France and Bulgaria (7.3 euro), Sweden (7.7 euro), Great Britain and Austria (7.8 euro), Switzerland (7.9 euro), Belgium (8.4 euros), Denmark (8.8 euros), Croatia and Germany (8.9 euros), Italy (9.1 euros), Netherlands (9.2 euros), Cyprus, Greece Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg , Latvia, Malta, Romania and Turkey (9.8 euros), Estonia (10 euros), Slovenia (17 euros), Norway (18.9 euros).

According to Euronews, Iceland's abundant sources of renewable energy are reducing the price of charging electric vehicles. In contrast, in Norway and Slovenia charging costs are high, between 17 and 19 euros/100 km, values that also reflect the sources of electricity, energy prices and taxes in the respective countries. In Norway, for example, prices are 25% higher than the EU average, notes the cited source.

In general, countries with a higher share of renewable energy have lower prices, while countries with expensive energy imports (such as Germany) have higher prices.

The adoption of electric vehicles has steadily increased worldwide. Norway is the leader, with an 80% electric vehicle share of all cars sold in 2023. In 2024, the share approaches 90%, up from 3% in 2012. Among the top four countries ranked by electric vehicle adoption , three are from Europe. As home to some of the world's wealthiest countries, Europe has the capacity to create the charging infrastructure essential to increasing the use of electric cars, concludes visualcapitalist.com.

• European car manufacturers present their cheap electric models at the Paris Motor Show

For a long time, the main European car manufacturers took advantage of the Paris Motor Show to present their latest technologies and designs, but at this year's edition, the theme is a different one: the price, reports Bloomberg, according to Agerpres.

With drivers unhappy with the high price of an electric car, Stellantis NV, Renault SA and Volkswagen AG plan to present their latest low-cost electric models at the biannual event that started yesterday. Their goal is to reverse a trend of declining sales that began last year, when governments in the region cut incentives for those ditching gas-powered cars for electric ones.

"The current context is not great for electric cars, there is not enough charging infrastructure, prices are volatile, but we will see. We are doing everything we can," says Renault's general manager, Luca de Meo.

The French automaker is at the forefront of the affordability movement, presenting several plug-in models at the Paris Motor Show, including the R4, which is expected to cost less than euro35,000. Also, Renault will present the new R5, an electric version of the famous model with a combustion engine from 1970 and which costs 25,000 euros.

The Paris motor show could be a turning point for European automakers, which have had trouble offering cheap electric cars. Initial problems with software development, high labor costs and expensive components such as batteries plagued the European auto industry. To maintain their operating margins, many manufacturers have focused on selling premium models. This, combined with the reduction of subsidies in countries such as Germany or Sweden, brought the average selling price of an electric car to 45,000 euros in 2024. In these conditions, electric cars are unaffordable for many Europeans, who are already facing high interest rates and a high cost of living.

Also in Paris, Dacia, the low-cost brand within the Renault group, will unveil the Bigster model, a large SUV designed to counteract the "explosion of costs" in this segment, Renault said.

In addition to the R4 and R5, which Luca de Meo described as "the best small electric car in the world", Renault would present in Paris a prototype for an electric Twingo model, which would cost less than 20,000 euro and which will be launched on the market in 2026.

"Finally, we're starting to see smaller vehicles and more affordable electric models. There is still a gap with Chinese electric cars on the cost side, but it is a gap that is reducing", says Serge Gachot, director of the Paris Motor Show.

An example is the Franco-Italian group Stellantis, which joined forces with the Chinese manufacturer Leapmotor to reduce the cost of its electric cars. Among the models that Stellantis will present in Paris is the Leapmotor B10, a compact SUV aimed at young motorists that comes with a better price than the competition. How the new model is received in Paris will decide the next steps in Stellantis' plan to produce Leapmotor vehicles at a plant in Poland.

The Citroen brand, which in 1948 launched affordable cars in France thanks to the famous 2CV, plans to present several moderately priced electric models at the Paris Motor Show, including the new C3 Aircross, which it describes as "the most affordable Compact SUV on the market". Citroen will also unveil the new e-C3, which costs 23,300 euros and began to be delivered in mid-September, after several months of delays due to software problems.

European carmakers are competing with more Chinese manufacturers looking to expand in the region, despite the European Commission's recent decision to impose additional tariffs of up to 45% on electric cars imported from China.

Chinese group BYD will bring more electric and plug-in hybrid models to Paris, including mainstream models aimed at competing with French and German cars, as well as Tesla's Model Y. In an attempt to demonstrate its technological capabilities, the Chinese group will unveil in Paris a luxury SUV named Yangwang U8, which would cost approximately one million yuan ($141,509).

Compatriot Xpeng Inc. will present its new sedan P7+, a longer version of the P7 model, which costs 50,0000 euros, and which competes with more expensive mid-range models from BMW and Mercedes.

Even though a number of Chinese automakers, such as Great Wall Motor Co. and Nio Inc., will not be present at the Paris show, there are numerous Chinese manufacturers who have sent their representatives to Paris to discuss potential partnerships, market entries and production in Europe with local builders and dealers.